Florida’s extensive specialty license plate program grew Friday as Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure into law starting the design process for some South Florida high schools and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The bill (SB 246), effective Oct. 1, includes new plates for the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy, Miami Dade College, Florida Film Legacy and St. Petersburg College, in addition to the Miami Northwestern Alumni Association, Christopher Columbus High School and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The Miami Northwestern Alumni Association quickly announced on Facebook that “Bull Nation is making history AGAIN!”
“We will be among the FIRST high schools in Florida to receive an official specialty license plate!” the association stated. “This is more than a plate… it’s legacy, pride, and 70 years of excellence!”
The measure further removes a required membership verification letter for individuals to receive the Fraternal Order of Police specialty license plate.
The Fraternal Order of Police tag, created in 2009, was registered to 4,795 vehicles as of April 1, ranking 94th on the list of specialty plate sales.
The bill also directs the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which oversees the specialty plate program, to develop an “Endless Summer” plate for motorcycles.
The Endless Summer tag, featuring an iconic image of a surfer silhouetted against an orange-yellow sunset, is the top selling design in Florida with 145,063 plates sold. The plate supports the Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation.
As of April 1, 2,369,857 special and specialty tags were on the road in Florida, according to the department.
The department has authorized 132 specialty license plates, 14 of which are still in the pre-sale stage.
Each new design must sell 3,000 pre-orders within two years before the plates are manufactured.
Designs unable to maintain at least 3,000 sales for 12 consecutive months face a halt in manufacturing. For designs featuring out-of-state universities, the minimum sales number is 4,000.
The organizations approved with DeSantis’ signature on Friday will have 60 days to submit an art design for their tag. The department would then have three months to set up the presale voucher process for the different organizations backing the plate.
After Endless Summer, the top-selling license plates in Florida are for: Helping Sea Turtles Survive, with 113,962 sold; the University of Florida, 93,439 sold; the Miami Heat, 90,413 sold; and Florida State University, 68,926 sold.
A specialty tag carries a $15 to $25 cost above required license taxes and service fees.
The measure signed Friday requires each organization with an approved specialty license plate to submit a five-year projection on how much they expect to make and where it will be spent.
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