‘Back the Blue,’ Husker red and blackout license plate options could be in the works

Nebraska senators are hoping to capitalize on the success of specialty license plates to funnel more money to certain state funds. In a Tuesday hearing in the Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, senators Eliot Bostar and Ben Hansen introduced measures that, if passed by the Legislature, would create four new specialty license plate designs.

In LB1092, Bostar wants to create three specialty plates: a “Back the Blue” design option and an Iconic-Design plate option, which could be either all white with black lettering or all black with white lettering.

In LB1099, Hansen offered up another Husker license plate option, which would lean into the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s scarlet and cream school colors.

Specialty plates have grown in popularity across the U.S., including in Nebraska. Current options offer motorists the chance to have picturesque options that feature wildlife, health care advocacy designs and even anti-abortion or abortion-rights designs.

Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Director Rhonda Lahm told lawmakers during the hearing that about 2.5 million vehicles are registered in the state, and about 150,000 of them have specialty plates. The popularity of the plates varies between designs. In 2025, more than 3,700 people bought license plate designs that support breast cancer awareness. Far fewer drivers, only 65, selected to have plates that supported prostate cancer awareness.

The most recent specialty plate designs approved by lawmakers include the “Czech Heritage” plate and the “Arbor Day” plate.

“Iconic-Design” plates

Bostar said the whiteout and blackout options could be a lucrative way to bring in more tax money to Nebraska, especially at a time when the state is facing a significant budget shortfall and having to consider greatly reducing state appropriations to agencies and programs. The Lincoln senator said nearby states, such as Iowa and Minnesota, have cashed in on minimalist-looking license plates. Bostar’s bill is modeled after legislation in Colorado.

“These have become some of the most popular specialty options,” Bostar said. “In Minnesota, for example, motorists have purchased hundreds of thousands of blackout plates in just the first two years, making them one of the state's most requested specialty designs. Iowa now sells well over half a million blackout plates on the road. And Utah and Indiana have each generated several million dollars in revenue from similar designs for their designated causes.”

The blackout plate option has blown up in popularity with Iowa motorists. According to Iowa Department of Transportation data, more than 713,000 drivers paid extra to put the sleek plates on their whips. The second most-selected plate option is the handicapped plate with about 57,000 Iowans utilizing them.

But it’s hard to estimate the amount of popularity the plates would receive in Nebraska, according to the DMV director. She said while the state of Colorado may generate $5 million off a certain plate design, the state is home to three times as many people, so Nebraska would see much less in revenue generated. And, Lahm said, other states have limited specialty plate options, so the blackout plate options are a bigger hit there.

“In Iowa, they have limited other options,” Lahm said. “And also in Iowa, their general issuance plate has been the same for a long time. So people looking for something different in Iowa… [that] might be why they have a higher degree of adoption. It's very unpredictable.”

The blackout and whiteout plate options wouldn’t be cheap. Bostar is proposing to provide the minimalist options to drivers for an annual $100 fee – more than double the amount for most current specialty plates.

Most specialty plates have annual renewal fees around $5 each year for specialty plates with generated letters and numbers from the DMV, but the fee increases to $40 a year if the driver wants to add a special message on the plate. The current Husker Spirit option is $70 a year, no matter if the driver wants a special message on the plate or just auto-generated numbers and letters.

As the legislation is written, money generated from the minimalist-looking plates would benefit a newly created fund for developmental disability providers and equipment maintenance. Several people testified in support of dedicating more money to caregivers who help people with developmental disabilities.

Back the Blue plate

Bostar also wants to develop a “Back the Blue” design, which would reflect support for law enforcement personnel. While Bostar didn’t provide a specific design during the hearing, his bill calls for the Department of Motor Vehicles to develop a design in “consultation with associations that represent personnel of any law enforcement agency in Nebraska.” The fees that are generated off the new license plates would be directed toward a newly developed ‘Back the Blue’ cash fund.

According to Bostar’s legislation, the cash fund would be administered by the Nebraska State Patrol and would serve to collect any gifts, grants, bequests or money received from any public or private source. The fund’s purpose would be to provide monetary support for injured law enforcement personnel, spouses and children of injured officers or for charities. The State Patrol could award grants from the cash fund but wouldn’t be able to use it to buy equipment for or pay any salary or cost for the law enforcement agency.

Husker plates

Sen. Hansen proposed another new license plate design that recognizes Husker fandom. Dubbed the “Scarlet and Cream” plate, the design would aim to offer a more nostalgic option for Husker fans in Nebraska.

The bill was originally labeled the “Husker red” design, but Hansen offered an amendment that would change the name to reflect the school colors to avoid any potential legal issues with the university.

He said he used ChatGPT to drum up a vision of what he’d prefer to see, but he’s open to other, similar designs that offer an old-school feel.

“I likened it after the more retro version of what license plates used to be – after the 1972 license plate trucks,” Hansen said. “I think this is something that instills a feeling of love, and I think respect and pride and nostalgia in our state.”

The DMV currently offers a Husker Spirit design that benefits the University of Nebraska Athletic program. The new plate would direct revenue to the Highway Cash Fund. Hansen said this option wouldn’t replace the current design but give drivers another option when considering specialty designs.

“I think another license plate doesn’t seem too unfeasible,” Hansen said.

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