STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

More

Share and Enjoy [?]

Q: What different specialty license plates are available in the state of Florida?

— Leonard Kaplan, Naples

Florida has more than 100 specialty license tags, as they're called here, available. New laws that took effect July 1 created four more: Home Ownership for All, Florida Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Donate Organs and State of Vision. The top three specialty tags purchased during the past couple of years have been those for the Florida panther, wild dolphins and the University of Florida, in that order.

The additional fees associated with the voluntary purchase of specialty license tags raise funds for a particular cause for which the tag was designed. When you renew your registration at your local tax collector's office, ask to replace your current license tag with a specialty license tag. If it is not time in your license tag's five-year cycle to replace the metal tag, you will pay a few additional dollars to switch to a specialty license tag. Specialty license tags cost a set annual fee, ranging from $15 to $30 on top of the standard Florida license tag fee, and the cost varies based on the type of license tag.

You may have to pay a new tag charge of $10 in addition to the registration fee listed. Some fees benefiting certain agencies may be considered tax-deductible donations. Personalized or vanity license tags include another additional charge.

Here is a list of Florida license tags available. After each tag name is a brief description of the tag, the agency benefiting from the special fee, and the number of tags issued to date. A full-color photo of each tag with links to the agency benefiting from the tags can be viewed at www.hsmv.state.fl.us/specialtytags/SLP.html.

Environmental: Aquaculture (clownfish, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Inc.; 3,167), Conserve Wildlife (bear and egret, Wildlife Foundation of Florida and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; 52,888), Discover Florida's Oceans (big wave, Hubbs Florida Ocean Fund Inc.; 5,515), Everglades River of Grass (roseate spoonbill/mangroves, Everglades Trust Fund; 21,462), Fish Florida (sailfish, Florida Foundation for Responsible Angling Inc.; 13,360), Indian River Lagoon (snook, St. Johns River Water Management District; 79,022), Large Mouth Bass (bass, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; 53,379), Panther (panther head, 85 percent Florida Panther Research and Management Trust Fund to protect panther/15 percent Florida Communities Trust Fund; 1,390,049) Protect Florida Whales (whale tail, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Inc.; 19,094), Protect Our Reefs (colorful reef scene, Mote Marine Laboratory; 33,394), Protect Wild Dolphins (dolphins at sunset, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Inc.; 143,798, Save Our Seas (shark with scuba divers, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Inc.; 6,000), Save the Manatee (manatee, Save the Manatee Trust Fund; 559,803), Sea Turtle (turtle on beach, Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; 131,741), Sportsmen's National Land Trust (stag deer, annual fee and $2 processing fee, Sportsmen's National Land Trust; 2,278), State Wildflower (colorful flowers, Florida Wildflower Program; 27,771) and Tampa Bay Estuary (tarpon, Tampa Bay Estuary Program; 16,828).

Higher education (all tags benefit the particular school's academic enhancement and feature the school's shield/logo and colors, unless otherwise noted): Barry University (BU Alumni Endowed Scholarship Enhancement; 1,962), Bethune-Cookman College (13,736), Clearwater Christian College (65), Eckerd College (sailboat, 297), Edward Waters College (887), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (golden eagle; 1,532), Flagler College (925), Florida A&M University (rattlesnake head; 64,630), Florida Atlantic University (8,831), Florida College (224), Florida Gulf Coast University (1,452), Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences (111), Florida Institute of Technology (panther; 721), Florida International University (9,665), Florida Memorial College (2,026), Florida Southern College (412), Florida State University (272,418), Jacksonville University (528), Lynn University (Fighting Knight; 248), New College of Florida (491); Nova Southeastern University (1,254), Palm Beach Atlantic University (296), Ringling School of Art and Design (Keating Center landmark building; 461), Rollins College(637), Saint Leo University (353), St. Thomas University (176), Southeastern College (101), Stetson University (902), University of Central Florida (35,933), University of Florida(306,824), University of Miami (110,987), University of North Florida (7,523), University of South Florida (27,338), University of Tampa (906), University of West Florida (7,255) and Warner Southern College (148).

Military (most military tags feature that branch's insignia and benefit Florida's Veterans' Homes Trust Fund; after each branch is the number sold to date): Florida Salutes Veterans (features eagle with U.S. and Florida flags; 119,622), U.S. Air Force (8,839), U.S. Army (9,656), U.S. Coast Guard (3,401), U.S. Marine Corps (46,940; also benefits the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Inc.), U.S. Navy (8,601), U.S. Paratroopers (3,428).

Sports (professional team tags feature the team's logo, and benefit the Professional Sports Trust Fund and Florida Sports Foundation): Florida Marlins (8,698), Florida Panthers (16,441), Jacksonville Jaguars (39,273), Miami Dolphins (63,727), Miami Heat (20,427), Orlando Magic (24,496), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (75,509), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (5,065), Tampa Bay Lightning (10,606), Florida Golf Capital of the World (silhouette of golfer, Dade Amateur Golf Association for the operation of youth golf programs in Miami-Dade County and Florid a Sports Foundation to establish a Florida Youth Golf Program; 20,096), Support Soccer (soccer ball, SoccerPlate.com, 1,814), U.S. Olympic (USA above Olympic rings logo, Florida Sports Foundation; 86,733).

Miscellaneous: Agriculture (sun logo, Florida agriculture in the classroom program within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; 33,918), American Red Cross (Red Cross flag, 50 percent to the Central Florida chapter of the Red Cross for use in education and disaster relief/50 percent to three poison control centers to combat bioterrorism; 1,216), Animal Friend (dog and cat at beach, Florida Animal Friend Inc.; 6,009), Boy Scouts of America (Central Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America for the nine Boy Scout Councils in Florida; 7,144), Challenger (space shuttle, 50 percent Astronaut Memorial Foundation/50 percent Technological Research and Development Authority; 731,384), Choose Life (bright yellow with sketch of kids, Choose Life Inc. to support adoption efforts; 60,556), End Breast Cancer (logo with pink ribbon, Florida Breast Cancer Coalition; 16,362), Family First (family of four on sun rays, Family First; 1,534), Family Values (family of four on sun, Sheridan House Inc. homes for children; 735), Florida Arts (red/green/blue torn paper strips, Florida Fine Arts Trust Funds; 109,434), Florida Educational (apple and pencil, for enhancing education programs; 115,978), Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch (yellow/green with star logo, Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches; 11,669), Florida Special Olympics (red with runner crossing finish line, Florida Development Disabilities Planning Council for Special Olympics; 26,544), Hospice: Everyday is a Gift (Monarch butterfly, Florida Hospice and Palliative Care; 7,096), Imagine (John Lennon self-portrait, Florida Association of Food Banks Inc.; 2,845), Invest in Children (children under palm tree, Juvenile Crime Prevention and Early intervention; 86,079), Keep Kids Drug Free (crayon sketch of children on swings, drug-abuse prevention programs; 33,919), Kids Deserve Justice (children on scales of justice, Florida Bar Foundation Inc.; 659), Live the Dream (Martin Luther King Jr. superimposed on U.S. flag, The Dream Foundation Inc.; 2,129), Parents Make A Difference (family between yellow palm trees, The Gathering USA Inc.; 855), Police Athletic League (blue PAL logo, Florida Police Athletic League Inc.; 33,873), Police Benevolent Association (PBA shield, Florida Police Benevolent Association Heart Fund Inc.; 7,006), Salutes Firefighters (firefighter on U.S. flag background, Florida Firefighters Charities; 14,083), Share the Road (bicyclist, Bike Florida Inc.; 14,497), Stop Child Abuse (blue handprint with red heart on sun background, Children's Home Society Mid-Florida Development Department; 6,961), Stop Heart Disease (heart on red/white/blue background, Florida Heart Research Foundation Inc.; 6,889), United We Stand (Florida and U.S. flags centered on blue background with September 11, 2001, at bottom; Secure Airports for Florida's Economy Council to fund a grant program to enhance security at airports throughout state; 23,323).

Because of the lack of space on motorcycle tags, motorcyclists have only one specialty tag — a design with red, white and blue diagonal stripes. The additional fee is $15 and it benefits The Able Trust for vocational rehabilitation. Nearly 13,000 have been sold.

Tim Aten is news editor of the Daily News. E-mail questions for this column to intheknow@naplesnews.com, or call 213-6007.