Clerk Carmen Finley used her time during Monday night’s Trigg County Fiscal Court meeting to remind the public of critical changes coming for her office.
First and foremost, and in sync with the rest of the Commonwealth, Finley’s motor vehicle department will be closed from December 29 through January 9 — as the state shifts from a DOS-based computer system and joins the 21st Century.
This means tag renewals, disabled placards, transfers and other related motor vehicle actions won’t be available until January 10.
Magistrate Mike Wright and Finley made it clear — this closure is mandatory.
Finley also noted there is some angst and trepidation with all of these changes, and that it’s “not a good time of the year.” However, the changes are prudent, needed, and will streamline a handful of base services that will better equip her office — and the community — with legal documentation.
For those first two weeks, the office will also be operating with a skeleton staff as training for the system gets underway, but those seeking notaries, hunting and fishing licenses, marriage licenses and the like will still be able to have these tasks rendered, because Finley said this data can be kept manually.
Other 2024 changes include the following:
— All license plates now stay with the customer, and not the vehicle.
— A Kentucky driver’s license, or Real ID, will need to be presented before every transaction.
— Electric vehicles will be assessed a flat $120 fee for the state’s Road Fund.
— Hybrid vehicles and electric motorcycles will be assessed a flat $60 fee for the state’s Road Fund.
— And more than two dozen new plate designs will be introduced next year.
