GOVERNMENT & POLICY

Indiana BMV directs $12.9M from optional ‘blackout’ plate sales to five-year modernization plan

More than 380,000 optional “blackout” license plates have been sold since the design launched in August 2025, and sales generated $12.9 million that the governor’s office says will fund a five-year Bureau of Motor Vehicles modernization effort; about 314,000 blackout plates are reported to be on the road.

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

AI-generated illustration of the topic: Indiana BMV directs $12.9M from optional ‘blackout’ plate sales to five-year modernization plan — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

Indiana Capital Chronicle reports the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has sold more than 380,000 optional “blackout” license plates since the design began shipping in August 2025, and the governor’s office says those sales generated $12.9 million toward a five‑year BMV modernization plan. The BMV told the Capital Chronicle about 314,000 blackout plates are currently on the road.

The optional all‑black plates feature white letters and numerals and add $45 to initial registration and annual renewal fees; the reported sales total includes renewals. The article says the BMV has already bought new payment machines that accept tap‑to‑pay and digital currency, expanded 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks statewide, and that pay raises are coming for many customer‑facing employees.

WHY IT MATTERS

What changed and who this affects: the BMV is directing extra fee revenue from an optional specialty plate into a multiyear technology upgrade. The “blackout” plate is an optional vehicle license design that costs an extra $45 at registration or renewal; per the Indiana Capital Chronicle, sales of the plate produced $12.9 million earmarked for a five‑year modernization effort.

How the mechanism works, step by step: Hoosiers who opt for the blackout plate pay the $45 premium when they register or renew. Those incremental fees are being pooled and used to pay for BMV upgrades that the governor’s office and the BMV say include new payment terminals, expanded self‑service kiosks and other system replacements recommended in a recent comprehensive review. The article also notes Gov. Mike Braun directed a five‑year modernization of the agency’s tracking and records software by executive order last year (2025).

What to watch next: the modernization is planned over five years, so future updates should show whether the BMV follows the review’s recommendations, completes software replacements and reports further spending from the blackout‑plate receipts. The Capital Chronicle story is the source for these numbers and developments; look for follow‑up announcements from the governor’s office or the BMV for specific timelines and completed milestones.

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