Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
Work authorisation from DHS for a Social Security number
Proof of Kentucky residency dated less than one year old — two documents if you want a REAL ID
Kentucky insurance issued within the last 45 days, if you brought a vehicle

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers and the state will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website — the visa sticker in your passport is a different thing entirely.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
SSA verifies status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually wastes the trip. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN
IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, and many banks accept it. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Deal with the vehicle before the licence
If you brought a car, you have 10 days from establishing residency to insure it with a Kentucky-authorised company and title and register it with the Fayette County Clerk. That is the shortest clock in the whole move and the one people miss.
In personWho: YouWithin 10 daysTitle, registration and the annual vehicle property tax
5
Go to a Driver Licensing Regional Office within 30 days
Kentucky moved driver licensing out of the county circuit court clerks to state Regional Offices, so directions to the courthouse are out of date. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security card, proof of Kentucky residency and your existing credential.
In personWho: YouWithin 30 days
6
Choose standard or REAL ID at the counter
Kentucky issues both. Without the black star you cannot use the credential at an airport security checkpoint. REAL ID costs a couple of dollars more and needs two proofs of Kentucky residency rather than one — bring both and decide there.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
Proof of Kentucky residency dated less than one year old — two documents for REAL ID
Existing driver credential, plus a certified driver history record if any testing is required

Things most newcomers don’t know

The car clock is three times shorter than the licence clock.

Kentucky requires a new resident to insure, title and register a vehicle within 10 days of establishing residency, while the driver credential deadline is 30 days. Almost every other state runs the other way, so newcomers sequence it wrongly by instinct. If you drove here, deal with the county clerk in week one.

Source: Kentucky DRIVE — new to Kentucky

Licensing is state-run and no longer happens at the courthouse.

Kentucky consolidated driver licensing from 120 county circuit court clerks into state Driver Licensing Regional Offices. A lot of directions online, and plenty of local advice, still point at the courthouse. Testing is a separate step handled by the Kentucky State Police, by appointment, before the Regional Office visit.

Source: Kentucky DRIVE — find an office

No test if your existing licence is valid or recently expired.

Kentucky waives testing for a valid out-of-state licence, or one expired less than a year. Where testing is required you need a certified driver history record or clearance letter dated within the last 30 days, which takes time to obtain from the issuing authority — start it before you fly.

Source: Kentucky DRIVE — new to Kentucky

The visa sticker's expiry is not your permission to stay.

A visa authorises travel to a port of entry; the officer there decides how long you may remain and records it on the I-94. Overstaying that date carries consequences the visa expiry does not.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection — I-94 record

Common mistakes to avoid

Sorting the licence first and blowing the 10-day vehicle deadline.
Going to the county courthouse for a licence — Kentucky moved that to state Regional Offices.
Turning up for testing without a driver history record dated within the last 30 days.
Bringing one proof of residency and then wanting a REAL ID, which needs two.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.