Gov. Walz purchases new 'blackout' specialty license plate

With the stroke of his pen and the swipe of his credit card, Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday became the owner of one of the state's new "blackout" license plates.

Well, almost. He paid the $58.50 for his personalized plate that will read "One MN" when it arrives in the mail within the next 60 days. Until then, he'll use temporary tags he picked up at the White Bear Lake License Bureau.

"Thank God I was approved," he joked after clerk Lexi Adams confirmed that his credit card purchase was successful.

Walz joins about 3,800 Minnesotans who have also bought the plates that feature block white letters against a black background. Blackout plates are one of nine new specialty plates Minnesota's office of Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) added its lineup after legislative approval.

"I can't stand that Iowa had them and we didn't," Walz said as he made his purchase. He said car collectors and others like the nostalgic look of the plates that hark back to early days of motoring. "There is a thing about them."

Iowa has had blackout plates since 2019. In the first six months of 2023, Iowa issued 616,780 blackout plates, according to the state's Department of Transportation.

"It is by far our most popular plate, exceeding sales of our standard-issue plate," said Andrea Henry with the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Adams said business has been brisk in White Bear Lake, where about four to five customers a day are buying the blackout plates.

"I think it is because it is something we have not had before," Adams said. "And it is aesthetically pleasing."

The state also approved plates for the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, Wild, Lynx and United professional sports teams. Plates bringing attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives and the Lions Club also were added to the roster of nearly 123 available specialty plates.

"It is a classic plate, but you can have your moose plate, your loon plate, your Gustavus plate," Walz said. "It allows people to show their passion."

Buyers getting specialty plates pay the standard license fee of $15.50 and are required to make a minimum annual contribution of $30. Money from the blackout plate will support additional DVS services, such as expanding locations where customers can renew their tabs at kiosks at Cub Foods.

For plates featuring sports teams such as the Vikings, the money goes to a charity that teams set up, a fact emphasized by DVS Director Pong Xiong to ensure the public knows the money is not going to players' salaries.

License plates supporting critical habitat are by far the top-selling specialty plates, with more than 70,000 issued over the years, said Xiong. He added that the new blackout plates are quickly becoming a "hot item."

Specialty plates can be purchased in person at DVS offices or online. A list of available plates is here.