GOVERNMENT & POLICY

Blackout license-plate sales supply $12.9M for Indiana BMV modernization, agency says

Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles has earmarked $12.9 million from sales of its optional “blackout” license plate for a five-year modernization plan, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported on Oct. 5, 2026.

BUSINESSINDY BRIEFBy BusinessIndy Editorial StaffCommentsPublished October 5, 2026 at 12:33 PM EDTLiving story · 2 sources

AI-generated illustration of the topic: Blackout license-plate sales supply $12.9M for Indiana BMV modernization, agency says — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

Reporting in the Indiana Capital Chronicle on Oct. 5, 2026, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles said sales of its optional “blackout” license plate have generated $12.9 million directed to a five-year BMV modernization plan. The plate, launched in August 2025, adds $45 to initial registration and annual renewal fees; the agency reported more than 380,000 plates sold since launch and about 314,000 are currently on the road, according to BMV spokesman Greg Dunn.

Agency Commissioner Kevin Garvey and Governor Mike Braun said the revenue will be reinvested in employees and technology. So far in 2026 the agency has bought new payment machines that accept tap-to-pay and digital currency, added more 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks statewide, and plans pay raises for many customer-facing employees. A comprehensive systems review completed last year produced 13 initiatives, including an AI chatbot, automated personalized notifications, upgraded branch cameras and digital driver’s licenses.

WHY IT MATTERS

The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) runs vehicle registration and driver services for Indiana. An optional “blackout” plate is a cosmetic plate design with white numerals and letters on an all-black background; choosing it costs an extra $45 at initial registration and on each annual renewal. The state has used those incremental fees to seed a dedicated modernization fund: the agency reports $12.9 million from blackout-plate sales has been allocated to a five-year plan ordered by Governor Mike Braun’s executive directive last year to replace or improve aging systems.

How this matters to Hoosiers: buying the optional plate is a voluntary choice that contributes to the modernization pool. The BMV says some of that money has already paid for new payment terminals that add tap-to-pay and digital-currency options and for more 24/7 kiosks, and the agency has announced planned pay raises for many front-line staff. The systems review that produced 13 recommended initiatives also names specific changes — an AI chatbot, automated personalized customer notifications, upgraded branch cameras and digital driver’s licenses — that the agency lists as parts of the modernization effort.

Next item to watch: progress and public announcements tied to the five-year modernization timeline, and any further spending reports showing how blackout-plate revenue is allocated across the 13 initiatives. The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported these developments on Oct. 5, 2026.

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