If you are a Kentuckian 16 or older with a valid Kentucky driver’s license, you may want to get it out of your wallet and check the “renewal” date to keep yourself from driving on with an expired license.

In a memo to all Circuit Court Clerks, dated Thursday, September 1 from the Division of Driver Licensing, it notified all clerks offices that “the Division of Driver Licensing has discontinued the printing and mailing of Renewal Reminder Cards.”

The new measure will not affect those with CDL (Commercial Driver Licenses), as the federal government mandates those individuals be notified of renewal dates.

The correspondence also noted, “A great deal of discussion and planning went into this decision. After weighing the impact of the renewal cards versus the cost of maintaining this process it was determined it was necessary to end this program.

“Of course we will still mail CDL renewal reminder cards that is mandated by Federal law.”

Clinton Circuit Clerk Jake Staton, although not agreeing with the new policy, noted that county circuit clerks had no say in the matter, even though it will place an added burden on his office with people who may not be sure of their license status, as well as all driver’s license holders, who in some cases, may forget about their renewal date every four years.

“I don’t think it is a good thing,” Staton said. “County Clerks are continuing to send out reminders to vehicle owners about their license plates expiration dates, but circuit clerks can’t send out a reminder to a license holder every four years.”

Staton could only give advise to people with a valid driver’s license to keep themselves from allowing them to expire, such as trying to remember to occasionally check the renewal date on their license. He said a good time to do this may be on each person’s birthday, around the time renewals are issued, or such as adding it to your New Year’s resolution list to check your license to see if it needs to be renewed during the coming year.

The Circuit Clerk also encourages any driver’s license holder who may have questions about their driver’s licenses, such as renewal or other questions, to contact his office at 387-6424 or 387-8181.