Minnesota Is Now Selling A Lot Of Blackout License Plates

If it feels like every other car on Minnesota roads is rocking those blackout license plates, you’re not imagining it. The sleek, all-black design exploded in popularity in 2025, and the latest numbers show just how many drivers across the state embraced the trend.

When it comes to license plates in Minnesota, we don't change things too much-- or too often. The iconic blue and white license plate with the lake and canoe design first appeared on cars in the Land of 10,000 Lakes back in 1978.

Minnesota Blackout License Plates: When Did They Start?

The classic Minnesota shape in the middle of the plate and the "Explore" slogan were added around 1988, according to this Minn Post story, and the ".com" part was added to that classic design around 2009, according to this Minnesota license plate Wikipedia page.

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However, one big thing did change on January 1st, 2024, when the state of Minnesota first made its blackout license plates available to drivers across the North Star State. Blackout license plates had already been available for several years in other states like Colorado, Mississippi, and Iowa.

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And, according to this MPR story, it was Iowa's version that helped spur the creation of Minnesota's blackout plates. Apparently, Gov. Tim Walz was a big fan of Iowa's blackout plates, saying a few summers ago that they were 'one thing Iowa got right.' The state Legislature gave them the green light here in 2023.

How Many Blackout License Plates Were Sold in Minnesota?

In the two years since those plates have been available, a LOT of Minnesotans have plunked down the extra $30 fee and put them on their vehicles. That's the word from this Axios Twin Cities story, which said the blackout plate sales boomed in Minnesota last year.

Minnesota motorists purchased over 470,000 blackout license plates in 2025, per state data, nearly doubling sales from the first year the style hit bumpers.

Specifically, Minnesota sold 256,387 of those blackout license plates in 2024, the first year they were available, this Fox 9 story said. So, yeah, a jump from that number to 470,000 last year is pretty impressive.

Minnesota License Plate Options Go Far Beyond Blackout Plates

Besides those blackout plates, you have several choices when it comes to choosing license plates. According to the state of Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS) Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) website, there are 15 different classes of license plates available, from commercial to motorcycle, dealer to limousine, and more.

Then, there are nearly 15 different license plate options under the specialized plate category, including special plates for Collector, Critical Habitat, State Parks and Trails, and more, as well as specialty plates for the Vikings, Twins, Wild, Timberwolves, and Lynx. And, of course, you can also personalize your OWN license plates here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, too.

But you can't just request any old personalized license plates, however. Keep scrolling to check out some requests that were banned by the state of Minnesota!