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In the news today: Jeb Bush [our beloved governer] and the Florida Cabinet have approved eight new specialty license plates bringing the total available now to ninety-seven. 97! As I write this the new ones are not yet posted, but the state kindly provides a list at http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/specialtytags/specialindex.html. If you want to get into the act, there are instructions on how to propose yet more specialty plates at http://casey.hsmv.state.fl.us/Intranet/dmv/Manuals/DMVProcedures/BTR/RS/RS-20.pdf. I haven’t read the whole thing (and don’t intend to), but before we start thinking that everyone can have their very own specialty plate note that among the requirements are:

The results of a scientific sample survey of 30,000 Florida registered vehicle owners or registrants, listing their Florida license plate numbers or driver license numbers, complete address and county of residence, who state their intent to purchase the proposed specialty license plate. An independent organization (NOT the requesting organization), which conducts similar sample surveys as a normal course of business, must perform the sample survey. It is the responsibility of the survey company to ensure that the person certifying to purchase the license plate is the owner of a vehicle with a valid Florida registration. This information must be legible for verification purposes (Exhibit C).

An application fee of $60,000, payable to the Division of Motor Vehicles, is required to defray the department’s cost for reviewing the application and developing the specialty license plate. State funds may not be used to pay the application fee except for collegiate specialty license plates. This fee is deposited into the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund. If the specialty license plate requested by the organization is not approved by the legislature, the application fee shall be refunded to the requesting organization.