Interested in that Margaritaville specialty license plate the Florida Legislature approved this year to honor the late singer and businessman Jimmy Buffet? Or the one to let other drivers know that in The Villages, “Dreams Come True”?
You might want to hurry. New specialty plates in Florida must get at least 3,000 presales before the first one comes off the press, and there’s a limited time to do it.
In October, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles deauthorized 15 different specialty license plates for not reaching their presale limit. One plate, for the Florida State Beekeepers Association, was given a one-year extension and can be presold until July 1, according to a FLHSMV release.
The FLHSMV also discontinued some specialty plates that people have already been driving around with. Florida law requires approved specialty plates to be discontinued if the number of registrations for them drops below 3,000 for at least 12 consecutive months.
Here’s what to know.
Which Florida specialty plates have been canceled for low presales?
As of Oct. 16, 2024, the following approved specialty license plates were deauthorized for not hitting the minimum sales requirement:
- American Eagles
- Beat Childhood Cancer
- Dan Marino Campus
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Donate Life Florida
- Florida 4-H
- Florida Native
- Give Kids the World
- Guardian Ad Litem
- Highwaymen
- Jumbo Shrimp
- Marine Corps League
- Rotary
- Thank a Lineman
If you’ve already paid for one of these plates, you can use your pre-sale voucher as credit toward any other specialty license plate, or you can request a refund using an Application for License Plate and Decal Refund form.
Which Florida specialty plates have been canceled for low sales?
As of Nov. 31, 2024, the following specialty license plates have been discontinued for failing to maintain a minimum number of valid registrations.
- A State of Vision
- Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches
- Keep Kids Drug Free
- Scouting Teaches Values – Boy Scouts
- Special Olympics
If you currently have one of these plates, you may continue using it for the remainder of the 10-year license plate replacement cycle, and you will no longer be charged the annual specialty license plate fee.
Will the Margaritaville specialty license plate get made?
As of Nov. 25, 2024, 1,589 of the 3,000 minimum Margaritaville plate presales have been bought since it went on sale Oct. 1, according to the FLHSMV. Interested Parrotheads need to buy 1,411 more to get the plates made.
Of the other eight new plates approved this year by the Florida Legislature, “The Villages: Dreams Come True” is the next most popular, but with only 292 sold so far.
What are specialty license plates?
Specialty license plates are plates for your registered vehicle that feature different artwork than the standard Florida white, orange and green plates to let you add a colorful personal touch for your ride. They cost extra, but proceeds from the sales go to benefit the colleges, environmental causes, sports teams, military services and special interests behind them.
What is the most popular specialty license plate in Florida?
According to the FLHSMV, the top-selling specialty plates as of Dec. 1 are:
- Endless Summer: 138,977
- Helping Sea Turtles Survive: 110,300
- University of Florida: 92,187
- Miami Heat: 83,245
- Florida State University: 69,748
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 60,006
- Save the Manatee: 53,056
- Protect Wild Dolphins: 51,565
- Vets of the U.S. Armed Forces: 50,825
- Marine Corps: 49,293
Which new Florida specialty license plates were approved this year?
The plates approved for presale include:
- Margaritaville: A plate to honor the late Florida singer Jimmy Buffett, with proceeds going to Buffett’s Singing for Change organization.
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium: A plate to celebrate the aquarium, with money going to efforts to reduce, rehabilitate and release marine life, public education and other conservation strategies.
- General Aviation: A plate supporting general aviation in the state. Fees from the sale of the plate will go to the Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland to fund scholarships.
- The Villages: May All Your Dreams Come True: Fees from sales of this plate will go to support The Villages Charter School Inc.
- Cure Diabetes: Money from this plate will be distributed among The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, JDRF International Incorporated, and the University of Florida Foundation Inc., which supports the University of Florida Diabetes Institute to fund research into curing Type 1 diabetes.
- Recycle Florida: Use fees from the sale of this plate will go to Recycle Florida Today Foundation Inc. for a public awareness program on recycling and conservation, to promote recycling programs, and to support the professional development people working in fields relating to recycling, conservation and sustainability.
- Boating Capital of the World: Sales of this plate will support Captain Sandy Yawn Inc. in the effort to promote and fund maritime workforce instruction, training, professional development and job placement in the marine industry both at sea and on land.
- Project Addiction: Reversing the Stigma: This plate will fund the nonprofit Project Addiction: Reversing the Stigma Inc. to promote and support awareness of and education about substance use disorder and mental illness.
- United Service Organizations (USO): Annual use fees will go toward United Service Organizations Inc. to be distributed equally among its 10 Florida locations to promote its mission of supporting members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
