You’re sitting at a red light on Meridian Street and you see it. A clean, white SUV with a plate that just says "GRITS." Or maybe it’s a vanity tag supporting the Indianapolis Colts, or a environment-themed plate with a soaring bald eagle. You start thinking about your own car. That standard-issue Indiana plate with the blue and yellow "In God We Trust" or the "Crossroads of America" design is fine, sure. But it’s not you.
Indiana custom license plates are a massive business for the state, and honestly, the process is way more layered than just picking a funny word and paying a fee. It’s a mix of self-expression, charitable giving, and navigating a bureaucracy that has very specific feelings about what you can—and definitely cannot—put on your bumper.
Most people think "custom" just means the letters. It doesn't. In the Hoosier state, you've basically got two paths. You can get a Special Recognition plate, which supports a specific cause or group, or you can go for a Personalized License Plate (PLP), which is where the "VANITY" text comes in. You can even combine them, but that's where the math gets a little annoying.
The Secret Hierarchy of Indiana Plates
Indiana offers over 100 different specialty plate designs. It’s a lot. You’ve got the universities like Purdue and IU, which are perennial bestsellers, but then you’ve got the niche ones. The "Education" plate, the "Pet Friendly" plate (which helps fund spay and neuter programs), and the "Heritage Trust" plate are everywhere.
When you buy a specialty plate, you’re usually paying a $40 fee. Here’s how that breaks down: $25 goes directly to the organization the plate represents, and $15 is a BMV administrative fee. If you’re a fan of the Indianapolis Zoo, they get that $25. If you want to support the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, that "Environment" plate is your best bet.
But if you want the plate to actually say something specific—like "HOOSIER1" or "NOMOREGAS"—that is a different beast entirely. That is the Personalized License Plate program. This carries an additional $45 fee. So, if you want a specialty plate and you want it to be personalized, you’re looking at nearly $100 on top of your standard registration costs. It adds up fast.
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What the BMV Won't Let You Say
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) is the gatekeeper of "decency." They have a literal committee that reviews every single request for a personalized plate. They don't just use an automated filter; humans actually look at these to make sure you aren't trying to sneak something past them.
What gets rejected? Anything "offensive to good taste and decency." That’s a broad umbrella. Basically, if it’s a drug reference, a sexual innuendo, or an insult to a specific group, it’s a no-go. They also block anything that implies you’re a law enforcement officer or a government official if you aren't one.
In the past, Indiana actually had a legal battle over this. For a while, the BMV stopped the personalized plate program altogether because of a lawsuit regarding the First Amendment. A man wanted a plate that said "RETRD," which he claimed was a reference to his own disability, and the BMV said no. After some court dates and a whole lot of legal posturing, the program came back with more defined rules. Now, the BMV has a "Prohibited Plate List," and it’s surprisingly long. If you try to get "B00ZE" or anything remotely vulgar, expect a rejection letter in the mail.
Timing is Everything: The 2026 Deadlines
You can't just walk into a branch and walk out with a personalized plate. It doesn't work that way.
The BMV processes these in cycles. If you want a personalized plate for the current year, you typically have to apply by a specific deadline, often in the prior fall or very early in the year. Once you apply, the BMV reviews it. If approved, they manufacture the plate and mail it to you. You’re usually looking at a 6-to-10-week wait time.
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If you are just getting a specialty plate (one with a pre-set design but standard numbers), you can usually get those on the spot or within a few days. But the custom text? That takes patience.
Why Some People Get Denied
It isn't always about being "dirty." Sometimes it’s just about logistics.
- Availability: Someone else already has "BIGDOG." There are millions of cars in Indiana; the good ones go fast.
- Format: You can only use a certain number of characters. For most plates, it's 6 or 7, including spaces.
- Confusion: You can’t use combinations that look too much like standard-issue plates. If the BMV thinks your custom plate will confuse a police officer during a traffic stop, they’ll kill the application.
The Most Popular Specialty Plates in Indiana
If you look at the data from recent years, the "In God We Trust" plate remains a massive hit, mostly because it's a "no-cost" option—it doesn't have that extra $40 fee associated with the true specialty plates. But among the ones that actually cost money, the colleges dominate.
The Purdue University plate and the Indiana University plate are in a constant battle for the top spot. It’s basically the Bucket Game, but for license plates. Following them, the "Colts" plate is a heavy hitter, especially in the donut counties surrounding Indianapolis.
A surprising contender is the "Pet Friendly" plate. Hoosiers love their animals. Since its inception, this plate has raised millions of dollars for the State Board of Animal Health. It’s a rare case where your car’s flair actually does some tangible good in the local community.
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Step-by-Step: How to Actually Get Your Plate
Don't go to the BMV branch first. That's a rookie mistake. The lines are better than they used to be, but why wait at all?
- Check Availability Online: Use the "myBMV" portal. There is a search tool where you can type in your desired text and see if it's already taken. This saves you the heartbreak of filing paperwork for a plate that’s already on someone’s Ford F-150 in Fort Wayne.
- Choose Your Base: Decide if you want the standard plate, the "In God We Trust" plate, or a specialty organization plate.
- Submit the Application: You can do this through the myBMV website. You'll pay the fee upfront.
- The Wait: The BMV will review your choice. If you're picking something like "I-HEART-CATZ," you're probably fine. If you're trying to be edgy, be prepared for a "denied" status.
- The Switch: Once your plate arrives in the mail, you follow the instructions to "activate" it. Usually, you just swap them out on your vehicle, but make sure your registration stickers are current.
Thinking Beyond the Letters
There is a weird subculture of plate collectors in Indiana, too. Old plates—especially the ones from the 70s and 80s with the county numbers (like 49 for Marion or 2 for Allen)—are becoming vintage cool. However, you can't just slap an old 1978 plate on your car and call it a day.
Indiana has a Year of Manufacture (YOM) law. If you have a vintage car (usually 25 years or older), you can apply to use an authentic plate from the year the car was made. It has to be in good condition, and the colors have to be original. It’s a very specific look for car show regulars, but it requires a separate approval process from the standard custom plate route.
The Economics of Expressing Yourself
Is it worth it? That’s subjective. You’re looking at a recurring annual fee. It isn't a one-time "buy the plate and forget it" situation. Every year when you renew your tags, you’ll pay that $45 personalization fee. Over ten years of owning a car, you’ve spent $450 just for the right to have a plate that says "FAST-ISH."
For many, that money is better spent elsewhere. But for those supporting a cause—like the "Breast Cancer Awareness" plate or the "Riley Children’s Foundation" plate—that annual fee feels more like a donation than a tax.
Practical Next Steps for Indiana Drivers
If you're ready to pull the trigger on a custom look, do these three things right now:
- Log into myBMV: Check the "Plate Search" tool immediately. The most common names and phrases are long gone, so you’ll need to get creative with numbers (using a '3' for an 'E', for example).
- Check the Organization List: Look at the full list of 100+ specialty plates. Some organizations provide a "validation form" you need to get from them before you apply at the BMV.
- Verify Your Registration Month: Custom plates are often tied to your specific renewal window. If you're only a month away from your registration expiring, the timing might be tight. Apply as early as possible to ensure the plate arrives before your current tags go dead.
Getting an Indiana custom license plate is one of the few ways to make a mass-produced machine feel like it actually belongs to you. Just keep it clean, pay the fee, and be prepared to wait for the mailman.