GOVERNMENT & POLICY

Blackout license-plate sales raise $12.9M for BMV modernization, fund pay and tech upgrades

Indiana Capital Chronicle reported on Oct. 5, 2026 that sales of the optional “blackout” license plate, introduced in August 2025, have generated $12.9 million toward a five-year Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) modernization plan; the BMV has sold more than 380,000 plates and about 314,000 are 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: Blackout license-plate sales raise $12.9M for BMV modernization, fund pay and tech upgrades — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

Indiana Capital Chronicle reported on Oct. 5, 2026 that the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has sold more than 380,000 optional “blackout” license plates since the design launched in August 2025, generating $12.9 million earmarked for the agency’s five-year modernization plan, the governor’s office said. BMV spokesman Greg Dunn told the paper about 314,000 blackout plates are currently on the road; the optional design adds $45 to initial registration and to annual renewals.

The story says BMV Commissioner Kevin Garvey and Governor Mike Braun described the plate as a revenue source to invest in employees and technology. The agency has completed a systems review, purchased new payment machines that accept tap-to-pay and digital currency, added more 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks, and said pay raises are coming for many customer-facing employees. Governor Braun issued an executive order in 2025 directing a five-year modernization of 20-year-old tracking and records software.

WHY IT MATTERS

What changed: Indiana is using optional license-plate fees from the “blackout” design to fund a multi-year upgrade of the state motor-vehicle agency. The blackout plate is an optional appearance choice that adds a $45 fee to a vehicle’s initial registration and to each annual renewal; those extra fees are being tracked separately and were reported as $12.9 million so far.

Who this affects and how: Vehicle owners who choose the blackout plate pay the extra fee; that revenue is now designated for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). The BMV is responsible for vehicle registrations and driver records; the agency completed a review that recommended replacing or improving 20-year-old tracking and records software. The report says the agency already bought new payment terminals that accept tap-to-pay and digital-currency options and expanded 24/7 kiosks—concrete, early steps in a broader upgrade.

How the change works in practice: optional plate buyers add $45 to registration costs; those added fees are pooled and earmarked for the modernization plan and employee investments. The governor’s 2025 executive order set a five-year timeline for modernizing core systems, and officials have signaled forthcoming pay raises for many customer-facing staff. For example, a driver choosing the blackout plate directly contributes to the fund used for these upgrades.

Next milestone to watch: the BMV’s rollout of its five-year modernization plan, further details on system replacements recommended by the agency’s review, and announced timelines or specifics for the planned pay raises and technology projects, which the governor’s office and BMV said will be financed in part by blackout-plate revenue.

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