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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 - *1258W
12 1W - 24570W
13 1W - 34042W
14 Narrow date 1W - 39817W
Wide date *40217W - *53095W
15 1 - 79283
16 1 - 114986
17 1 - 164288
18 1 - *184332
19 1 - 223482
20 1 - 274650
21 1 - 319-519
22 1 - 359-264
23 1 - *418-494
[Wisconsin 1905-11]

Series ended at 21983-W. (at)3

[Wisconsin 1913]

(at)9

[Wisconsin 1922]

(at)

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
E4075
25 1 A
23-105A		 1 B
254-938B		 1 C
118-029C		 1 D
*112-042D		 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 Old die A 1
*A17-297?		 B 1
B214-221		 C 1
C224-096		 D 1
*D155-478?		 E 1
E16-312
28 New die C236-498
29 Old die 1 A
1888 A		 1 B
7862 B		 1 C
*7126 C		 1 D
7562 D		 1 E
9284 E
New die 13-333A 17-107B
181-519B		 *13-505C
293-013C		 13-455 D
172-601D		 16-319E
20-236E
30 A 1
A7528		 B 1
B122-648		 C 1
C331-248		 D 1
D173-173		 E 1
E24-087
31 1 A
1865A		 1 B
70-685B		 1 C
337-384C		 1 D
*167-640D		 1 E
21-773E
[Wisconsin 1924]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1924]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1925]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1926]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1926]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1927]

(PM)

[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]

Old suffix die (PM)

[Wisconsin 1930]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1930 duplicate]

Duplicate (at)3

[Wisconsin 1931]

(PM)

[Wisconsin 1931]

(PM)

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 - *578-194
35 Horizontal dash 1 - *601-433
Vertical dash 610-158
36 Horizontal dash 1 - 99-999?
Vertical dash 100-000? - 667-109
37 Short nub 1 - 708-770
Long nub 711-851 - 714-171
38 1 - 705-296
39 Short dash 1 - *703-574
Long dash 706-359 - *722-459
40 Short dies 1 - 430-350
Tall dies 430-351 - 744-984
41 1 - 791-130
[Wisconsin 1932]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1936]

Special number issued to Philip La Follette.

[Wisconsin 1937]

Short nub in "3" (at)

[Wisconsin 1938]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1939]

Long dash (at)

[Wisconsin 1939 duplicate]

Duplicate (at)9

[Wisconsin 1940]

Tall dies (at)

[Wisconsin 1941]

(SO)

[Wisconsin 1941]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1941]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1941 duplicate]

Duplicate (at)3

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