Florida's new specialty license plates to honor Jimmy Buffett, tout The Villages
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A sample Margaritaville license plate. The official design is not yet available. Photo: Courtesy of Florida Rep. Linda Chaney's office
Florida lawmakers this week approved a new lineup of specialty license plates, including an homage to the late Jimmy Buffett.
State of play: House Bill 403, sponsored by St. Pete Beach Republican Rep. Linda Chaney, passed the House on Feb. 22, and the Senate unanimously on Monday.
- It will now head to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk for approval.
The big picture: The new designs will add to more than 100 specialty plates already for sale. The fees from the plates go toward corresponding charitable organizations.
- About 2.2 million vehicles have such plates, per the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
- The most popular designs are Endless Summer (134,545), Helping Sea Turtles Survive (108,388) and University of Florida (92,251).
Here's a sampling of the new plates, which cost $25 annually, per the bill analysis:
🦜 Margaritaville. The fees from this plate will head to the Buffett-founded organization Singing for Change to provide grants to nonprofits in communities impacted by disasters.
🏘️ The Villages: May All Your Dreams Come True. A slightly dystopian nod to Central Florida's massive retirement community, the money will go toward The Villages Charter School.
🐟 Clearwater Marine Aquarium. These fees will go toward — you guessed it — the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
🛥️ Boating Capital of the World. This one's for the "Below Deck Mediterranean" fans: Fees will go toward a charity founded by celebrity Captain Sandy Yawn to bolster the maritime workforce.
♻️ Recycle Florida. Take your environmental do-goodery to the next level with this plate, the fees from which will benefit the Recycle Florida Today Foundation.
🖤 Overdose Awareness. Money from this plate will go to Project Addiction: Reversing the Stigma to raise awareness for substance use disorder and mental illness.
🫡 United Service Organizations. Support the troops with this plate, which will raise money for USO's 10 Florida locations.
🔷 Cure Diabetes. Fees from this plate will benefit the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, which supports the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; the University of Florida Foundation, which supports the UF Diabetes Institute; and JDRF, which funds type 1 diabetes research.
✈️ General Aviation. Money from this plate will head to the Aerospace Center for Excellence to fund scholarships for Florida students pursuing aviation careers.
What we're watching: The new plates haven't been designed yet, FLHSMV spokesperson Molly Best told Axios. The beneficiary organizations are tasked with designing them.
- Should DeSantis approve the bill, pre-sale for the plates will start July 1.