GOVERNMENT & POLICY

BMV says optional ‘blackout’ plates generated $12.9M to fund a five-year modernization push

According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle on Oct. 5, 2026, sales of the optional all‑black “blackout” license plate (white numerals on black) have raised $12.9 million toward a five‑year Bureau of Motor Vehicles modernization plan. The plate adds $45 to initial registration and to annual renewals; more than 380,000 had been sold since the design launched in August 2025.

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

AI-generated illustration of the topic: BMV says optional ‘blackout’ plates generated $12.9M to fund a five-year modernization push — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles reported on 2026-10-05 that sales of the optional "blackout" license plate have generated $12.9 million toward a five-year plan to modernize the agency’s systems. The blackout plate debuted in August 2025; the BMV says it has sold more than 380,000 and that about 314,000 are on the road.

The agency told the Capitol Chronicle it is using blackout-plate revenue to invest in people and technology. Reported uses include planned pay raises for many customer-facing employees, added 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks statewide, and new payment machines that accept tap-to-pay and digital currency. The report also notes a comprehensive systems review completed in 2025 and an executive order from Governor Mike Braun in 2025 directing a five-year modernization effort.

WHY IT MATTERS

This update matters because it ties a specific, optional consumer choice to concrete, agency spending decisions. The “blackout” plate is an optional license-plate design with white numerals on a black background; choosing it adds a $45 fee at initial registration and each annual renewal. That extra fee is collected by the BMV and—per the agency’s report to the Indiana Capital Chronicle—was earmarked to fund a five‑year modernization plan for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

How the mechanism works, step by step: a driver who opts for the blackout plate pays an additional $45 when they register or renew; those fees accumulate in the agency’s modernization fund. The BMV reported it has used that revenue to expand self-service kiosks, buy updated payment terminals (including tap-to-pay and digital currency acceptance) and to support planned pay raises for front-line employees. The agency also completed a comprehensive systems review in 2025 and is carrying out an executive-order directed modernization program lasting five years.

What to watch next: progress and timelines for the software and systems replacements recommended in the 2025 review, formal rollout details and timing for the announced pay raises, and published counts or locations as the agency expands kiosks and new payment machines. Those will show whether the revenue is translating into the operational changes the BMV described.

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