FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 29, 2026) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear removed an employment barrier for veterans and active-duty military by signing an emergency regulation to fast-track Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). The action waives the written CDL test for eligible current and former service members who operated commercial-style vehicles within the past two years, easing their transition into civilian employment.
“Our veterans sacrifice to keep us safe, and it is our sacred duty to make sure they have access to a good job and the same American Dream they’re willing to fight for on our behalf,” said Gov. Beshear. “This step will help remove barriers and ease access to employment for those who’ve bravely and selflessly served, helping them better support their family who sacrificed alongside them. It’s the right thing to do.”
Eligible military personnel can request an application form established by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to request a waiver of written knowledge and skills test. Completed forms are submitted to KYTC, with notification of approval or disapproval to be delivered by mail within 30 days of submission. Approved applicants can then take their approval form to any KYTC Driver License Regional Office.
“With this action, military members can translate valuable military training and driving experience into a credential that opens doors for careers that help meet national and local transportation needs,” said Transportation Secretary Rebecca Goodman. “It’s the next right step to build upon our existing road test waiver to support more employment opportunities for active-duty or recently discharged service members.”
To be eligible, military personnel must be a resident of Kentucky and have operated commercial-style vehicles within the past two years and have one of the following military occupational specialties or occupational classifications:
- U.S. Army:
- 88M - Motor Transport Operator
- 92F - Fueler
- 14T - Patriot Launching Station Operator
- U.S. Marine Corps:
- 3531 - Motor Vehicle Operator
- U.S. Navy:
- EO - Equipment Operator
- U.S. Air Force:
- 2TI - Vehicle Operator
- 2FO - Fueler
- 3E2 - Pavement and Construction Equipment Operator
Interested Kentuckians can learn more and apply at drive.ky.gov.
Support for Veterans
The Beshear administration is committed to supporting Kentucky’s military community and families. Gov. Beshear has signed legislation to design and construct the $53 million veterans center in Bowling Green – the Robert E. Spiller Bowling Green Veterans Center – which will be the fifth skilled nursing facility providing high-quality care for veterans in the state and is slated to open next week.
The Governor has also signed legislationthat simplifies the job certification process for military spouses; expanded the Military Family Assistance Trust Fund; improved leave benefits for state employees who serve in the military and added seven active military unit license plates to the 28 military-related plates that were already available.
The Governor also approved funds to support the Homeless Veterans Program, staffing at four of the veterans’ cemeteries and a permanent memorial honoring Kentucky Medal of Honor recipients at the Campus of Freedom’s Foundation in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
The administration is also supporting veterans’ organizations through the Veterans Program Trust Fund, which has granted hundreds of thousands of dollars to partners like Honor Flight Bluegrass, Honor Flight Kentucky, the Louisville Chapter of the National Association of Black Veterans and the Homeless Veterans Trust Fund.
To help lift up members of the veteran community who are struggling, Kentucky joined the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and Their Families.
On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2021, the Governor broke ground on a new, nearly $1 billion Louisville VA Medical Center campus, which will provide world-class healthcare for more than 45,000 veterans in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. It is expected to open in 2027.
This year, the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs also earned its Sixth Straight Abraham Lincoln Pillar of Excellence Award in Customer Experience.
Licensing Improvements and Reduced Wait Times
Team Kentucky has taken several steps to simplify the licensing process and reduce wait times at licensing offices, ensuring Kentuckians are spending less time in line and more time getting where they need to go. Those steps include hiring 125 contracted full-time staff last year and launching a new line management and text check-in system that drastically cut office wait times when demand grew last year due to new vision screening requirements, REAL ID enforcement and new permit eligibility for 15-year-olds.
Thanks to those efforts, average wait times at driver licensing regional offices statewide were just 9 minutes for walk-ins and 10 minutes for appointments in August, down from an average of 49 minutes for walk-ins and 25 minutes for appointments in Spring of 2025.
