A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
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Current series | |
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Slogan | America's Dairyland |
Size | 12 in × 6 in 30 cm × 15 cm |
Material | Aluminum |
Serial format | ABC-1234 |
Introduced | June 2000 |
Availability | |
Issued by | Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles |
History | |
First issued | July 1, 1905 |
The U.S. state of Wisconsin first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. Plates are currently issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.
Passenger baseplates
1905 to 1941
Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
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1905–11 | Riveted aluminum serial on black plate | none | 12345-W | 1-W to 21983-W[1] | |
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1911 | Riveted aluminum serial on dark green plate; vertical "1911" at left | none | 1234W | 1W to approximately 1300W | First dated plate. Issued only to new registrants from August 1 through December 31, 1911.[2] |
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1912 | Riveted aluminum serial on red plate; vertical "1912" at left | none | 12345W | 1W to approximately 24600W | |
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1913 | Riveted aluminum serial on dark blue plate; vertical "1913" at left | none | 12345W | 1W to approximately 34100W | |
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1914 | Embossed black serial on white plate; vertical "1914" at left | none | 12345W | 1W to approximately 53500W | First embossed plate. |
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1915 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "W 15" at right | none | 12345 | 1 to approximately 79500 | |
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1916 | Embossed red serial on white plate; vertical "WIS." and "16" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 115000 | |
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1917 | Embossed white serial on olive green plate; vertical "WIS." and "17" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 165000 | |
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1918 | Embossed black serial on beige plate with border line; "18 W" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 185000 | |
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1919 | Embossed yellow serial on green plate with border line; "W 19" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 224000 | |
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1920 | Embossed white serial on maroon plate; "W 20" at right | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 275000 | |
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1921 | Embossed black serial on gray plate; vertical "WIS" and "21" at right | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 320-000 | |
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1922 | Embossed white serial on olive green plate; vertical "WIS" and "22" at right | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 360-000 | |
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1923 | Embossed red serial on white plate; vertical "WIS" and "23" at right | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 419-000 | |
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1924 | Embossed white serial on black plate; vertical "WIS" and "24" at right | none | A123-456 | Coded by weight class (A) | |
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1925 | Embossed golden yellow serial on blue plate; vertical "WIS" at left and "25" at bottom right | none | 123-456A | Coded by weight class (A) | |
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1926 | Embossed black serial on beige plate; "26" at bottom left and vertical "WIS" at right | none | A123-456 | Coded by weight class (A) | |
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1927 | Embossed white serial on black plate; vertical "WIS" at left and "27" at bottom right | none | 123-456A | Coded by weight class (A) | |
1928 | Embossed black serial on orange plate; "28" at bottom left and vertical "WIS" at right | none | A123-456 | Coded by weight class (A) | ||
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1929 | Embossed white serial on green plate; vertical "WIS" at left and "29" at bottom right | none | 123-456A | Coded by weight class (A) | |
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1930 | Embossed black serial on gray plate; "30" at bottom left and vertical "WIS" at right | none | A123-456 | Coded by weight class (A) | |
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1931 | Embossed golden yellow serial on blue plate; vertical "WIS" at left and "31" at bottom right | none | 123-456A | Coded by weight class (A) | |
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1932 | Embossed blue serial on yellow plate with border line; "WISCONSIN 32" at bottom | none | 123456 | 1 to approximately 582000 | First use of the full state name. Plates under 1000 used small plates through 1933. |
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1933 | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "WISCONSIN 33" at top | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 566-000 | |
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1934 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "WISCONSIN 34" at bottom | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 578-000 | Plates under 10000 used small plates through 1939 |
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1935 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "WISCONSIN 35" at top | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 610-000 | |
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1936 | Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "36 WISCONSIN" at bottom | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 667-000 | |
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1937 | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "37 WISCONSIN" at top | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 714-000 | |
1938 | Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "WISCONSIN 1938" at bottom | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 706-000 | ||
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1939 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "WISCONSIN 1939" at top | none | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 723-000 | |
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1940 | Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "WISCONSIN 1940" at top | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" at bottom | 123-456 | 1 to 430-350[2] |
First use of the "America's Dairyland" slogan. |
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As above, but with taller serial dies and vertical "WIS-40" used as separator | 430-351 to approximately 747-000 | ||||
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1941 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "19 WISCONSIN 41" at bottom | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" at top | 123-456 | 1 to approximately 791-000 |
1942 to 1952
Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
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1942, 1943-45 |
Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate; "19 WISCONSIN 42" at bottom | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" at top | 123 456 | 1 to 772 000 | Corners were rounded and plates were revalidated for 1943 with white tabs, for 1944 with green tabs, and for 1945 with white tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II. Front plates were removed and replaced with windshield stickers around 1943. Large plates stopped issuing at 720 000 in 1942 and resumed issuing in 1943.[1] |
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Late 1942-late 1943 | Embossed golden yellow serial on black plate with border line; "WIS" at bottom left, embossed oval with debossed date in bottom right corner | none | A12, A1B, AB1, ABC, 12A, 1A2, 1AB, A123, 1A23 | A00 to ZZZ, 00A to 9ZZ, A000 to Z999, 0A00 to 9K99[1] | Plates were small to save metal for the war. Plates used every serial possible in a three digit format then overflowed to a four digit format; serial formats for three digit plates would progress from A00 to A09, then A0A and so on, treating the letters like numbers. I, L, M, O, Q, and W were not used in serials.[1] Early plates were dated 1942 with the oval the same color as the serial, rest of plates were dated 43 and the oval was white. Plates were validated to 1945 with horizontal tabs in the same color as large plates. |
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1946–49 | Embossed white serial on black plate; "EXP WISCONSIN" at top, "46" or "47" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" at bottom | 1 12345 1/0 12345 |
Coded by month of expiration (1 or 1/0) | Plates were set to expire between June 1946 and May 1947; later plates didn't have a "46" or "47" date designation. Plates were revalidated for 1947 with orange tabs, for 1948 with yellow tabs, for 1949 with green tabs, for 1950 with light blue tabs, for 1951 with white tabs, and for 1952 with golden yellow tabs. |
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1950–52 | As above, but with square corners and thinner serial dies | 1 12345 1 123-456 1/0 12345 1/0 123-456 |
Validated for 1950, 1951 and 1952 in the same manner as for 1946–49 plates. Serials for each month continued from where these plates left off. |
1953 to 1967
In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.[3] The 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Wisconsin license plate that complied with these standards.
Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
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1953–54 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "53" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 | Letter corresponds to month of expiration (see right) | Letters A, B, C, D, E, H, J, K, L, P, T and V were used for January through December respectively; this practice continued through 1960. Revalidated for 1954 with red tabs. |
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1955–56 | Embossed green serial on white plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "55" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 AK-1234 |
First letter corresponds to month of expiration | Two-letter serial format introduced in months where serials in the one-letter format had been exhausted. Revalidated for 1956 with yellow tabs. Late plates and remakes measured 6" x 12". |