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License Plate Gallery

The Wisconsin Pages:

Passenger, 1905-1941

The first statewide motor vehicle registrations in Wisconsin commenced in July 1905. The first license plate issue was an undated affair intended to be valid for the lifetime of a vehicle; however, legal changes soon resulted in a switch to annual dated plates. The "1911"-dated plate was issued only to new registrants from August to December 1911. All plates through 1913 are composed of individual characters riveted to zinc or steel bases. All plates through 1915 (as well as 1918-20 passenger issues) identify the state only by the letter "W."

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

05-11 1-W - 21983-W
11 1W - 1257W
12 1W - 24570W*
13 1W - 34007W*
14 Narrow date 1W - 39817W
Wide date 41601W - 52202W
15 1 - 79283
16 1 - 114986
17 1 - 164288
18 1 - 184295
19 1 - 223482
20 1 - 274650
21 1 - 317-568
22 1 - 359-264
23 1 - 413-935*
[Wisconsin 1905-11]

1905-11 (e)

[Wisconsin 1905-11]

Series ended at 21983-W. (at)3

[Wisconsin 1911]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1912]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1913]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1914]

Narrow date (e)

[Wisconsin 1914]

Serial shifted right at some point between 4068 W and 6190W. (e)

[Wisconsin 1914]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1914]

Wide date (e)

[Wisconsin 1915]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1915]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1915]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1916]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1916]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1917]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1917]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1917]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1918]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1918]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1918]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1919]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1919]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1919]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1919]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1920]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1920]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1920]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1920]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1920]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1920]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1921]

Repainted (e)

[Wisconsin 1921]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1921]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1921]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1921]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1922]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1922]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1922]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1923]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1923]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1923]

(e)

Weight class code letters were used on passenger plates from 1924 to 1931.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

A B C D E
24 A 1
A156-362		 B 1
B135-399		 C 1
C91-046		 D 1
D79-629		 E 1
E2809
25 1 A
23-105A		 1 B
254-938B		 1 C
118-029C		 1 D
110-463D		 1 E
5427E
26 A 1
A18-642		 B 1
B257-408		 C 1
C154-025*		 D 1
D123-534		 E 1
E7134
27 1 A
19-607A		 1 B
234-720B		 1 C
185-388C		 1 D
140-640D		 1 E
11-914E
28 A 1
A14-924		 B 1
B214-221*		 C 1
C228-881		 D 1
D155-478		 E 1
E16-312
29 Old die 1 A
1888 A*		 1 B
7862 B*		 1 C
3160 C*		 1 D
7562 D*		 1 E
5452 E*
New die 13-333A 17-107B*
181-519B		 18-585C*
293-013C		 13-455 D*
171-396D		 16-319E*
20-236E*
30 A 1
A7528		 B 1
B122-648		 C 1
C331-248		 D 1
D173-127		 E 1
E24-087
31 1 A
1865A		 1 B
70-685B		 1 C
333-464C		 1 D
166-774D		 1 E
21-773E
[Wisconsin 1924]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1924]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1924]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1924]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1924]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1925]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1925]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1925]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1926]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1926]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1926]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1926]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1926 duplicate]

Duplicate (You think?) (e)

[Wisconsin 1927]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1927]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1927]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1927]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1927 duplicate]

Duplicate (at)7

[Wisconsin 1928]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1928]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1928]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1928]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1929]

Old suffix die (PM)

[Wisconsin 1929]

New suffix die (e)

[Wisconsin 1929]

Old suffix die (e)

[Wisconsin 1929]

New suffix die (e)

[Wisconsin 1929]

Old suffix die (e)

[Wisconsin 1929]

New suffix die (e)

[Wisconsin 1929]

Old suffix die (PM)

[Wisconsin 1929]

New suffix die (e)

[Wisconsin 1929]

Old suffix die (e)

[Wisconsin 1929]

New suffix die (e)

[Wisconsin 1930]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1930]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1930]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1930]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1930 duplicate]

Duplicate (at)3

[Wisconsin 1931]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1931]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1931]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1931]

(e)

A taller configuration was adopted in 1932, coinciding with the disappearance of weight codes and also marking the first appearance of the full state name on license plates. Short-format plates for 1932 and 1933 are very hard to come by, since in those years they were used for numbers below 1000 only.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

32 1 - 581 807
33 1 - 565-789
34 1 - 569-321
35 1 - 600-206
36 1 - 667-109
37 1 - 714-171
38 1 - 705-296
39 Short dash 1 - 701-338*
Long dash 706-359 - 706-599
40 Short dies 1 - 429-999
Tall dies 430-000 - 744-984
41 1 - 791-130
42 1 - 771 626
[Wisconsin 1932]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1932]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1932]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1932]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1932 Duplicate]

Duplicate (e)

[Wisconsin 1933]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1933]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1933]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1933]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1934]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1934]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1934]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1935]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1935]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1935]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1936]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1936]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1936]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1937]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1937]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1937]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1938]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1938]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1938]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1939]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1939]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1939]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1939]

Long dash (e)

[Wisconsin 1940]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1940]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1940]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1940]

(e)

[Wisconsin 1940]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1941]

(SO)

[Wisconsin 1941]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1941]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1941 duplicate]

Duplicate (at)3

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Last update December 15, 2011.