From now until May 7, 2025, you may use a Kentucky driver's permit, driver's license, or state ID to fly domestically within the US. After May 7, 2025, international students will need to travel with their passport as you will be granted a standard rather than a REAL ID version of a Kentucky driver's permit, driver's license, or state ID.

Driver's Permit & License

All non-U.S. citizens may drive in the U.S. on their valid foreign license AND international driving permit (IDP) for up to one year from the date of admission into the U.S. provided their home country is part of the Foreign License Reciprocity. To get an IDP, contact the motor vehicle department of the country that issued your driver's license, and beware of scams that try to sell unofficial/fake IDP's.

Drivers should obtain a Kentucky license within 30 days of establishing residency in Kentucky (KY).​ For driving purposes, KY law defines "residency" as a person who has established Kentucky as their state of domicile within the last 30 days. Student will most commonly use a bank statement, a piece of mail that has been postmarked (meaning stamped and dated) by USPS, and/or a letter/transcript from Centre which establishes enrollment and thus residence.

For those that have a driver's license from another US state that is valid or has been expired for less than one year, you may be exempt from the written, vision, and road tests. All other non-permanent residents should complete all testing, and will generally need to start with a permit prior to obtaining a license. 

Please refer to the appropriate How-to Instructions on the Forms page, and contact ISS for more assistance obtaining a Driver's Permit and/or License.

Kentucky (KY) State ID

Some students are uncomfortable with always carrying their passport around as their form of ID. If you would like an ID card for non-drivers, then a KY State ID card may be appropriate.  

Please refer to the appropriate How-to Instructions on the Forms page, and contact ISS for more assistance obtaining a KY State ID card.

 

For more information, please contact ISS and/or refer to the following source(s):

How-to Instructions on the Forms page

https://drive.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx

http://kentuckystatepolice.org/driver-testing/

Jessica Leonard

Photo of Jessica Leonard
Associate Director, Centre Global
International Student Services (ISS)


Office Location: Old Carnegie
Office Phone: +1 859.238.6106
Office Email: jessica.leonard@centre.edu
Schedule an Appointment on Navigate (for Current Students only): Click Here
Biography

BS: Physics, University of Maryland

M.Ed (pursuing): Higher Education – Student Affairs, Liberty University

Jessica Leonard joined Centre College in August 2018. She previously taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in South Korea for almost 8 years.

Jessica is a member of the College's CARE team and Enrollment Management & Retention Advisory Committee in addition to serving on the College's Staff Congress as Secretary. She currently advises the International Student Association (ISA), the Asian American and Pacific Islander Coalition (AAPIC), and the Centre South Asian Cultural Association (SACA) and previously advised the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA).

In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter at home in Versailles, KY.

Adam Chen-Dedman

Photo of Adam Chen-Dedman
Executive Director, Centre Global

Office Location: Old Carnegie
Office Phone: +1 859.238.5268
Office Email: adam.chen-dedman@centre.edu
Schedule an Appointment on Navigate (for Current Students only): Click Here
Biography

BA: Comparative Culture (Humanities), Sophia University (Japan)

MTS: Asian Religion & Gender, Harvard University

Adam Chen-Dedman is a native of Kentucky and joined Centre College in 2023 as Executive Director of Centre Global. He spent 25 years studying and working abroad in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Australia. From 2005 to 2012 Adam served as head of International Student Services, Director of the Study Abroad program, and then Assistant to the President of International Affairs at Payap University in Thailand. From 2013 to 2019 he served as Executive Director of the Institute of South East Asian Affairs, a regional study abroad program, that was based at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. In these roles, Adam forged relationships with US colleges and universities and oversaw students from the US and other countries who were studying abroad in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Adam is completing his PhD in Cultural Studies of Asia at The University of Melbourne (Australia) where he researches responses to Chinese nationalism, geopolitics in Taiwan's LGBTQ+ social movement, and Japanese and Thai queer cultural interactions with Taiwan. He has taught courses on LGBTQ+ activism and human rights in Asia, Sex and Politics, and Global Media Cultures. His publications can be found in Nations and Nationalism, International Journal of Taiwan Studies, Feminist Media Studies, Contention: The Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Protest, and Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics. Adam speaks Japanese, Thai, Mandarin, and conversational Spanish.;

Vivienne Main


Assistant Director, Centre Global
Study Abroad and Away


Office Location: Old Carnegie
Office Phone: +1 859.238.5285
Office Email: vivienne.main@centre.edu
Schedule an Appointment on Navigate (for Current Students only): Click Here
Biography

MSci: Marine and Freshwater Biology, University of Glasgow

Vivienne Main is a Scotland native who graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2015 with an MSci in Marine and Freshwater Biology. She studied abroad in Egypt and focused on tropical ecology with a strong emphasis on citizen science engagement and science communication.

Vivienne spent 4 years working abroad in Egypt and The Bahamas coordinating STEM and sustainability-focused programs for visiting international students. Upon moving to the USA in 2019 she served as Program Coordinator for International Field Studies, an educational and scientific non-profit organization established to promote and assist educators with field study programs. In these roles, Vivienne coordinated international travel, and on-site logistics, and advised students from the US and other countries who were studying abroad.

Margaret Meadows

Photo of Margaret Meadows
Office Coordinator, Centre Global

Office Location: Old Carnegie
Office Phone: +1 859.238.5295
Office Email: margaret.meadows@centre.edu
Schedule an Appointment on Navigate (for Current Students only): Click Here
Biography

BA: Spanish and International Relations, University of Kentucky

Margaret Meadows joined Centre Global in 2022. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2015 where she studied abroad in Costa Rica and earned a BA in Spanish and International Relations.


 

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