{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-189a.085","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 189A.085","heading":"Surrender and impoundment  of motor vehicle license plates --","body":"Hardship exception for affected individuals other than offender.\n(1) Unless a person has been issued an ignition interlock license under KRS\n189A.340 or a hardship license under KRS  189A.410, a person who has been\nconvicted of an offense under KRS  189A.010 may have the license plate or\nplates on all of the motor vehicles or motorcycles owned by him or her, either\nsolely or jointly, impounded  by  the court of competent  jurisdiction in\naccordance with the following procedures:\n(a) Following a court order of impoundment of a license plate or plates, the\nperson shall physically surrender any and all license plate or plates\ncurrently in force on any motor vehicle or motorcycle owned  either\nindividually or jointly by him or her to the court at the final sentencing\nhearing, or within forty-five (45) days after the hearing. If the person fails\nto surrender his or her license plate or plates at the final sentencing\nhearing or within forty-five (45) days thereafter, the court may issue an\norder directing the sheriff or any other peace officer to seize the license\nplate or plates and to deliver any seized license plate or plates to the\ncourt. The order of the court suspending the license plate or plates shall\nnot exceed the time for the suspension of the operator's license as\nspecified in KRS 189A.070; and\n(b) The  clerk of the court shall retain any surrendered plate or plates and\nthen transmit all surrendered plate or plates to the Transportation Cabinet\nin the manner set forth by the Transportation Cabinet in administrative\nregulations promulgated by the Transportation Cabinet.\n(2) Upon  application, the court may grant hardship exceptions to family members\nor other individuals affected by the surrender of any license plate or plates of\nany motor vehicle or motorcycle owned by the offender. Hardship exceptions\nmay  be granted by the court to the offender's family members  or other affected\nindividuals only if the family members  or other affected individuals prove to the\ncourt's satisfaction that their inability to utilize the surrendered motor vehicles\nor motorcycles would pose an undue hardship upon the family members  or\nother affected individuals. Upon the court's granting of hardship exceptions, the\nclerk or the Transportation Cabinet as appropriate, shall return to the family\nmembers  or other affected individuals the license plate or plates of the motor\nvehicles or motorcycles of the offender for their utilization. The offender shall\nnot be permitted to operate a motor vehicle or motorcycle for which the license\nplate has been suspended or for which a hardship exception has been granted,\nunless the offender has been issued an ignition interlock license under KRS\n189A.340 or a hardship license under KRS 189A.410.\n(3) If the license plate of a jointly owned vehicle is impounded, this vehicle may be\ntransferred to a joint owner of the vehicle who was not the violator.\n(4) If the license plate of a motor vehicle is impounded, the vehicle may  be\ntransferred.","path":["KRS Chapter 189A"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52109","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:44Z","sha256":"04c1fd3e282590562a8b59cf83afad4cb6a0107e59ea32968f5488147625985a","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-189a.080","next":"us-ky/krs-189a.090"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}