INDIANAPOLIS, IN (WOWO) — Indiana’s popular “blackout” license plate has generated nearly $13 million for the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles since its launch last year, with the agency using the revenue to help fund technology upgrades and improve customer service.
The BMV has sold more than 380,000 of the minimalist black plates since they went on sale in August 2025, Gov. Mike Braun’s office announced Monday.
The plates feature white letters and numbers against an all-black background and cost an additional $45 when drivers initially register a vehicle or renew their registration according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
The sales have generated about $12.9 million toward a five-year modernization effort at the BMV.
The total number of plates sold includes transactions in which drivers renew registrations or transfer registration and plates to another vehicle. As a result, about 314,000 blackout plates are currently on Indiana roads, according to BMV spokesman Greg Dunn.
Hoosiers purchased nearly 22,000 of the plates during the first month they were available. Sales surpassed 90,000 by the end of 2025.
Braun said the strong demand for the plates is helping the state finance improvements at an agency he has directed to modernize its operations.
“Hoosiers clearly like the blackout plate, and its success is helping us build a better BMV,” Braun said. “I directed the BMV to modernize, improve customer service and find smarter ways to operate.”
Braun said the revenue is being used to support BMV employees and technology intended to make transactions faster and easier for customers.
The agency has already begun putting some of those improvements in place.
The BMV has purchased new payment terminals capable of accepting tap-to-pay transactions and digital payment options. It also has added more BMV Connect kiosks that are available around the clock at locations across the state.
Pay increases are also planned for many employees who interact directly with customers.
BMV Commissioner Kevin Garvey said the blackout plate allowed the agency to generate additional revenue while providing drivers with a license plate design they wanted.
“The blackout plate gave us an opportunity to offer Hoosiers something they wanted while generating revenue we can put directly back into improving the BMV,” Garvey said. “More than 380,000 sales later, that approach is paying off.”
The modernization effort extends beyond payment systems and kiosks.
Braun issued an executive order last year directing the BMV to modernize its roughly 20-year-old tracking and record-support software, along with other agency systems, as part of a five-year overhaul.
The agency conducted a comprehensive review of its technology systems and developed recommendations for upgrades and replacements.
That review produced 13 proposed initiatives, including an artificial intelligence chatbot, automated personalized notifications for customers, upgraded cameras at BMV branches and the potential introduction of digital driver’s licenses.
The state says the modernization effort is intended to improve the way Hoosiers interact with the BMV while updating technology that supports the agency’s day-to-day operations.
For drivers, the changes could eventually mean more digital services, faster transactions and fewer trips to a BMV branch as the agency continues its five-year modernization plan.
