Minnesota’s new blackout license plates are selling like hotcakes, and they have already become by far the most popular of any 123 specialty plates available.
Sales of Minnesota’s new blackout license plates top 50,000
The new plates featuring white letters and a black background debuted in January.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
April 8, 2024 at 6:00PM
As of Monday, the Department of Vehicle Services (DVS) has issued more than 50,000 of the plates featuring block white letters against a black background in the first three months of the year since their debut.
The blackout plates were one of nine new specialty plates the DVS began offering in January after getting legislative approval last year. Iowa has had them since 2019 and they continue to be the tag of choice of drivers living in the Hawkeye state. More than 688,000 tags have been issued as of Dec. 31, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.
“It is by far our most popular plate, exceeding sales of our standard issue plate,” said spokeswoman Andrea Henry in an email.
Minnesota’s sales as of Monday included 43,796 standard blackout plates following conventional alphanumeric configurations featuring three numbers and three letters. An additional 4,671 drivers bought personalized blackout plates while just over 2,100 motorcycle plates have been sold, DVS data showed.
In comparison, DVS issued 302,472 traditional license plates during the same three-month period.
“Special plates are a great way to personalize your vehicle and display your interests or support for different organizations and causes,” said DVS Director Pong Xiong in January when the blackout plates and those for Minnesota’s professional sports teams were released.
Fans of the Vikings have bought 1,930 purple-themed plates, making it the most popular of the new plates highlighting Minnesota’s professional sports teams. In second place is the Wild with 889 followed by the Twins at 772, Timberwolves at 415 and Lynx at 41.
Other new plates this year included those bringing attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (711 sold) and the Lions Club (75 sold) also were added to the options this year.
Overall, in second place behind the blackout plate, a critical habitat plate with images of the Minnesota state bird, the Loon, was the second highest seller, with 4,248 plates sold, the DVS said.
Most specialty plates cost $15.50 and require a minimum annual contribution of $30. Fees go to fund DVS operations and contributions to organizations or a designated charity.
Specialty plates can be purchased in person at DVS offices or online. A list of available plates is here.
These Minnesotans are poised to play prominent roles in state and national politics in the coming years.
