GOVERNMENT & POLICY

Indiana BMV says ‘blackout’ plate sales generated $12.9M for five-year modernization plan

Indiana Capital Chronicle reports the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles says sales of the optional “blackout” license plate have generated $12.9 million toward a five-year BMV modernization plan. The agency reports more than 380,000 plates 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: Indiana BMV says ‘blackout’ plate sales generated $12.9M for five-year modernization plan — AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.

Indiana Capital Chronicle reports the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) says sales of the optional “blackout” license plate have produced $12.9 million earmarked for a five-year BMV modernization plan. The agency reported more than 380,000 blackout plates sold since the design launched in August 2025; BMV spokesman Greg Dunn said about 314,000 of those plates are on the road.

The blackout plate — white numerals and letters on an all-black background — adds $45 to initial registration and to annual renewal fees, the BMV said. The agency said funds are being used for hires and pay raises for customer-facing staff, new payment machines that accept tap-to-pay and digital currency, more 24/7 BMV Connect kiosks, and other upgrades tied to a review that produced 13 recommended initiatives.

WHY IT MATTERS

What changed and who pays: Indiana drivers choose the optional blackout plate and pay an extra $45 at registration and renewal. That fee has funded $12.9 million the BMV says will go into a five-year modernization plan. “Modernization” here refers to replacing or improving aging tracking and record-support software the governor ordered updated in 2025, and to buying technology and equipment the agency identified in a recent comprehensive review.

How the change works, step by step: a driver who opts for the blackout plate pays the $45 design fee; the BMV pools those revenues and is directing them to the modernization budget. The agency lists concrete uses already underway — new payment terminals, added self-service kiosks and planned pay raises for frontline staff — plus a set of 13 initiatives that include an AI chatbot, automated customer notifications, upgraded branch cameras and a path toward digital driver’s licenses.

What to watch next: the BMV’s public updates on the five-year modernization plan and the timing of specific projects and payroll changes. These updates will show how the collected plate fees are allocated across the initiatives and when customers can expect the new services to appear.

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