Indiana BMV nets $12.9M from optional 'blackout' plates to fund five-year modernization

Reporting by the Indiana Capital Chronicle: The BMV began offering the optional “blackout” plate in August 2025. The agency says it sold more than 380,000 blackout plates in the year since the design launched, which includes renewals and leaves about 314,000 blackout plates on the road. The optional plate adds $45 to initial registration and annual renewal fees and has generated $12.9 million toward a five-year modernization plan.

The state said some of that revenue is funding immediate purchases — new payment machines that accept tap-to-pay and digital currency and more 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks statewide — and that pay raises are coming for many customer-facing BMV employees. A comprehensive systems review completed last year produced 13 recommended initiatives, including an AI chatbot, automated personalized notifications, upgraded branch cameras and digital driver’s licenses. BMV Commissioner Kevin Garvey and Governor Mike Braun were quoted linking the plate’s popularity to funding for those improvements.

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