GOVERNMENT & POLICY

Blackout license-plate sales generated $12.9M for Indiana BMV modernization

Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles reported blackout license-plate sales have raised $12.9 million toward a five-year BMV modernization plan, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported on 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 license-plate sales generated $12.9M for Indiana BMV modernization — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

The Indiana Capital Chronicle reported on Oct. 5, 2026, that sales of the optional “blackout” license plate have generated $12.9 million to fund a five-year modernization plan for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). The BMV said it has sold more than 380,000 blackout plates since the design launched, and about 314,000 are on the road.

The blackout plate — white numerals and letters on an all-black background — began selling in August 2025 and carries an extra $45 charge on initial registration and annual renewals. The agency said some of the funds are being used to buy new payment machines that accept tap-to-pay and digital currency, add more 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks, and to provide pay raises for many customer-facing employees. Governor Mike Braun and BMV Commissioner Kevin Garvey were cited saying the revenue helps invest in people and technology as part of a five-year modernization directed by an executive order last year.

WHY IT MATTERS

What changed and who this affects: Indiana’s BMV used revenue from an optional plate design to fund part of a planned technology and staffing overhaul. The “blackout” plate is a paid option that adds $45 to both initial registrations and annual renewals; that extra fee is the direct revenue source the agency reported using for upgrades.

How the mechanism works, step by step: the state offered a new plate design in August 2025. People who chose that design paid the optional fee at registration or renewal; the BMV tallied $12.9 million in proceeds and said those dollars are earmarked for a five-year modernization program. The agency has already purchased new payment machines that accept tap-to-pay and digital currency and added more 24/7 kiosks, and it said pay raises are coming for many front-line staff.

What to watch next: this is an ongoing, five-year modernization directed by an executive order. Follow BMV updates and future reports for specifics on technology rollouts, staffing changes, and published milestones that show how the $12.9 million and other resources are being spent.

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