Indiana BMV’s blackout-plate sales generated $12.9M for five-year modernization plan
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has sold more than 380,000 optional “blackout” license plates since the design launched in August 2025, and those sales generated $12.9 million earmarked for a five-year BMV modernization plan, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported on 2026-10-05.
Reporting by the Indiana Capital Chronicle on 2026-10-05 says the Indiana BMV has sold more than 380,000 optional “blackout” license plates since the design began in August 2025. The agency says sales generated $12.9 million to fund a five-year modernization plan.
The Chronicle story includes agency figures that about 314,000 blackout plates are currently on the road, that more than 90,000 were bought by the end of 2025 and that the $45 optional plate fee applies to initial registration and annual renewals. The article also says the BMV completed a systems review in 2025, that Gov. Mike Braun directed a five-year modernization of 20-year-old tracking and record software in 2025, and that the agency plans investments such as pay raises for many customer-facing employees, more 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks and new payment machines accepting tap-to-pay and digital currency.
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