Indiana now requires drivers to report car color changes

Two new laws hit Indiana on Jan. 1

Indiana drivers and business owners started 2026 with new rules to follow. Two separate laws took effect on Jan. 1, each changing how people handle state paperwork.

Senate Enrolled Act 331 now requires vehicle owners to tell the BMV when they change their car’s color. House Enrolled Act 1593 rewrites business filing rules to fight identity theft and fraud.

Gov. Mike Braun signed both into law during the 2025 session. The laws are unrelated but share the same start date.

Color changes need BMV updates now

If you repaint your car, slap on a vinyl wrap, or peel one off, you now have 30 days to let the BMV know. Senate Enrolled Act 331 updates Indiana’s vehicle registration code to include color changes.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a full wrap, a partial one, or a fresh coat of paint. Any change to your car’s appearance triggers the reporting requirement.

The clock starts the day the color change happens, and the update goes on your registration record.

Three ways to report the change

Updating your vehicle’s color is straightforward. You can visit a BMV branch in person and make the change on the spot.

If your registration is already up for renewal, a BMV Connect kiosk works too. The third option is logging into your myBMV account online.

No separate form is needed for any of these methods. The update goes directly onto your vehicle’s registration record, and that’s it.

Skipping the update carries consequences

Drivers who don’t report a color change within 30 days could get a warning from law enforcement. A simple failure to report won’t lead to criminal charges on its own.

But here’s where it gets serious: if someone changes their vehicle’s color after using it in a crime and doesn’t notify the BMV, they could face a Class C misdemeanor.

The law helps police keep accurate vehicle descriptions for traffic stops and investigations.

Vinyl wraps created a gap in records

Vinyl wraps have gotten cheaper and more popular in recent years, and that created a problem.

A wrap can completely change how a car looks in just a few days, but registration records wouldn’t reflect the new color. That meant police could be searching for a blue sedan that’s now matte black.

The law closes that gap by making sure a vehicle’s registered color matches what’s actually on the road.

Business filing rules got an overhaul

House Enrolled Act 1593 rewrites several parts of Indiana’s business entity laws. Secretary of State Diego Morales pushed for the changes to fight rising business identity theft and fraud.

The law affects corporations, nonprofits, limited liability companies, and other entities registered with the state. Rep. Martin Carbaugh and Sen. Brian Buchanan sponsored the bill during the 2025 session.

The changes touch everything from office addresses to who can file paperwork on a company’s behalf.

“Principal office” gets a tighter definition

The new law redefines what counts as a principal office.

It now means the usual place of business, headquarters, or another office where a person who runs the company is commonly present.

Before this, businesses could list a PO box or an out-of-state address as their principal office. The updated definition ties business records to real, traceable locations.

It applies to all domestic and registered foreign entities in Indiana.

Remote businesses can list a contact address

Not every business has a physical office anymore, and the new law accounts for that.

If a company runs entirely through the internet with no traditional office space, it can list a contact address instead.

That address can be the home of someone who runs the business or an address from a registered commercial mail receiving agency.

The company also needs to provide an email address, and personal details tied to the filing stay off the public record.

Mail receiving agencies face new rules

The law creates new requirements for commercial mail receiving agencies, or CMRAs. These are private businesses that accept mail on behalf of customers.

Any CMRA operating in Indiana must now register with the Secretary of State.

They also have to keep records about their customers and report to the state if they close or drop a customer’s account. Giving false information or breaking the rules could get a CMRA banned from operating in Indiana.

Third-party filers must check IDs now

Anyone who files a biennial business report on someone else’s behalf now has to verify that person’s identity. Acceptable methods include checking a driver’s license, state-issued ID, or passport.

The filer must hand over verification records to the Secretary of State’s office if asked. This closes a loophole that let bad actors file fake business registrations using stolen identities.

The requirement took effect Jan. 1 alongside the rest of the law.

Dissolved businesses get a new path back

Companies that lost their status through administrative dissolution now have more time to come back. Since 2018, businesses had only five years to apply for reinstatement.

The new law still keeps that five-year window but adds an option beyond it. Companies can now apply after five years if they explain the delay.

The Secretary of State must approve the request, and the company has to submit a notarized affidavit.

What drivers and business owners should do

Vehicle owners who changed their car’s color since Jan. 1 should update their registration through the BMV right away. Business owners need to check that their principal office address on file matches the new definition.

If your business uses a commercial mail receiving agency, make sure that agency has registered with the state. Companies that use third-party filers for biennial reports should confirm those filers now verify identities.

And if your business was dissolved more than five years ago, you may have a new shot at reinstatement.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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