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License Plate Gallery

The Wisconsin Pages:

Light Truck, 1918-1980

Light trucks have been issued distinctive license plates in Wisconsin since 1918. Through 1930, these issues followed the same colors and formats as passenger plates; though the 1918 and 1919 issues employ an abbreviation of "Wis" rather than "W."

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

18 1 - 2963
19 1 - 10342
20 1 - 15084
21 1 - *15-815
22 1 - 23-897
23 1 - 23-660

As with passenger plates, light truck plates adopted the use of weight class code letters in 1924. Since the law stipulating this went into effect in July 1923, some late 1923-dated plates with code letters were made as well. While passenger plates dropped the letters after 1931, truck plates have retained them through the present day.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

A B C D
23 C 1
C152
24 A 1
A16-156
B 1
B12-813
C 1
D 1
D 3755
25 1 A
*19-800A
1 B
*18-304B
1 C
*2-431 C
1 D
26† A 1
A 35-298
B 1
B 26-132
C 1
C 8-991
D 1
D 6-562
27 1 A
36-044A
1 B
8-751 B
1 C
10-836C
1 D
*2 D
28 A 1
A 34-603
B 1
B 14-705
C 1
C 20-485
D 1
*D 2-890
29† 1 A
39-469A
1 B
20-604B
1 C
21-231C
1 D
18-146D
30† A 1
A 37-572
B 1
B 19-408
C 1
C 18-100
D 1
D 19-213
† Archive data
[Wisconsin 1925 truck]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1926 truck]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1927 truck]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1928 truck]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1930 truck]

(PM)

In 1930, truck plates shifted to a July-to-June replacement cycle. June would be retained as the expiration for light truck plates until 1952, when expirations reverted to December. From this point through the mid 1990s, truck plates would employ color schemes and (often) replacement cycles substantially different from those for passenger cars.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

A B C D
30-31 A 1
A46351
B 1
B20896
C 1
C19213
D 1
*D22449
31-32 A 1
A53558
B 1
B20698
C 1
*C17035
D 1
*D18798
32-33 1 A
47-973A
1 B
17-716B
1 C
13-282C
1 D
*11-592D
33-34 1 A
48-978A
1 B
20-033B
1 C
1-831 C
1 D
9-232 D
34-35 1 A
4-153 A
1 B
12-334B
1 C
8-124 C
1 D
17-011D
35-36 1 A
8-792 A
1 B
*5-112 B
1 C
*3-900 C
1 D
36-37 1 A
7174 A
1 B
15-441B
1 C
14-607C
1 D
17-954D
37-38 1 A
*104 A
1 B
6748 B
1 C
*3734 C
1 D
*16-990D
38-39 1 A
3814 A
1 B
*24-711B
1 C
663 C
1 D
17-517D
39-40 1 A
4927 A
1 B
21-448B
1 C
618 C
1 D
40-41 A25-001
B25-001
B42-577
C25-001
C31-016
D25-001
D37-395
41-42 25-001A
26-315A
25-001B
46-814B
25-001C
33-910C
25-001D
42-43 25001A
27991A
25001B
*49527B
25001C
29375C
25001D
27039D
44-45 A25 001
A28 434
B25 001
*B33 807
C25 001
D25 001
45-46† A25 001
*A31 568
B25 001
*B52 980
C25 001
*C35 760
D25 001
*D37 530
48 25001 A
34461 A
25001 B
*76627B
25001 C
*47996 C
25001 D
45047 D
51 A 25001
A 31789
B 25001
*B 72039
C 25001
C 27258
D 25001
D 26556
52 A25-850
A29-692
B25-001?
B72-332
C25-001?
C45-665
D 25001
D 27182
D34-277
D38-159
54 A25-001
B25-001
*B66-679
C25-001
C29-961
D25-001
55 A25-001
A25-607
B25-001
*B77-370
C25-001
C49-857
D25-001
57 A25-001
B25-001
B64-896
C25-001
C41-570
D25-001
*D32-220
58 A25-001
A26-276
B25-001
*B64-028
C25-001
C38-476
D25-001
D33-578
59 A25-001
*A26-137
B25-001
B63-454
C25-001
C35-885
D25-001
D30-730
60 A25-001
B25-001
B64-571
C25-001
C45-061
D25-001
61 A25-001
B25-001
*B52-458
C25-001
C46-814
D25-001
D35-925
62 A25-001
*A27-663
B25-001
B65-416
C25-001
C34-009
D25-001
D32-946
63 A25-001
A26-996
B25-001
B81-439
C25-001
C53-779
D25-001
D36-070
65 A25-001
A27-737
B25-001
B78-828
C25-001
C44-827
D25-001
D35-467
67 A 1
*A 338
B 1
B63-855
C 1
*C50-761
D 1
D20-877
† Archive data
[Wisconsin 1930-31 truck]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1952 truck]

(at)1

[Wisconsin 1952 truck]

(at)1

[Wisconsin 1955 truck]

(at)1

[Wisconsin 1956 truck]

(at)1

[Wisconsin 1957 truck]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1958 truck]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1967 truck]

(at)3

Several die and stamping variations exist on 1970-73 truck plates. This series was also the first to see the advent of two-alpha prefixes; initially as an overflow series.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

70-73 truck A B C D
Single alpha series (70 at left)
Normal dies, full-length groove A 1
A 3137
B 1
B79-240
C 1
C24-646
D 1
*D20-273
Normal dies, partial-length groove B81-719
B98-714
C36-16n
C38-246
D24-249
Normal dies, full-length groove C44-468
C55-121
Normal dies, partial-length groove C62-107
Normal dies, full-length groove *C70-873
Normal dies, partial-length groove C79-676
Crude dies, full-length groove C90-842 D32-027
D35-443
Normal dies, full-length groove C97-288
C98-403
D36-560
Stacked alpha series (70 at right)
Normal dies BB10-001?
BB24-224
Crude dies BB28-409 CC10-968
CC11-973
[Wisconsin 1973 truck]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1972 truck]

Partial-length groove (at)4

[Wisconsin 1973 truck]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1973 truck]

Partial-length groove (at)4

[Wisconsin 1973 truck]

Crude dies (at)

[Wisconsin 1970 truck]

(at)4

The 1974-80 series of truck plates is nothing if not complicated. In addition to the usual stable of die and format variations evidenced before, this series saw a number of changes pertaining to the schemes of registration itself. The constant expiration month shifted yet again; this time to January, in 1976. In 1978, meanwhile, weight codes shifted to better reflect the allotments of vehicles in use: "D" codes ceased being issued to light trucks, and "A" codes became much more common from this point on. A "79"-dated baseplate came into use for new registrants at this point. Older plates, however, were not immediately replaced...and since the older plates no longer necessarily corresponded to the weight classes stated on them, various chaos ensued. For 1979 expirations, Wisconsin sufficed by issuing two different colors of stickers to indicate this fact...though it's anyone's guess how closely this was adhered to. For 1980, the state issued stickers emblazoned with "4500," "6000," or "8000" notations. (Some 1979 expirations for new registrants received this style of sticker as well.)

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

74-80 truck A B C D
Single alpha series
74 at left, crude dies, full-length groove A10-001
A13-869
74 at left, crude dies, partial-length groove B10-561
*B89-776
C14-260
C99-682
*D32-728
D44-658
74 at right, normal dies, full-length groove A16-022 D50-404
Stacked alpha series
74 dated, crude dies CC10-001?
CC22-530
74 dated, normal dies CC27-526
CC28-000
74 dated, crude dies CC33-528
CC34-186
74 dated, normal dies BB11-267
BB89-755
CC41-729
CC99-999
CA10-001
*CA55-556
79 dated AA14-360
AA48-178
*BC12-081
BC53-669
[Wisconsin 1980 truck]

Crude dies & "6000" (?!) sticker (at)

[Wisconsin 1978 truck]

Note position of "74." (JA)

[Wisconsin 1980 truck]

"79" dated with "4500" sticker (at)1

[Wisconsin 1975 truck]

(at)4

[Wisconsin 1980 truck]

"79" dated with "6000" sticker (at)2

[Wisconsin 1980 truck]

Crude dies & "6000" sticker (at)1

[Wisconsin 1980 truck]

Crude dies & "6000" sticker (at)3

[Wisconsin 1978 truck]

(at)1

[Wisconsin 1979 truck]

CA was issued after CC. (at)1

[Wisconsin 1975 truck]

Crude dies (at)

[Wisconsin 1980 truck]

Note position of "74." (at)3

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