Kentucky driving laws

“no person shall, while operating a motor vehicle that is in motion on the traveled portion of a roadway, write, send, or read text-based communication using a personal communication device”

“The reading, selecting, or entering of a telephone number or name in a personal communication device for the purpose of making a phone call;”

“Any person under the age of eighteen (18) who has been issued an instruction permit, intermediate license, or operator's license shall not operate a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or moped that is in motion on the traveled portion of a roadway while using a personal communication device”

“except to summon medical help or a law enforcement or public safety agency in an emergency situation.”

“Any person who violates KRS 189.292 or 189.294 shall be fined twenty-five dollars ($25) for the first offense and fifty dollars ($50) for each subsequent offense.”

“Having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more as measured by a scientifically reliable test or tests of a sample of the person's breath or blood taken within two (2) hours of cessation of operation or physical control of a motor vehicle;”

“Having an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more as measured by a scientifically reliable test or tests of a sample of the person's breath or blood taken within two (2) hours of cessation of operation or physical control of a motor vehicle, if the person is under the age of twenty-one (21).”

“A person who drives a commercial motor vehicle within this state with an alcohol concentration of four hundredths (0.04) or more shall be deemed to be operating a vehicle under the influence.”

“A person's refusal to submit to tests under KRS 189A.103 shall result in suspension of his or her driving privilege as provided in this chapter.”

“will result in suspension of his or her driver's license by the court at the time of arraignment; and”

“the court shall suspend the person's driver's license for the period of time the license would have been suspended upon conviction as set forth in KRS 189A.070(1)”

“he or she will be subject to a mandatory minimum jail sentence which is twice as long as the mandatory minimum jail sentence imposed if he or she submits to the tests;”

“For the first offense within a ten (10) year period, be fined not less than two hundred dollars ($200) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), or be imprisoned in the county jail for not less than forty-eight (48) hours nor more than thirty (30) days, or both.”

“For a person who is issued an ignition interlock license under KRS 189A.340 and who meets the ninety (90) consecutive day requirement within the first four (4) months of the issuance of the ignition interlock license, four (4) months;”

“until the person meets the ninety (90) consecutive day requirement or six (6) months, whichever is shorter; or iii. For all others, six (6) months;”

“Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (1)(f) of this section shall be fined no less than one hundred dollars ($100) and no more than five hundred dollars ($500), or sentenced to twenty (20) hours of community service in lieu of a fine.”

“A person shall not operate a motor vehicle manufactured after 1981 on the public roadways of this state unless the driver and all passengers are wearing a properly adjusted and fastened seat belt”

“Kentucky has a primary seat belt law, meaning drivers can be stopped and cited if anyone in the vehicle is not wearing a seat belt.”

“when transporting a child of forty (40) inches in height or less in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, and highways of this state, shall have the child properly secured in a child restraint system”

“when transporting a child under the age of eight (8) years who is between forty (40) inches and fifty-seven (57) inches in height in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, and highways of this state, shall have the child properly secured in a child booster seat.”

“Any person who violates the provisions of KRS 189.125(6) shall be fined an amount not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25).”

“Any person who violates the provisions of KRS 189.125(3)(a) shall be fined fifty dollars ($50).”

“Any person who violates the provisions of KRS 189.125(3)(b) shall be fined thirty dollars ($30).”

“Emergency vehicle or public safety vehicle, when the emergency vehicle or public safety vehicle is giving a signal by displaying alternately flashing yellow, red, red and white, red and blue, or blue lights; or”

“Disabled vehicle, when the disabled vehicle is displaying some type of warning signal, such as emergency flashers, flares, or retroreflective signals.”

“Yield the right-of-way by moving to a lane not adjacent to that of the vehicle, if:”

“The person is driving on a highway having at least four (4) lanes, with at least two (2) lanes proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle; and”

“Reduce the speed of the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed to road conditions, if the road has less than four (4) lanes or if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe.”

“the operator of a vehicle approaching from any direction shall bring the vehicle to a stop and shall not proceed until the bus has completed receiving or discharging passengers and has been put into motion.”

“The stop requirement provided for in this section shall not apply to vehicles approaching a stopped bus from the opposite direction upon a highway of four (4) or more lanes divided by an elevated barrier or unpaved median.”

“Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 62, sec. 7, effective July 15, 2026.”

“Five hundred dollars ($500) if no person is physically injured or dies as a result of the violation.”

“Not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) if the violation results in physical injury to or death of any person.”

“Signs displayed informing drivers of the existence of a highway work zone and that fines are increased in it; and”

“At least one (1) bona fide worker is present in the highway work zone.”

“(a) Sixty-five (65) miles per hour on interstate highways and parkways; (b) Fifty-five (55) miles per hour on all other state highways; and (c) Thirty-five (35) miles per hour in a business or residential district.”

“the secretary may increase the speed limit on any of the following segments of highway to seventy (70) miles per hour:”

“who is involved in an accident resulting in fatal or nonfatal personal injury to any person or damage to the vehicle rendering the vehicle inoperable shall be required to immediately notify a law enforcement officer having jurisdiction.”

“dollars ($500) in which an investigation is not conducted by a law enforcement officer shall file a written report of the accident with the department within ten (10) days of occurrence of the accident”

“"Department" means the Department of Kentucky State Police; and”

“Split limits liability coverage of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for all damages arising out of bodily injury sustained by any one (1) person, and not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for all damages arising out of bodily injury sustained by all persons injured as a result of any one (1) accident,”

“plus liability coverage of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for all damages arising out of damage to or destruction of property”

“Single limits liability coverage of not less than sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) for all damages whether arising out of bodily injury or damage to property”

“A person under the age of twenty-one (21) years who is operating a motorcycle or who is a passenger on a motorcycle or in a sidecar attachment;”

“A person who possesses a motorcycle instruction permit and who is operating a motorcycle; and”

“A person who has held a valid motorcycle operator's license, or combination motor vehicle-motorcycle operator's license, for less than one (1) year and who is operating a motorcycle.”

“Unless that person uses an approved eye-protective device, in the manner prescribed by the secretary of the Transportation Cabinet, at all times such vehicle is in motion; and”

“A person shall not operate a motorcycle on a highway as defined in KRS 189.010(3) unless he wears an eye-protective device which meets the standards set forth in Section 4 of this administrative regulation.”

“Be permanently and legibly marked on each lens, in a manner that does not interfere with the vision of the wearer, with:”

“a person who possesses a valid intermediate motor vehicle operator's license issued under KRS 186.452 or a person who is at least eighteen (18) years of age may apply for an instruction permit to operate a motorcycle.”

“An instruction permit to operate a motorcycle shall be valid for one (1) year and may be renewed one (1) time.”

“A motorcycle operator authorized to drive a motorcycle on an instruction permit shall not be authorized to carry passengers.”

“A person with an instruction permit who is under the age of eighteen (18) shall not operate a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or moped between the hours of 12 midnight and 6 a.m.”

“An applicant who presents evidence of successful completion of an approved rider training course under KRS 176.5062 shall not be required to obtain a motorcycle instruction permit prior to obtaining a motorcycle operator's license.”

“The applicant may take an approved safety education course and receive a waiver card for the written and skills tests to obtain a motorcycle license.”