Indiana "Blackout" license plate sales start hot in 2025
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Photo: Courtesy of Indiana BMV
Hoosier motorists purchased nearly 87,000 "Blackout" license plates in 2025, per state data.
Why it matters: It's a sign of the staying power of the increasingly ubiquitous black-and-white design.
Catch up fast: The throwback plates — which were already fan favorites in other states — got the green light from Indiana lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session, and were made available for purchase in August.
- Proceeds from the sales (there's a $45 fee) are reinvested in the Indiana BMV to support operations and modernize services.
- Drivers who don't want to wait for their old plates to expire before upgrading their look can pay an additional $9.50 to make the change now.
Zoom in: Blackout plates generated over $2.3 million by the end of November.
- That momentum has carried over into the new year, with Blackout plates surpassing 90,000 sales as of Jan. 9, according to an Indiana BMV spokesperson.
Reality check: Even with the hot start, Blackout models represented just a fraction of the nearly 7.3 million plates sold new or renewed in the state in 2025.
Fun fact: According to Indiana BMV data provided to Axios, the single highest-selling products of 2025 were standard, non-personalized Marion County truck plates in Marion County with 175,569 sales.
- Non-personalized Marion County passenger plates came in second with 126,553 sales.
The fine print: The Blackout plate is a standalone, alternative plate design and cannot be combined with Special Group Recognition (SGR) license plates, such as plates dedicated to the 500 Festival or the 4-H Foundation.
- The group license plate fee associated with each SGR plate goes directly to the respective group.
Yes, but: A new disability Blackout plate option will be released this year.
What's next: These five new SGR license plates representing three nonprofits and two universities made their debut at the start of the new year.
🏀 Indiana Fever Fund of the Pacers Foundation: Honors Indiana's WNBA team and supports girls' and women's organizations statewide.
🏫 Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) Foundation: Advances continuing education and training for Indiana public school educators.
🌸 Pollinator Partnership: Promotes the health of pollinators critical to food and ecosystems.
🚂 Purdue University Fort Wayne: Represents Purdue's growing presence in Indiana's second-largest city.
🎓 Purdue University Northwest: Demonstrates Purdue's commitment to expanding higher education in NWI.