While driving one day with her mom, Baylee Smith, a graduating senior from Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, thought of the idea to have an anti-bullying license plate.

“I’ve never been bullied, but people know that I won’t deal with it,” Smith said. “If they are going to bully, they are not going to do it around me. It’s not cute to make someone feel bad. I saw it more in middle school than high school. We were more immature then.”

After making sure an anti-bullying plate did not exist, she took the idea to a class at the University of Alabama to allow students to design the plate. Eight students created designs, and Smith chose the one she liked the most. When she finally had a design, she made a Facebook page to get her idea out there. Then, Smith took the idea to the Legislative Oversight Committee (LOC), and they passed it on May 12.

The plate has a dark blue heart that looks like a ribbon. Smith said that dark blue is the color of the anti-bullying ribbon. The plate also has a light blue strip at the top and bottom. She wanted the plate to be “simple and classy.”

Smith has 12 months to sell 1,000 preorders for the plate before it will be available to anyone.

“As soon as the thousandth preorder is made, they will start printing,” Smith said. “It will take two to three weeks to be available to the public who didn’t preorder.”

The plates will be available for preorder on June 1 on Alabama Department of Revenue’s website. Plates can be preordered for $52, and each person will receive a certificate. Once the 1,000 preorders have been placed, the certificate can be redeemed at any time.

The proceeds from the plates will go to Eagles Wings, a non-profit agency that provides day habilitation for adults with disabilities.

“It’s a really cool organization,” she said. “They teach them life skills.”

Smith said that the plates go hand in hand with this organization. Jerry Pike, the founder of Eagles Wings, has a son that was bullied his entire life as he grew up.

“People like this get bullied all the time because they don’t fit in the box that everybody else fits in,” Smith said. “Even if it’s not to their face, they get made fun of their whole life.”

Smith plans to be an advocate for this cause for the rest of her life. She will major in elementary education at Troy University beginning in the fall.

“This will carry on my whole life,” she said. “I will always teach this in my classroom.”

To support Smith’s cause, visit her Facebook page by searching “Anti-Bullying License Plate for Alabama Baylee Smith. To preorder an anti-bully license plate, visit www.revenue.alabama.gov.