SESSION WATCH
Superseded — its companion passed HOUSE · SESSION 2026

No. CS/CS/HB 639

Specialty License Plates
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SPONSOR
State Affairs Committee; Government Operations Subcommittee; Brannan
FILED BY
Robert Brannan — District 10, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
10/1/2026
COMPANION
CS/SB 246 — CS/CS/HB 639 was set aside and its companion carried the policy

Filed under Transportation.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Specialty License Plates; Requires certain organizations that have approved specialty license plate to submit within specified timeframe certain financial information to DHSMV; provides for deauthorization of certain specialty license plates if organization receiving annual use fees does not submit required financial information to DHSMV within specified timeframe; requires DHSMV to submit annual report to Governor & Legislature by specified date; prohibits specialty license plate annual use fees or interest earned from such fees from being distributed to certain entities; revises provisions relating to issuance & fee distribution for Fraternal Order of Police license plates; directs DHSMV to develop specified specialty license plates.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Requires new specialty-plate sponsors to report finances or lose the plate.

Requires organizations behind newly approved specialty plates to file 5-year financial projections within 60 days of the authorizing act becoming law, automatically deauthorizing the plate if they miss that deadline.

Bars specialty-plate fees from being distributed to, or passed along to, any organization that isn't a properly registered domestic or Florida-authorized foreign corporation.

Removes the Fraternal Order of Police plate's membership requirement and replaces its statutory 10 percent spending cap with a rule that the recipient foundation controls spending under its own private bylaws.

Creates seven new specialty plates for named organizations, from the UFC to Miami Dade College, each sending fees to a specific nonprofit, six with a 10 percent cap on marketing.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Requires new plate sponsors to file financial projections or lose the plate majors. 320.08053(1)

AIRequires an organization behind a newly approved specialty plate to submit a 5-year revenue and expense projection, an administrative-expense list, and a list of third-party fee recipients within 60 days of the authorizing act becoming law, or the plate is automatically deauthorized.

“then the specialty license plate is deauthorized” bill text, line 55 →
§ 2 Limits specialty-plate fees to registered domestic or foreign corporations majors. 320.08056(10)(a)

AIRequires that specialty-plate annual use fees may only be distributed to an organization that is a properly filed domestic corporation or a foreign corporation authorized to do business in Florida.

“may be distributed to either a domestic corporation as defined in s. 617.01401(4) that has filed its articles of incorporation” bill text, line 70 →
§ 3 Bans passing specialty-plate fees to non-compliant third parties majors. 320.08056(10)(a)

AIProhibits a specialty-plate organization from transferring or distributing its fee revenue to any third party unless that third party is itself a properly filed domestic or authorized foreign corporation.

“Transfer, convey, or otherwise distribute the annual use fees or any interest earned from those fees to any third party” bill text, line 77 →
§ 4 Removes the FOP plate's membership requirement majors. 320.08058(67)

AIDeletes the rule limiting the Fraternal Order of Police plate to applicants who prove lodge membership, or family ties to a member, opening it to any driver.

“The department may issue the plate only to an applicant who submits a notarized letter from the Florida State Lodge” bill text, line 148 →
§ 5 Replaces the FOP plate's fee formula with private bylaws majors. 320.08058(67)

AIDeletes the state's 10 percent cap on marketing and administrative spending and the earmark for memorial projects, and ends the Lodge's hold on proceeds pending startup-cost recovery, sending fees straight to the renamed foundation to distribute under its own articles of incorporation.

“which shall distribute funds according to its articles of incorporation” bill text, line 161 →
§ 6 Creates seven new specialty plates for named organizations moderates. 320.08058

AIDirects DHSMV to design and issue new plates for Miami Northwestern Alumni Association, Christopher Columbus High School, the UFC, the Naval Academy, the Military Academy, Miami Dade College, and Florida Film Legacy, each routing fees to a named nonprofit.

“The department shall develop a Miami Northwestern Alumni Association license plate as provided in this section and s. 320.08053” bill text, line 257 →
§ 7 Creates an annual DHSMV report to the Governor and Legislature moderates. 320.08053(3)

AIRequires DHSMV to submit a report each December 31 to the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker summarizing sponsors' financial projections and the status of organizations whose revenues have been withheld.

“the department must submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives” bill text, line 57 →
§ 8 Adds the Governor to withheld-revenue notices technicals. 320.08062(2)(d)

AIAdds the Governor to the officials DHSMV must notify about organizations whose specialty-plate revenues were withheld for noncompliance, and folds that notice into the new December 31 annual report cycle.

“notify the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives” bill text, line 375 →
TIMELINE
3/5/2026
Substituted CS/SB 246
3/5/2026
Laid on Table; Companion bill(s) passed, see CS/SB 246 (Ch. 2026-30 )
3/4/2026
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/5/2026)
3/4/2026
Temporarily postponed, on 2nd Reading
3/2/2026
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/4/2026)
3/2/2026
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/5/2026)
2/26/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2)
2/26/2026
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (3/4/2026)
2/26/2026
Bill referred to House Calendar
2/26/2026
CS Filed
2/26/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/26/2026
Reported out of State Affairs Committee
2/26/2026
Favorable with CS by State Affairs Committee
2/24/2026
PCS added to State Affairs Committee agenda
2/12/2026
Now in State Affairs Committee
2/12/2026
Referred to State Affairs Committee
2/11/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
2/11/2026
CS Filed
2/11/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/11/2026
Reported out of Government Operations Subcommittee
2/11/2026
Favorable with CS by Government Operations Subcommittee
2/9/2026
PCS added to Government Operations Subcommittee agenda
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
12/12/2025
Now in Government Operations Subcommittee
12/12/2025
Referred to State Affairs Committee
12/12/2025
Referred to Government Operations Subcommittee
12/3/2025
Filed
21 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 320.08053
+211 / −37
s. 320.08056
+165 / −14
s. 320.08062
+18 / −9
s. 320.08053
+0 / −0
s. 320.08058
+0 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES