KentuckySB 662026 Regular SessionSenate

AN ACT relating to the operation of a motor vehicle.

Sponsored By: Brandon J. Storm (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Corrections ImpactCrimes And PunishmentsDrugs And MedicinesLocal MandateMotor VehiclesState AgenciesTransportation

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Traffic tickets stay on record 10 years

The state keeps moving traffic convictions on your record for ten years before destroying them. This replaces the five‑year removal rule. If you hold or ever held a commercial driver’s license or learner’s permit, your records are kept indefinitely.

Breath refusals risk more; PBT protected

Officers must tell you the consequences when asking for breath or blood tests. If you refuse a breath test, that refusal is used in court, counts as an aggravating factor, and the court suspends your license at arraignment. If you refuse a blood test, that refusal is not used in court, but the court still suspends your license at arraignment and the state can suspend it after a conviction. If you were not warned, your refusal is not used in court and does not trigger a license suspension at arraignment. Refusing a preliminary breath test (PBT) in the field is protected: it is not used in court or to suspend your license at arraignment, and officers must tell you this before a PBT.

Clearer test window and drug list for DUI

Blood or breath tests taken more than two hours after you stop driving are not used to prove per‑se alcohol or listed‑drug charges, unless done under a court‑ordered test. The law also names specific drugs (like fentanyl, methamphetamine, alprazolam, and hydrocodone) that count if a reliable blood test finds them within two hours. Marijuana is not included in that named list here.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Brandon J. Storm
Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

Danny Carroll
Republican • Senate
J.T. Payne
Republican • House
Ken Fleming
Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 146 • No: 15

House vote • 4/15/2026

3rd reading, passed

Yes: 79 • No: 15

Senate vote • 4/15/2026

passed

Yes: 36 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/11/2026