From the Herald-Tribune: ‘Margaritaville’ license plate to honor Jimmy Buffett coming to Florida
Grab your flip flops and shaker of salt. The Margaritaville license plate is a go.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed bills last week honoring Florida’s favorite son, legendary laid-back musician and business tycoon Jimmy Buffett, who died last September from a rare form of skin cancer. HB 91 designated State Road A1A as the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway and HB 403 approved a specialty plate for Margaritaville, named after the singer’s classic hit song and the brand name of his entertainment and hospitality empire.
Fees from the sale of the plate will be distributed to Singing for Change (SFC Charitable Foundation, Inc.), which was founded by Buffett in 1995, to “provide grants to nonprofit organizations in communities impacted by natural or manmade disasters for recovery, rebuilding, and future sustainability in those communities and to promote and inspire local grassroots leadership that will work to improve the quality of life in those communities and others in this state.”
What will the Margaritaville license plate look like?
The final design has not been decided, but the bill requires the plate to have Florida at the top and Margaritaville at the bottom. Sample plates displayed in the Florida Legislature showed various beach scenes.
How much will the Margaritaville license plate cost?
Specialty license plates cost an annual $25 on top of your vehicle registration fees. All of the plates can be ordered online or at local DMV offices except for specialty military plates such as Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Distinguished Service Cross, etc, which require a form to certify eligibility.
When will the Margaritaville license plate be available?
The act goes into effect Oct. 1, 2024, so sometime after that.
What are specialty license plates?
Specialty license plates are plates for your registered vehicle that feature different artwork than the standard Florida white, orange and green plates to let you add a colorful personal touch for your ride. They cost extra, but proceeds from the sales go to benefit the colleges, environmental causes, sports teams, military services and special interests behind them.
The Sunshine State currently offers over 100 different specialty license plates as of June 1, according to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and there are 175 different specialty plates on over 2 million vehicles out there.