From UGA to beekeepers to ‘America First,’ Georgia drivers get their pick

State Sen. Steve Gooch, who sponsored the “America First” plate in the Legislature, said his intention with the plate was to foster patriotism and pride in the country. But at the Georgia GOP convention earlier this month, Gooch, who is running for lieutenant governor, said the plate shows support for the president.

“If you’re like me and want to show your support for President Trump and his movement with every mile you drive through this state, please join me by securing your America First license plate,” he said.

Credit: Georgia Press

Credit: Georgia Press

Alma maters

The new “America First” license plate will have stiff competition to become the most popular specialty plate in the state, and not just because roughly half the state voted against Trump.

Currently, the most popular plate comes from the bipartisan love for the University of Georgia. A specialty red-and-black plate with a Georgia “G” tops the list with about 77,000 drivers registered with the plate, according to a recent state count.

In total, UGA plates on the road have generated at least $770,000 for scholarships for undergraduate students, with additional money from the plates going toward the state’s general fund.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

About 11,100 people showcase a Georgia Tech plate on their cars, with at least $110,000 going toward undergraduate student scholarships.

These figures are an estimate from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution based on an analysis of license plate data from the Georgia Department of Revenue.

There were fewer drivers with out-of-state rivals Auburn University and the University of Tennessee, which have about 9,500 and 2,500 plates, respectively. About 5,300 motorists have University of Florida license plates.

Political bent

The “America First” plate isn’t the first in Georgia to wade into politics.

In 2017, lawmakers approved the creation of a “Back the Badge” license plate, a reference to support for police officers. Almost 11,000 Georgia drivers have the plate.

Demand for the plate spiked during the racial justice protests in 2020, which focused on police violence. During the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years, the number of plates registered each year jumped from 6,500 to more than 9,000.

The “Back the Badge” plate raises money for supplemental retirement benefits for police officers.

In addition, about 2,600 people have a “Choose Life” license plate, with $10 from each plate going toward organizations that advocate against abortions.

No plate exists for supporters of abortion rights, though former Georgia Senate Democratic leader Gloria Butler attempted to create one more than a decade ago.

More than 2,000 Georgia drivers have a “Sons of Confederate Veterans” license plate on their car. The state paused selling those plates in 2015 for a few months following the deadly shooting of nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina. During the pause, the plate was redesigned to shrink the size of the Confederate flag adorning the tag. For every plate sold featuring a Confederate flag, $10 is donated to the Georgia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Getting wild

After universities, the next most popular plates all revolve around wildlife.

A plate displaying a bald eagle in front of an American flag appears on about 48,000 cars. Maybe that’s driven by patriotism, but a plate featuring a bobwhite quail has roughly the same number of registrants.

The other top nature-themed plates feature trout and butterflies with roughly 14,000 registrations each.

For each $45 bald eagle plate or butterfly plate, about $20 is sent to organizations that work to conserve native wildlife, monitor animal populations and acquire thousands of acres of wildlands. For the bobwhite quail plate, about $20 from each plate purchased goes to a program that maintains nesting habitats.

Money from trout plates supports seasonal labor for hatcheries.

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Professional pride

Georgia also offers a range of plates for specific professions, including health care workers, teachers and Realtors.

Nancy Epstein, 61, of Kennesaw, has worked at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for 14 years, and “right away” she wanted to get a specialty plate to show her dedication to her employer.

“It’s a great place to work,” she said, “and the plate shows my care for the children we work with.”

About 1,200 drivers have a CHOA specialty plate.

Featuring a bright red apple, the most popular profession to profess on the road is for educators, with more than 12,300 plates on the road.

That’s followed by the Georgia Beekeepers Association with about 9,400 plates and roughly 4,500 for agriculture, the state’s largest industry. There are about 3,500 plates for emergency medical technicians.

Sporting personality

The “Dirty Birds” are the most prized Atlanta sports team, according to plate registrants.

The Atlanta Falcons hold the top spot for athletic specialty plate with more than 10,000 active registrations. They are followed by the Atlanta Braves with 8,300 and Atlanta United with about 5,800. The Atlanta Hawks have just 1,300 plates.

Some of the money from the Falcons and Braves plates supports the teams’ foundations. The Hawks plate supports the state treasury.

Greek to me

The state also offers specialty license plates for historically Black sorority and fraternity organizations.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is at the top with about 4,800 registered drivers. They are followed by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. which has garnered about 3,200 plates.