Washington D.C., – Great news to FSM citizens residing in Kentucky! The Embassy is pleased to announce to all FSM citizens residing in the State of Kentucky that the Commonwealth of Kentucky has decided to issue REAL ID–compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards to eligible citizens of the Freely Associated States (FAS). Since the REAL ID Act Modification for the Freely Associated States Act took effect in 2018, Kentucky had continued issuing REAL IDs only to U.S. citizens based on domestic interpretation. When the implementation of the REAL ID Act was rolled into enforcement in May 2025, many FSM citizens residing in Kentucky felt the impacts of it.
On July 15, 2025, Ambassador Jack Soram wrote to Governor Andy Beshear to express concerns regarding FSM citizens’ eligibility for REAL ID in Kentucky. On August 15, 2025, Governor Andy Beshear conveyed the following in his response letter to Ambassador Soram:
“Team Kentucky welcomes your citizens to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and I appreciate your concern about them being issued REAL ID under the terms of the Compact of Free Association. I’m pleased to inform you that Kentucky will accommodate the issuance of REAL ID-compliant credentials to eligible citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia who reside in the Commonwealth.”
We kindly advise all our citizens residing in Kentucky to print and bring copies of the attached documents when applying for your REAL ID. These materials offer important guidance on the required documents and application process, which also include the letter from Governor Beshear confirming the eligibility of the FSM citizens.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to the Embassy at 202-223-4383 or email at dcmission@fsmembassy.fm.
