Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Mardi Gras license plate needs help to cross the finish line by Nov. 1: How to commit
Reading time: 2 minutes
The clock is ticking on Alabama’s potential Mardi Gras license plate. The Birthplace of Mardi Gras Foundation has until Nov. 1, 2026, to gather 1,000 pre-commitments, and with the deadline now less than a year out, the plate sits at just 193. It still needs 807 commitments more before it can go into production.
The plate was the brainchild of a Mobile mother-daughter duo, Carol Danieli and her daughter, Jessica Allen, who presented the design to the state’s legislative oversight committee in Montgomery last year, where they explained the concept and how the money raised would be used.
Where the design came from
To get a personalized plate approved in Alabama, the design has to be tied to a nonprofit. So Danieli and Allen created the Birthplace of Mardi Gras Foundation, which will use plate proceeds to fund grants and scholarships for krewes, schools, first responders, artists, and float builders across the state’s Mardi Gras community.
The plate was hand-painted by local artist Reagan Windsor, known for her murals around downtown Mobile.
The countdown is on
Pre-orders opened Nov. 1, and the foundation has one year — until Nov. 1, 2026 — to reach 1,000 pre-commitments. As of this writing, the plate sits at 193 pre-commitments, meaning it still needs 807 more before the deadline.
Here’s how to help:
- Tap here to visit MyDMV.
- Tap “Reserve a Pre-Commitment Plate” under the “Plates” menu.
- Select the Birthplace of Mardi Gras plate and tap “Next.”
- Fill out your registrant info and complete the form.
If the plate doesn’t hit 1,000 commitments in time, the money moves to the foundation instead, and registrants can request a refund directly.
