INDIANAPOLIS – Personalized license plates will be available again Friday, Kent Abernathy, Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles commissioner, said today. “I am pleased that we are able to return this very popular program to the public,” Abernathy said in the announcement. “Beginning this Friday, customers who have been waiting for a new (personalized license plate) will be able visit a branch or go online to apply for one.” The personalized plate program was suspended by former Commissioner Scott Waddell in July 2013 after a lawsuit was filed by a Greenfield police officer who was refused renewal of a personalized plate that said “0INK.” A Marion County Supreme Court judge ruled in May 2014 that the BMV was inconsistent in how it determined whether a plate was appropriate, but the Indiana Supreme Court found in November that messages on state-issued license plates are a form of government speech and not subject to First Amendment protection. Following that ruling, the page with information on ordering personalized plates on the BMV’s website was replaced with a message saying that staff were evaluating the specifics of the ruling and would have more information later about how the program will continue. That statement has been replaced again by ordering information on personalized plates. The ordering information notes that the BMV may reject plates that contain a combination of letters or numbers that “Carries a connotation offensive to good taste and decency; would be misleading; or the bureau otherwise considers improper for issuance.” Online applications will be available to customers who are registering a new vehicle or renewing their registration for the year, today’s announcement states. Individuals who want to switch out their up-to-date plates for a personalized plate will need to visit a license branch, and anyone who currently has a personalized plate will be able to continue renewing their existing plate or may choose to apply for a new one. More information on the personalized plate program and how to purchase one online can be found on myBMV.com.
