Motorcycles & Mopeds - The Wisconsin Pages - The Andrew Turnbull License Plate Gallery

The Wisconsin Pages:

Motorcycle

Motorcycle registrations in Wisconsin date back to 1909. During some periods, plates were issued in two series: "A" for conventional motorcycles, and "B" for cycles with sidecars. This practice was discontinued in 1958.

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Cycle plates this old are difficult to find in any condition. (e)

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Small-die overflow series. (e)

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Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

(In records; 2047W highest found)
05-11	1W - 2402W
11	1W - 277W
(In records only; none found)
12	1W - 3838W
13	1W - 6186W
14	1W - 6052W
15	1 - 7192
16	1 - 8908*
17	1 - 7961
18	1 - 5851
19	1 - 5750
20	1 - 7157
21	1 - 5825
22	1 - 3442
23	1 - 2126

	A	B
24	A 1 - A2069	B 1 - B133
25	A 1 - A1761	B 1 - B1167
26	1 A - 2064A	1 B - 793B
27	1 A - 1611A	1 B - 694B
28	A 1 - A1419	B 1 - B776
29	A 1 - A1544	B 1 -
30	A 1 - A1959	B 1 - B199
31	A 1 - A1080	B 1 - B466

32	1 - 1860
33	1 - 1538
34	1 - 1272
35	1 - 2062
36	1 - 2830
37	1 - 1166
38	1 - 2991
39	1 - 1290
40	1 - 765
41	1 - 3338
42	1 - 564
43	1 - 5162
46	1 - 854

	A	B
47	1 - 7525	1 - 136
48	1 - 9999	1 - 171
48	10000 - 11006	< Small dies
49	1 - 9999	1 - 24
49	10000 - 10951	< Small dies
50	1 - 9271	1 - 105
51	1 - 7267	1 - 131
52	1 - 6754	1 - 50
53	1 - 6182	1 - 88
54	1 - 5161*	1 - 100
55	1 - 7380	1 - 112
56	1 - 7513*	1 - 96
57	1 - 9330	1 - 99

Overflow formats were required in 1958 and 1959 when registrations exceeded 9999. A larger plate size was used from 1960 to 2003.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

58		1 - 9999
58		1A11 - 1A18
59		1 - 9999
59		1A11 - 4B87
60	Slot left	1 - 10770
60	Slot right	11825
61	Slot left	10001 - 21407
61	Slot right	22350
62	Slot right	10001 - 21150
63	Slot left	10001 - 22650
63	Slot right	24713 - 25225
64	Slot right	10001 - 21109*
64	Slot left	23976 - 28863
65		10001 - 68899
67		1 - 96309
70		1001 - 83985
72		1 - 99999
72		E1001 - E9845*
74		1 - 99999
74		E1001 - J7591

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Slot right (e)

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Since 1976 all motorcycle plates have expired in April, and since 1990 two-year validations (prorated to even years only) have been used.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

77		1 - 99999
77		E1001 - M3948
79	Narrow WIS	1 - 99999
	Narrow WIS	E1001 - L1634
	Wide WIS	N3045 - P2551
	Narrow WIS	P3881 - Q5917*
81	Slot left	1 - 99999
	Slot left	E1001 - Q6151
	No slot	T1118
83	Painted border	1 - 99999
	Painted border	E1001 - Z6084
	No border	B2395* - D9621
(87)	Painted border	1 - 99999
	Painted border	E1001 - P7706
	No border	Q2538 - V8802
89	Debossed "89"	1 - 99999
	Debossed "89"	E1001 - Z7414*
	No "89"	Annnn - B3341

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Series wrapped from Z to A. (e)

The current series debuted in 1992; coinciding with 1994 expirations. New license plates were downsized in 2003 to a 4"x7" format; however, all earlier issues remain in use.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

Oversize, green/white	1 - 99999
	A101 - Z9999
	AA101 - KU999
4"x7", black/white	KV 101 - ZZ 999
	1001 A - high

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Disabled Motorcycle

Motorcycle plates for disabled motorists have been available since the early 1990s. The current series started at D101 in 1992 (exp. 1994), and only a few hundred plates have been issued since.

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Moped

Mopeds have been registered in Wisconsin since 1978, and since 1980 specially-captioned plates have been issued. Moped plates follow the same colors, replacement cycles, and registration intervals as those for motorcycles.

79	Narrow WIS	Z1001 - Z9708
81	Slot left	10 01 - 99 99
81	Slot left	A1 01 - J4 12
83	Painted border	10 01 - 99 99
	Painted border	A1 01 - X8 78
	No border	18 4C - 12 1D
(87)	Painted border	10 01 - 99 99
	Painted border	A1 01 - G6 03
	No border	H2 85 - Z9 99
	No border	10 1A - 80 9B
89		10 01 - 99 99
		A1 01 - Z9 99
		10 1A - 35 6M
94	Oversize, green/white	10 01 - 99 99
		A1 01 - Z9 99
		10 1A - 99 9Z
		A1 1A - E9 9Z
	4"x7", black/white	F1 1A - Q6 0M
		V2 4C - W6 1T
		Z1 6P - Z9 9Z
		A101A - high

Z prefix = moped (e)

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Snowmobile

These plates are a bit of an odd issue; but since they're motorcycle-sized, I'm including them here.

Snowmobile plates fall under the authority of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (as opposed to the Department of Transportation), and aren't issued to snowmobiles per se as much as snowmobile dealers for use when demonstrating a vehicle. ATV and off-road motorcycle dealer registrations evidently fall into the same category, and the motorcycle-sized plate was apparently later succeeded by a smaller, bicycle-sized affair.

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