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Save the Manatee License Plate

Help support responsible conservation of Florida’s wildlife heritage

Where Does My Fee Go?

The fee collected during your purchase of your manatee license plate goes directly into the Save the Manatee Trust Fund (Trust Fund). The Trust Fund is a key source of funding for the State's manatee-related research, rescue, and conservation activities. Through the long-term public support of the Trust Fund, critical information gained from the FWC’s research, rescue, and monitoring efforts continues to provide conservation managers and the public with timely, science-based information needed to guide current and future conservation actions.

To learn more about the Trust Fund and view annual reports dating back to 1995, please visit our Save the Manatee Trust Fund Annual Report page.

What Does My Fee Support?

The FWC’s guiding conservation goal for the Florida manatee is to effectively manage the wildlife resource in perpetuity throughout Florida by securing habitat and minimizing threats. In order to accomplish this goal, the species must recover from a threatened status and be effectively protected so that manatees can endure future impacts that can affect their population including: large-scale die-offs from red tide and cold stress, human-related impacts, and loss of important winter habitats.  The FWC and conservation partners monitor several population-related factors that provide important insights regarding the ability of manatees to cope with current threats and future changes.  For example, information gathered from the FWC’s manatee rescue and necropsy program provides a window for the public to better understand the state of manatee health and vulnerabilities.

The following pages provide additional information about the research activities supported by your purchase of the Save the Manatee license plate.

 

How Do I Purchase a Plate?

There are two ways to purchase a manatee license plate.

  1. Renew your existing “manatee” plate online through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
  2. Visit your local Tax Collector’s office in person.