GOVERNMENT & POLICY

Blackout plate sales raised $12.9M for Indiana BMV modernization, agency says

Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles reported selling more than 380,000 optional “blackout” license plates since August 2025, generating $12.9 million that the agency is applying to a five-year modernization plan that includes staff pay raises and new technology, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported 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 plate sales raised $12.9M for Indiana BMV modernization, agency says — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles reported it has sold more than 380,000 optional “blackout” license plates since the design launched in August 2025. The agency said sales generated $12.9 million toward a five-year modernization plan; about 314,000 blackout plates are on the road.

The Chronicle reported the BMV is using the revenue for measures that include pay raises for many customer-facing employees, new payment machines that accept tap-to-pay and digital currency, added 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks and a slate of 13 initiatives such as an AI chatbot, automated personalized notifications, branch camera upgrades and digital driver’s licenses. The article also cites a 2025 executive order directing modernization of the agency’s 20-year-old systems.

WHY IT MATTERS

The blackout plate is an optional license plate design with white letters and numbers on a black background that adds $45 to initial registration and to annual renewals, and the BMV’s reported $12.9 million in proceeds is being dedicated to updating the agency’s technology and customer service.

Modernization here means replacing or upgrading the Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ two-decade-old tracking and record systems and adding customer-facing tools. The Chronicle lists concrete changes already purchased or rolled out: new payment terminals with tap-to-pay and digital-currency acceptance, more 24/7 kiosks for self-service transactions, and planned digital services such as a chatbot and automated notifications. For a driver, that may translate into more ways to pay, more self-service options available outside branch hours, and different electronic communications about registrations; for BMV staff, the report says some customer-facing positions will receive pay raises.

Next steps to watch: the agency’s five-year modernization plan and the implementation of the 13 named initiatives. The Chronicle reports the BMV completed a required comprehensive systems review last year; future BMV updates should show which initiatives are deployed and the schedule for replacing core systems.

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