License plate services will be suspended in mid-January

No services will be available for several weeks

                                                                                          (PHOTO PROVIDED)

(STORY COURTESY OF KENTUCKY TODAY) 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (KT) – A changeover in computer systems at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) in January means drivers will not be able to renew or get new tags, or other services for their vehicles for several weeks across the state, according to Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw.

With the Commonwealth Office of Technology (COT) and KYTC installing a new Vehicle Title and Registration System in January 2024, Holsclaw is alerting drivers and dealers across the county about an upcoming planned shutdown of the current system (AVIS).  The shutdown, part of the transition that will bring the new Kentucky Automated Vehicle Information System (KAVIS) online, will mean that County Clerk offices across Kentucky cannot issue decals, plates, disabled parking permits, and registrations, nor process vehicle transfers, until at least mid-January.

Holsclaw says she has shared with KYTC and COT the need to have alternatives available rather than shutting down the current system and hoping the new system is functioning effectively within the two weeks the state is projecting.

“Against my advice and the advice of other County Clerks throughout the state to implement the new system in a few test areas,” Holsclaw stated, “KYTC and COT want to simply turn off the largest computer system the state operates.  This decision affects everything related to the registration of motor vehicles.”

She noted, “The state will waive late fees and penalties for everyone during the shutdown period; however, I encourage everyone who has motor vehicle title work or registration renewals to process to do so now and not wait until January.  I remain concerned that the state’s current plan may involve considerable delays and inconvenience for customers, especially those buying and selling vehicles.”

With the AVIS system in use since 1976, efforts to replace the database with a more current version began in 2001.  Holsclaw pointed out that since then, multiple failures, postponements, reconfigurations, and attempts to launch have characterized the KAVIS project, an effort that has cost millions of dollars over the past nearly-23 years.

Other County Clerk’s office services that are not reliant on AVIS/KAVIS for functionality will remain open and operational, including voter registration, Legal Records, and Professional License departments.

No one from the Transportation Cabinet’s public information office was available for comment on Wednesday, as they were all attending a conference.