Most people who fail their road test appointment in Kentucky don’t actually fail the driving part. They get turned away at the front desk. Missing permit, unsigned log, expired insurance on the vehicle. All preventable. All common.

The checklist

Print this. Check it twice before you leave the house.

Valid learner’s permit (not expired)
Proof of identity: birth certificate or US passport
Social Security card or proof of SSN
Proof of residency (2 documents: utility bill, bank statement, etc.)
Completed driving log showing 60 supervised hours
Parent or guardian signature on the log (if under 18)
Driver’s ed completion certificate
Vehicle registration for the car you’re testing in
Proof of insurance (current, not expired)
Glasses or contacts (if your permit has a corrective lens restriction)
Road test appointment confirmation
Payment for the license fee

The driving log: 60 hours

Kentucky requires 60 supervised driving hours before you can take the road test. Your log needs to show 50 daytime hours and 10 night hours, each with the date, start and end time, and your supervisor’s signature.

Hand-written logs with crossed-out entries and smudged ink don’t inspire confidence. A clean, printed log moves things along faster.

The vehicle

The car you bring is part of the test. Before the driving portion starts, the examiner does a quick vehicle check. They’ll look at headlights, brake lights, turn signals, horn, mirrors, and tires. If something doesn’t work, you won’t test that day.

Make sure the registration and insurance are current. Not “expired last week.” Current. Bring the physical cards, not just a photo on your phone (some locations don’t accept digital copies). And clean out the backseat. The examiner needs to sit back there.

Mistakes that get people turned away

The front desk sends people home for these constantly:

Forgetting a parent signature on the driving log
Bringing a photocopy of your birth certificate instead of the original or certified copy
Leaving the proof of insurance at home because you thought digital was fine
Bringing a vehicle with a broken taillight or turn signal

Driver’s ed certificate

Kentucky requires driver education. Bring your completion certificate or card. If you took the course online, print the certificate, don’t just have it in your email. The DMV needs a physical or printed copy.

Skip the paper log headache

Moda tracks every practice session and builds your Kentucky driving log automatically. Dates, times, day vs. night classification, supervisor info. Export a clean PDF when it’s time for the DMV. Done.

View all Kentucky permit hour requirements

Track your permit hours the easy way.