Can Indiana Bring Back These Retro License Plates?

Since retro and nostalgic things are very popular now, Indiana should follow Illinois' lead and bring back old-school license plate designs.

Growing up in the 90s here in Indiana, I can still recall passing vehicles on the road and the exact details of the Indiana license plates from that era. Now, as you know, we have had several different Indiana license plate designs each decade since the 1900s. Each design was iconic in its own way. However, the one that I, and many other Hoosiers, believe was one of the best license plate designs was the "Amber Waves of Grain" Indiana license plates.

Vintage Amber Waves of Grain Indiana License Plates

This license plate was one of several designs that Indiana has had throughout the years, but it's one of the more memorable ones. The Amber Waves of Grain license plates were issued from 1993 through 1997. When I think of Indiana license plates, this is the first one that comes to mind, even though they haven't been issued in over 25 years.

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Can Hoosiers Still Use the Amber Waves of Grain License Plates?

The answer to this question is yes and no. Clearly, these plates are not issued anymore, but that doesn't mean that they still can't be displayed on certain vehicles. According to the Indiana BMV:

You may plate a vehicle that is at least 25 years old with an antique license plate (Year of Manufacture license plate) that was issued by the Indiana BMV in the model year of the vehicle.

That means that if you have a vehicle that was made from 1993 through 1997, and you have found one of the vintage Amber Waves of Grain license plates, you can get that plate number registered under that vehicle. However, there are certain rules to doing that, including the fact that it has to be registered as a collector vehicle. You can read up more on that by clicking here.

New Bill Allowing Illinois Vehicle Owners to Revert Back to Retro License Plates

House Bill 3391 passed unanimously in the Illinois General Assembly, allowing folks in Illinois to use retro license plates.The bill is now on its way to being approved and voted for by the Senate. If passed, this retro license plate will have essentially the same principle as ordering a vanity plate, but in this case, the design has already been approved. Like other vanity plates, there would be an additional fee associated with the new plates. License plates would cost $40 when issued initially, with an additional $27 fee each year to renew the plates, according to the text of the legislation. According to WROK, these retro plates have already proven to be quite popular and are expected to bring more revenue to the state of Illinois. So now is a good time for Indiana to follow suit.

Bring Back the Amber Waves of Grain License Plates in Indiana

Retro things are very popular nowadays, and if it's proven to be a hit in Illinois, one would assume that it would be just as popular in Indiana. Not only would it bring in more revenue through the state by Hoosiers requesting this license plate when going to the BMV, but let's be honest, it's way cooler than the current design. What about you? Would you want to get one of those iconic plates on your vehicle? Or is there another retro style that you think would be better? You can take a look at all of the different Indiana license plates throughout the years by clicking here.