Prior to 2009, specialty license plate sales increased every year, despite the economic recession. On October 1, 2009, the Florida State Legislature significantly increased vehicle registration fees, particularly with respect to purchasing specialty license plates. In 2009, annual sales of Florida Specialty License Plates amounted to 1,623,486. As a direct result of those increases fees, there was a subsequent 19.78% decline in Specialty Plate sales, reflecting approximately $7 million lost in annual revenue. 
In September, 2013, the Florida Legislature reduced some fees associated with vehicle registrations, however, did not address the significant increase in the cost to purchase a new specialty license plate that was imposed in 2009. Despite the increase in fees, specialty plates have had begun to get back to the 2008 numbers. 
However, according to the latest statistics released by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles,  1,382,959 specialty license plates were sold in CY 2020, this is 8.1% (121,997) lower than the total specialty license plates that were sold in CY 2019 (1,504,956). Revenue fell to $32,149,618.00 for CY2020 from $34,898,976.00 in CY 2019. A loss of $2,749,358.00 (7.9%). 
Biennial fees (2 year registrations) were also down in 2020, falling to $6,198,728.00, compared to $6,494,715.00. A loss of $295,987.00 (4.6%).
The 1,382,959 specialty plates represent 8.2% of the 16,844,969 Florida registered vehicles.
In CY2020, 183,906 new plates were issued and 1,199,053 were renewed. In CY2019, 212,911 new plates were issued and 1,292,045 were renewed.

​Endless Summer has now surpassed the University of Florida as the top selling specialty license plate in Florida, notwithstanding generating slightly less revenue this year compared to 2019. 
Miami Heat and Tampa Bay Bucs both increased their sales and revenue in 2020, the only two specialty plates to do so in the Top 10.
10,193 Presale Vouchers were sold in 2020, representing $336,369.00 total revenue, with $254,825.00 of those fees to be distributed to the presale voucher organizations, provided they complete their presales goal within two years of October 16th, 2020.
So far in the 2021 Florida State Legislative Session, 5 new specialty plates have been proposed and bills have been filed for the following:
Explore our State Parks - Rep Allison Tant (D-Leon County) / Senator Dennis Baxley R-Lady Lake
Inter Miami CF - Senator Manny Diaz (R-Hialeah Gardens)
Toastmasters - Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando)
Gopher Tortoise - Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando)
Orlando United - Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando)

​Florida specialty plates for Auburn, Georgia and Alabama have been approved by the Florida State Legislature. Each must complete their presale requirement of 4,000 within 24 months of October 1, 2020, before the plate will be manufactured. 
As of 1/17/21, after 3 months of sales, Alabama has sold 529 (needs 3,471), Auburn has sold 526 (needs 3,474) and Georgia has sold 269 (needs3,731.)

​For the out-of-state university license plates, the statute distributes the annual use fees from the sale of the plates as follows:
· Up to 10% to the appropriate booster club for continued marketing and promotion of the plates.
· In each school district that has a district prekindergarten through grade 12 public school foundation or a direct-support organization, the moneys raised in that school district through the sale of these license plates must be distributed to the foundation or organization for enhancing educational programs.
· In each school district that does not have a district prekindergarten through grade 12 public school foundation or a direct support organization, the moneys raised in that school district through the sale of these license plates must be distributed to the district school board and must be used at the discretion of the board for enhancing educational programs.
The Florida University of Alabama collegiate specialty license plate proceeds will go to the Pensacola Bama Club. University of Alabama collegiate specialty license plates are already available in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

​The Florida University of Georgia collegiate specialty license plate proceeds will go to the Georgia Bulldog Club of Jacksonville. University of Georgia collegiate specialty license plates are already available in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
The Florida Auburn University specialty license plate proceeds will go to the Tampa Bay Auburn Club. Auburn University specialty license plates are already available in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
​In 1984, the Florida Legislature authorized school districts to create local education foundations to raise private funds for programs to support students, teachers, and public schools in their respective districts. 

When the Florida Legislature approved dozens of new specialty license plates in a new law passed in 2020, it also signaled the demise of low performers after January 1 of each year.
The first plate to be discontinued under the new law is the Edward Waters College, a private school in Jacksonville, that’s among the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Its plate was enacted in 2002.
The new law states that “on January 1 of each year, the department shall discontinue the specialty license plate with the fewest number of plates in circulation, including license plates exempt from a statutory sales requirement.”
Previously, most university plates including Edward Waters had been exempt from any sort of minimum tag sales.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles data, it had 714 registrations as of Jan. 1. While that’s much higher than 12 other private school plates available in the state, those schools all opted to participate in a new simple standard template enacted by the law specifically for independent colleges and universities. All of those schools’ registrations act in a combined manner when the state determines its rankings.
Because of that, the plate for Warner Southern University, a private Christian school located in Lake Wales, which had only 84 registered tags as of Jan. 1, 2021, will remain on the rolls while Edward Waters will no longer be allowed for new registrations.
Other schools with less registrations than Edward Waters that opted into the new template option include Lynn University, Florida Hospital College, St. Thomas University, Southeastern University, Florida College, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Keiser University, Ringling College of Art and Design, Eckerd College, Florida Southern and St. Leo University.
Since most private schools with low plate numbers had opted in for the combined templated super plate, other types of plates could be on the chopping block in 2022 and successive years.
As of Jan. 1, that includes the Kids Deserve Justice plate with 1,380 registrations, Agricultural Education with 1,467, Moffitt Cancer Center with 1,515, the NHL’s Florida Panthers with 1,987 and Scouting Teaches Values with 2,031.
The department contacted the sponsoring organizations of the lowest performing 10% of specialty license plates on Dec. 1, 2020 to inform them of their plate’s status.
​New statistics for total sales for 2020 are expected to be released any day now.
​Blue Angels have completed their presell and are now awaiting production.

As of 01/17/21, 1,583 'Divine 9' presale vouchers have been sold, according to the data compiled by DMV, however, the DMV has advised that the numbers are not entirely accurate or up to date due to county reporting methodology and the DMV's own technology in correlating the data.
The most popular is Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority with 802 and Zeta Phi Beta Fraternity having sold 246 through 01/17/20. The other two that have sold more than 100 so far are Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (191) and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity (109). The Divine 9 sorority/fraternity specialty license plates need a combined 3,000.
The 41 new specialty license plates approved by the Florida State Legislature are all now available for presale. The presale time-period for this batch of proposed new specialty plates is October 16, 2020 – October 15, 2022. The organizations have 2-years for 3,000 pre-sale vouchers or 4,000 pre-sale vouchers for out-of-state colleges or universities to be sold. Specialty license plates will be issued in the order they appear in Florida Statute 320.08058 provided the organization has met the presale requirement.

You can order online here, ($6.95 additional fee to cover cc processing and handling). You will also be immediately notified online when the plate is available for purchase and how you can apply your voucher (which is registered against your driver's license number) to the purchase of your Divine 9 specialty license plate and you can then order it online or go to your local Tax Collector's office or DMV of your choice.
You can also get the presale vouchers by visiting your local Tax Collector's office or DMV. the cost is $25.00 plus the $5.00 SLP processing fee plus the county fee, which is generally $3.00.

​The Blue Angels specialty license plate will become a reality after the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation received more than the necessary 3,000 voucher presales in less than three months.
In September 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law approving the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation’s Blue Angels specialty license plate. On October 1. he Escambia County Tax Collector, in partnership with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, began accepting online voucher orders to collect the 3,000 commitments needed for production to being.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles should place the plate into production over the coming months and then the plates will be distributed to the various county tax collector offices throughout the state.
If you purchased a voucher for the Blue Angel plate, your voucher is being held electronically in the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles database under your name and driver license number. If you purchased the voucher for someone else, the voucher is being held under the recipient’s name and driver license number.
Until the physical plates are available, Florida drivers can still purchase a voucher in person at  their local tax collector’s office or online here. Vouchers are available for cars, trucks, RVs or boat trailers.