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License Plate Gallery

The Wisconsin Pages:

Passenger, 1942-1967

Multi-year plates validated by metal tabs were introduced in 1942. Due to WWII metal rationing concerns, the production of full-size plates was suspended from late 1942 to late 1943. In the meantime, small motorcycle-size plates with three or four letters and numbers in various configurations were issued to passenger vehicles.

The highest numeric serial confirmed on the 1942 base is 771 626.

[Wisconsin 1945]

(SO)

After 1945, Wisconsin became the first state to stagger registrations between all twelve months of the year. Motorists received a new plate expiring anywhere from June 1946 to May 1947. "46"-dated plates were distributed only for codes from "6" to "12," while "47"-dated plates only encompassed codes "1" through "5." Subsequent new registrations received undated baseplates.

[Wisconsin 1948]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1952]

(JS)

Numerous base, die, and stamping variations may be found on these plates. A fair number of motorists ordered replacement plates during this six-year timespan, so later plates with lower numbers and mismatched pairs abound:

[Wisconsin 1946]

Original 1946 plate (at)9

[Wisconsin 1952]

Ca. 1951 remake of same number (at)9

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

46/47 passenger Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
46 dated, small prefix 6-1
6-30000
7-1
7-10000
8-1
8-60000
9-1
9-2612
46 dated, large prefix 6-30001
*6-62324
7-10001
7-27972
8-60001
8-84059
9-5368
9-95754
10-1
10-90796
11-1
11-57175
12-1
12-81070
46 dated, diagonal prefix 11-61653
11-77126
47 dated 1-1
1-80935
2-1
2-92628
3-1
*3-83228
4-1
4-91307
5-1
5-92462
Undated, narrow bolthole position 1-88764
1-96948
2-95007
2-99662
*4-97647 6-75043
6-84226
*7-30625
7-37313
10-92864
10-98673
11-79131
11-87852
12-92726
12-99376
Undated, wide bolthole position 1-97105 3-81153
3-92467
6-87244 7-41134
7-49172
8-90090
8-96515
11-94745?
11-96875
Undated, squared corners 1- 98938
1-120-000
2-106-319
2-120-822
3-100-234
3-128-330
4-102-882
4-130-196
5- 97002
5-130-148
*6-89976
6-123-090
7- 59301
7- 85281
8-100-379
8-129-662
9-104-107
9-128-558
10-101-973
10-121-955
11- 97890
11-107-779
12-101-081
12-126-176

In 1952, the license plate format was changed to implement a stamped month abbreviation and alpha serial prefix. Alpha prefixes were keyed to the month of expiration, and through 1960 a two-letter format was employed if a given month series overran its initial allocation. A series of two-year bases (or three-year, in the case of the 1965 issue) followed. Adhesive stickers replaced metal tabs in 1961 (coinciding with 1962 expirations), although tab slots were retained on the baseplates themselves through 1963.

[Wisconsin 1956]

Late 6" x 12" issue (at)1

[Wisconsin 1958]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1957]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1958]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1960]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1960]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1960]

(at)4

[Wisconsin 1960]

Late variation in 1961 stamping style. (at)

[Wisconsin 1962]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1962]

(T)

[Wisconsin 1961]

All '61 "W" plates use an inverted "M."

[Wisconsin 1964]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1964]

(at)

[Wisconsin 1964]

No tab slots. (at)

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
53  A 1
A99-899
B 1
B96-337
C 1
C99-880
D 1
D99-902
E 1
E99-119
H 1
H97-850
J 1
J82-449
K 1
K92-211
L 1
L97-398
P 1
P86-533
T 1
T85-766
V 1
V98-526
55  6.25" x 13.5" A 1
A95-719
B 1
B99-157
C 1
C99-999
CK-1001
CK-8718
D 1
D99-999
DK-1001
DK-7766
E 1
E99-999
EK-1001
EK-9082
H 1
H99-999
HK-1001
HK-1768
J 1
J93-066
K 1
K99-999
KK-1001
KK-8366
L 1
L99-999
LK-1001
LK-5970
P 1
P99-999
PK-1001
PK-1974
T 1
T93-836
V 1
V99-999
VK-1001
VK-3210
6" x 12" J94-447 KK-9148 LK-8012
LK-9711
PK-4134
PK-4551
57  A 1
A99-999
AK-1001
AK-8847
B 1
B99-999
BK-1001
*BK-8497
C 1
C99-999
CK-1001
CL-8782
D 1
D99-999
DK-1001
DL-8760
E 1
E99-999
EK-1001
EL-8113
H 1
H99-999
HK-1001
HL-5426
J 1
J99-999
JK-1001
JK-3039
K 1
K99-999
KK-1001
KL-9445
L 1
L99-999
LK-1001
LL-1910
P 1
P99-999
PK-1001
PL-1245
T 1
T99-999
TK-1001
TK-5300
V 1
V99-999
VK-1001
VL-3895
59  WIS right of bolt A 1
A99-999
AK-1001
AL-3607
B 1
B99-999
BK-1001
BK-9914
C 1
C99-999
CK-1001
CL-8765
D 1
D99-999
DK-1001
DN-2572
E 1
E99-999
EK-1001
EN-9076
H 1
H99-999
HK-1001
HN-5861
J 1
J99-999
JK-1001
*JK-6809
K 1
K99-999
KK-1001
KN-4060
L 1
L99-999
LK-1001
LL-9663
P 1
P99-999
PK-1001
PK-7270
T 1
T99-999
TK-1001
*TK-6210
V 1
V99-999
VK-1001
VL-6971
WIS left of bolt LN-1807 PL-5718 VL-7611
VL-8027
61  A 1
A99-999
B10-001
B20-995
C 1
C99-999
D10-001
D25-344
E 1
E99-999
F10-001
*F39-367
G 1
G99-999
H10-001
H39-731
J 1
J99-999
K10-001
K42-779
L 1
L99-999
M10-001
M35-362
N 1
N99-999
P10-001
P17-497
Q 1
Q99-999
R10-001
R42-294
S 1
S99-999
T10-001
T33-321
U 1
U99-999
V10-001
V21-534
W 1
W99-999
X10-001
X21-009
Y 1
Y99-999
Z10-001
Z30-064
63  Tab slots A 1
A99-999
B10-001
B34-386
C 1
C99-999
D10-001
D29-502
E 1
E99-999
F10-001
F44-370
G 1
G99-999
H10-001
*H51-183
J 1
J99-999
K10-001
K48-880
L 1
L99-999
M10-001
M50-727
N 1
N99-999
P10-001
P25-557
Q 1
Q99-999
R10-001
R41-893
S 1
S99-999
T10-001
T40-782
U 1
U99-999
V10-001
V40-030
W 1
W99-999
X10-001
*X25-755
Y 1
Y99-999
Z10-001
Z30-517
No tab slots P36-681
P38-636
X27-062
65  Tab slots A 1
A1n-nnn
No tab slots A21-305
Tab slots A34-057
No tab slots *A49-714
A99-999
B 1
B46-991
C 1
C99-999
D 1
D48-353
E 1
E99-999
F 1
F71-094
G 1
G99-999
H 1
H77-452
J 1
J99-999
K 1
K85-369
L 1
L99-999
M 1
M81-302
N 1
N99-999
P 1
P61-727
Q 1
Q99-999
R 1
R75-558
S 1
S99-999
T 1
T66-121
U 1
U99-999
V 1
V62-876
W 1
W99-999
X 1
X44-056
Y 1
Y99-999
Z 1
Z47-680
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