St. Pete-Clearwater Sun

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 246 into law last Friday, authorizing five new specialty license plates for Florida drivers.

The new plates are themed around the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Miami Northwestern Alumni Association, an “Outsider” design benefiting a public spaces nonprofit, St. Petersburg College, and first responder mental health. Proceeds from each plate’s annual use fees will be directed to the respective sponsoring organization.

Drivers can begin purchasing pre-sale vouchers for the new plates starting Oct. 1. Each sponsoring organization will then have two years to sell 3,000 vouchers; if that threshold is not met, the plate will be deauthorized and buyers will be eligible for a refund.

The bill also expands financial oversight of Florida’s specialty plate program. Organizations that sponsor plates will be required to submit a five-year financial projection to the state within 60 days of approval, detailing expected revenue, expenses, and the distribution of funds. Organizations that fail to meet reporting or audit requirements could have their plates deauthorized, with any undistributed funds redirected to a state trust fund. The state will also be required to produce an annual compliance report by December 31 each year.

Lawmakers said the added oversight is aimed at increasing transparency and ensuring that funds raised through plate sales are used as intended.

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