This Could Be The Next State To Offer 'Blackout' License Plates

After more than half a dozen other states have introduced similar offerings, it looks like Ohio could soon be next to adopt the "blackout" license plate trend. This retro-looking minimalist option has been introduced under new legislation, Senate Bill 358, sponsored by state Sen. Nathan Manning. If passed, the bill would allow the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) to issue plates with a black background and white letters and numbers.

It's currently with the Senate Transportation Committee for review. From there, lawmakers will have an opportunity to amend the proposal and give residents a chance to testify. After that, it'll need to pass votes in both legislative chambers. If it clears the House and Senate, the measure would then head to Gov. Mike DeWine's desk for consideration.

Under the bill, the blackout plates would remove the state slogan "Birthplace of Aviation" and the county identification stickers that appear on other Ohio plates, in favor of a stripped-down aesthetic. (That said, vehicles that register with the plate would still have to display a validation sticker with the registration's expiration date.) If the bill passes, it'd cost you $20 a year to register or renew with a blackout plate, plus a $10 administrative fee and standard registration fees. That's far from the most expensive state to register in.

Blackout plates were first introduced in the Ohio state governor's proposed operating budget, but they didn't make it to the final version. Instead of leaving it at that, Manning said constituents were disappointed and urged lawmakers to revisit the idea. Ohio already offers dozens of other specialty and personalized plates, including ones with designs tied to universities, organizations, and sports teams. The state also recently increased vehicle registration costs, so blackout plates could mean even more revenue for the BMV.

If approved, Ohio would join Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin, also offering blackout plates. Iowa was among the first to introduce the design in 2019, and Indiana most recently started offering them in 2025. According to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the state sold over 40,000 blackout plates in the first several months after launch, which translates to about $1.3 million in new revenue.