Florida state parks license plate gets go-ahead

Motorists can start sporting a specialty license plate for the Florida state parks, as a design has surpassed a required 3,000-plate presale threshold, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. 

Sales of the plate will raise money for the non-profit Florida State Parks Foundation and is the 124th design available to motorists. The design features a scene of a kayaker above the words "Explore Our State Parks." 

A 2021 law required most plates to reach 3,000 presales before manufacturing would begin and to maintain that minimum number of sales to remain on the road. Lawmakers approved a bill (SB 364) this year that, if approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would reduce the number of specialty plates that could be available at a time from 150 to 135. 

RELATED: Here are the top 10 specialty plates in Florida based on 2020 sales numbers

The proposed changes also would restart a 24-month clock for designs in the presale pipeline to reach the 3,000 total, put a number of new proposals on the presale list and lower from 4,000 to 3,000 the presale benchmark for plates touting Auburn University, the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia. 

As of Wednesday, the Auburn plate was the closest of the three out-of-state schools to the new goal line, with presales at 2,139.

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