BMV agency bill would add blackout plates and real-time insurance checks; implementation timeline set for 2028

The Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ agency bill, House Bill 1390, received testimony Wednesday on several measures including a new "blackout" personalized license-plate option, real-time insurance verification to prevent inadvertent suspensions, and statutory cleanups for learner permits and credential expiration.

BMV legislative director Cody Eckert described two primary priorities: allowing a blackout plate (an all-black background with white text) for personalized plates and creating an instantaneous method for verifying evidence of motor-vehicle liability insurance directly with insurance carriers. "House Bill 1390 permits the BMV to offer a blackout color scheme," Eckert said. He described the insurance component as a way to prevent inadvertent suspensions that occur when a driver does not receive notice or the BMV does not receive a certificate of compliance.

Timetable and vendor…