TALLAHASSEE — A full Florida appeals court Friday reversed course and upheld the constitutionality of a state requirement that convicted sexual predators have the words “SEXUAL PREDATOR” on their driver’s licenses.

The 5th District Court of Appeal, in a Sumter County case, rejected arguments that requiring the designation on licenses violated First Amendment rights. That came after a panel of the court, in a 2-1 decision in January, ruled the requirement was unconstitutional.

The license designation was challenged by Michael Crist, who was released from prison in 2008 after serving a sentence for a conviction on charges of attempted sexual battery on a child under age 12 and lewd and lascivious molestation, according to court documents. Crist was on probation after being released and had

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