Hardin County clerk says vehicle-registration notices delayed, urges residents to renew and criticizes state vendor

Hardin County Clerk Brian Smith told the Fiscal Court on Jan. 28 that renewal notices for vehicle registration mailed by the Kentucky Department of Revenue and its vendor have been delayed and that the delays are slowing collections and subsequent distributions to taxing districts.

Smith said his office expects roughly $40 million to flow through the county clerk’s office in 2025 and urged residents to renew by phone, online at drive.ky.gov or in person before the end-of-month deadlines. He criticized the state’s vendor and said county clerks had been told incorrect timing information about the mailing.

Why it matters: Delays in mailed renewal notices can affect when county and school-district revenues arrive, which in turn can affect cash flow for local governments that depend on timely distributions.

What the clerk said

- Volume and flow: Smith said the clerk’s office will handle about $40,000,000 in transactions in 2025 and that the state’s practice of mailing renewal notices is only a courtesy; the legal obligation to renew remains with vehicle owners.

- Specific revenue distributions (as reported by Smith for 2024 collections): the state received about $5,000,000; Hardin County Schools received about $4,900,000; Hardin County retained just over $1,100,000; other local distributions included Elizabethtown ($311,000), Radcliff ($303,000), Lincoln Trail District Health Department ($219,000), Vine Grove ($162,000) and Hardin County Extension ($145,000). The West Point Independent School District amount was listed in the presentation as $229.77.

- Delivery delays and vendor concerns: Smith said he was told by state officials that notices would be mailed Jan. 17, but the notices had not gone out. He said the state uses a vendor to mail notices, that the vendor’s identity and contract terms are “questions being asked,” and he urged constituents to contact the Kentucky Department of Revenue and the Transportation Cabinet to request answers about vendor selection and contract penalties for missed deadlines.

- Instructions to residents: Smith asked residents whose renewals are due to come in to renew as soon as possible and noted they can renew online at drive.ky.gov or by phone; the clerk’s office will attempt to work with people who come in late because of the mailing delays.

Questions from the bench

Magistrates asked whether the notices were legally required; Smith said the mailed reminder is a courtesy and the tax obligation remains even if the notice is late. He also said the state’s new KVUS system generates detailed reports that the county cannot run at their level and that some other counties could face payroll challenges if collections are delayed.

Ending: Smith apologized for sharing earlier, incorrect information with constituents and urged residents to check registration status and renew where possible. He said his office would work with people who arrive late because of the mailing delay.