What States Have Black License Plates and What They Cost

More than a dozen states offer black license plates, generally in one of two styles: a historical reissue that revives an older design, or a modern “blackout” plate with white lettering on a solid black field. Upfront fees typically run $15 to $55, with annual renewals of $10 to $50 on top of standard registration. States that currently issue a black-background plate include California, Colorado, Michigan, Utah, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota, Kansas, North Dakota, Texas, Florida, Arizona, New York, Montana, and Tennessee.

States With Historical Black Plates

Several states brought black plates back by replicating designs from earlier decades.

California’s 1960s Legacy plate is the best known: black background, yellow lettering, available for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and trailers.¹

Colorado offers a “blackout” background modeled after its 1945 plate, with white lettering on solid black.²

Michigan’s black-and-white “Great Lake State” legacy plate, which replicates a 1979-era design, launched in February 2025 and became the state’s most popular specialty option, with more than 58,000 issued in its first year.³

Utah issues a Historic Black & White plate, with part of the fee directed to the Historical Society of Utah and the state’s Transportation Investment Fund.⁴

States With Modern Blackout Plates

Blackout plates share a clean modern look: solid black background, white lettering, no graphics.

Iowa charges a $35 initial fee to the Road Use Tax Fund plus a $10 annual renewal.⁵

Wisconsin charges a $15 issuance fee and a $25 annual donation that funds roads and bridges.⁶

Indiana launched its blackout plate in August 2025 for passenger vehicles, light trucks under 11,000 pounds, motorcycles, and RVs. The fee is $45 per year, with an optional $45 for personalization.⁷

Minnesota began issuing a blackout plate in January 2024, available for passenger vehicles, noncommercial pickup trucks up to one ton, recreational vehicles, and motorcycles.⁸

Kansas authorized a blackout plate effective January 1, 2026, for passenger vehicles and trucks registered at 20,000 pounds or less, at $50 per year.⁹

North Dakota rolled out its blackout plate in August 2025 at $25 per year, with another $25 annually if you personalize.¹⁰

Other States With a Black Plate Option

Texas sells a “Classic Black” plate through its MyPlates program, with pricing that varies by term length. Florida, Arizona, New York, Montana, and Tennessee each offer at least one black-background specialty plate as well. Montana’s funds veterans’ services; Tennessee’s “In The Black” plate supports a specific organization. Designs and prices change often, so your state motor vehicle agency’s website is the most reliable source for current availability.

What Black Plates Cost

Every black plate adds something to your standard registration. Costs fall into two parts: an upfront issuance fee and a recurring annual charge. Personalization is usually a separate line on top of both.

Colorado: $25 upfront plus $25 annually, with proceeds to the Colorado Disability Funding Committee.²
Iowa: $35 initial fee plus $10 annual renewal.⁵
Wisconsin: $15 one-time issuance fee and $25 annually.⁶
Indiana: $45 per year, plus $45 per year if personalized.¹¹
Kansas: $50 per year, with a separate personalization fee under state law.⁹
North Dakota: $25 per year, plus $25 annually for personalization.¹⁰
Michigan: $55 flat legacy plate fee, routed to the state’s Transportation Fund.³
Utah: $50 initial contribution, split between $2 to the Utah State Historical Society and $23 to the Transportation Investment Fund, with annual renewals thereafter.⁴

If you’re replacing existing plates rather than registering a new vehicle, some states charge a separate replacement plate fee. Indiana, for example, adds $9.50 to swap your current plates for the blackout design.¹¹

Which Vehicles Qualify

Black plates are not available for every vehicle. Most states limit them to passenger cars, light trucks, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles, and exclude commercial and heavy-duty vehicles.

Indiana limits its blackout plate to passenger motor vehicles, light trucks under 11,000 pounds, motorcycles, and RVs.⁷ Minnesota draws the line at noncommercial pickup trucks of one ton or less.⁸ Kansas allows passenger vehicles and trucks registered at a gross weight of 20,000 pounds or less.⁹ California’s legacy plate is available for most vehicle types but excludes vehicles registered under international plans.¹

Leased vehicles can often get specialty plates, though some states require written authorization from the leasing company.

How to Order

You order through your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent agency, and in many states you can do it entirely online. California accepts original specialty plate orders through its DMV website.¹² Indiana is an exception: its blackout plate requires a visit to a branch representative and cannot be completed online or at a self-service kiosk.¹¹

Have your current vehicle registration information ready. Most states mail the plates to the address on file once the order is placed. The specialty plate fee comes due at the time of order and again at every annual renewal.

Transferring a Black Plate to a New Vehicle

Rules on moving your plate to a different car vary. Colorado exempts distinctive specialty plates from its standard reissue program, so you can keep your plate when you transfer title to a new vehicle you own.¹³ North Dakota lets you carry your current plate number over to a blackout plate, but doing so converts it to a personalized plate and triggers the additional $25 annual fee.¹⁰

In states where transfer isn’t automatic, you can usually request the same plate number on a newly registered vehicle, but you’ll pay the issuance fees again. Confirm your state’s rule before ordering, especially if you’ve paid for a personalized message.

Will a Black Plate Cause Readability or Scanner Problems

State-issued black plates are manufactured to meet standard reflectivity requirements. Indiana describes its blackout plate as having “crisp white lettering” designed for high contrast.¹¹ North Dakota similarly emphasizes “maximum visibility and impact” in its white-on-black design.¹⁰

A Department of Homeland Security market survey on automated license plate reader systems identified specialty plates and non-reflective surfaces as factors that can reduce read accuracy.¹⁴ In practice, degraded, dirty, or obscured plates cause most scanner problems, not state-authorized specialty plates in good condition. Choosing a legally issued black plate won’t put you on the wrong side of readability laws.

1
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. California 1960s Legacy License Plates (VC 5004.3)
2
Disability Funding Committee. Historical/Retired Backgrounds
3
Michigan Department of State. What’s on Your Plate? Michigan Department of State Releases Top License Plates on the Road in 2025
4
Utah Division of Motor Vehicles. Historic Black and White License Plate
5
Iowa Department of Transportation. Blackout Plate
6
State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Blackout License Plates
7
IN.gov. Blackout License Plate Fact Sheet
8
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Minnesota Special License Plates
9
Kansas State Legislature. Kansas Statutes 8-1,226 – Blackout License Plate
10
North Dakota Department of Transportation. Blackout Plate
11
IN.gov. BMV Announces Blackout License Plate
12
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Special Interest and Personalized License Plates Orders
13
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. License Plate Reissue Program
14
Department of Homeland Security. Automated License Plate Readers Market Survey Report