WISCONSIN
1905-11 UNDATED BASE 1-W - 21957-W
Numbers began at 1 all years 1905-42. #10000-W issued 3/8/1910.
#21983-W highest issued as of 7/31/1911. 1911 plates issued for
new registrations only, starting 8/1/1911. Truck began 1918.
Numbers in bold are highest listed in state archives.
Highest issued: 1920 #277662, 1941 #793-903.
1911 1258W 1932 587 460
1912 24570W 1933 566-056
1913 34646W 1934 579-829
1914 53161W 1935 613-165
1915 79734 1936 668-810
1916 115647 1937 714-953
1917 164533 1938 705-534
1918 189983 1939 722-612
1919 226093 1940 748-625
1920 277650 1941 793-205
1921 320-759 1942 771 626
1922 361-175
1923 422-717
1924-31
All series start at #1.
State highway map issued with plates 1924-26.
Capital Times (Madison), 11/25/1924:
"Ford Touring Cars To Go In Class B This Year, Secretary Of State Rules"
"All Ford touring cars will be licensed in class 'B' in 1925...In the
instructions contained in the new rate book just compiled, it is announced
that all Ford roadsters will be licensed in class 'A' for $10, all Ford
touring cars and Ford coupes in class 'B' for $11, and all Ford sedans in
class "B" for $12. Last year a distinction was made between Ford touring
cars equipped with self-starter and de-mountable rims and those that were
not so equipped, the former being licensed in class 'B' and the other in
class 'A'. This resulted in much confusion and a great many errors."
(This reclassification affected over 120,000 cars, 25% of the 1924 total.)
WEIGHT CODES (Prefix in even years, suffix in odd years)
A 1 - 1,600 lbs.
B 1,601 - 2,000 lbs.
C 2,001 - 2,800 lbs.
D 2,801 - 4,000 lbs.
E 4,001 + lbs.
A B C D E TOTAL
1924 157-382 136-251 93-341 80-672 2611 (470,257)
156-655 137-090* 93-573* 81-779* 4075* (473,172)
1925 34-212 257-283 118-577 112-995 7144 (530,211)
1926 27-794 259-779 154-770 131-292 9602 (583,237)
1927 23-797 241-993 190-065 142-581 13-037 (611,473)
1928 19-896 215-052 238-099 157-303 17-269 (647,619)
1929 15-609 181-982 295-950 174-292 21-524 (689,357)
1930 10-142 139-406 331-834 174-268 24-110 (679,760)
1931 4230 97-752 344-005 169-624 25-148 (640,759)
1942-45 BASE No I,L,M,O,Q,W used.
1942 Type 1 1 - 720 000 (720,000 P)
Nov.42 Type 2 A00 - BBK (1,250 S)
1942 Type 3 DYS - 9ZZ (24,437 S)
(TYPES 2-3 28,000 S)
Feb.43 Type 4 A001 - Z999 (19,980 S)
1943 Type 4a 0A01 - 9K99 (9,990 S)
(TYPES 4-4a 29,970 S)
1943 Type 1a 720 001 - 771 626 (51,626 S)
(TOTAL 720,000 P,
109,596 S)
Description of Types:
Type 1 - Large plate
Type 2 - Small plate, "WIS 1942" at bottom, 2 top central holes
Type 3 - As Type 2, but no top central holes
Type 4 - Medium-size plate, "WIS 43" at bottom
Types 2-3 sequence:
A00 - A09, A0A - A0Z, A10 - A1Z, A20 - A9Z, AA0 - AA9, AAA - AAZ,
AB0 - ABZ, AC0 - AZZ, B00 - ZZZ, 00A - 00Z, 01A - 09Z, 0A0 - 0A9,
0AA - 0AZ, 0B0 - 0ZZ, 10A - 19Z, 1A0 - 1ZZ, 20A - 9ZZ.
1942-43: All-numeric small plates are Motorcycle.
1943: Tab issued for rear; windshield sticker issued for front.
735,000 stickers ordered, although #747891 seen.
1942 front plate to be removed.
1943-60: Tabs have no serial number.
1944: Green 3" x 3" windshield sticker reportedly issued.
1946-52 WHITE/BLACK BASE
The first 30,000 renewals assigned to JUN, next 10,000 to JUL, then
60,000 each to AUG through APR, with all remaining to MAY (probably
also 60,000). State estimated 640,000 renewals.
FORMATS Number prefix = Month of expiration, i.e. 1 = January.
Jan.46 "6 46" 1- 1 - 9-99999,
1/0- 1 - 1/2-99999
10/15/49 "10 50" 1-100-000 - 9-199-999,
1/0-100-000 - 1/2-199-999 added
1953-60 FORMATS A 1 - A 9999, No M in 2nd position.
A10-000 - A99-999
Apr.55 "MAR 56" AK-1001 - AN-9999 added (Authorized 4/19/55)
1961-87 FORMATS A 1 - A 9999, No I,O used.
A10-000 - Z99-999 B,D,F,H,K,M,P,R,T,V,X,Z
start at 10-001.
Jun.69 "MAY 70" AA 1001 - ZZ 9999 added
Reserved numbers 1 - 10-000 added for $3 extra fee, authorized
10/1/1966, also added in series B,D,F,H,K,M,P,R,T,V,X,Z.
1971: XX 1 - XX 100 issued.
1973: AA 1 - AA 100, UW 1 - UW 300 issued.
1976-79: BB 889, CC 43, CC 320, DD 320, EE 889, GG 320, UW 787 seen.
1980-87: DK 1111 (Type 3), JW 393 seen.
1961-80: DA = Disabled.
1973-87: LZ = Loaner, ZZ = Automobile For Hire.
1980-87: ZY = Human Services Vehicle.
Replaced gradually 1987-July 1993.
1987-2001 FARM SCENE BASE No I,O,Q used.
6-10-86 "MAY 87" Type 1 AAA-101 - AZZ-999 (475,571 P)
3-16-87 "FEB 88" Type 2 BAA-101 - NMD-999 (5,462,324 P)
12-6-94 "SEP 95" Type 3 NME-101 - WKB-944 (3,285,790 P)
2000 "APR 01" Type 4 WKT-544 - WRF-103 (93,056 P)
(TOTAL 9,329,825 P)
Description of Types: Type 1 - Dark Blue figures, wide dies
Type 2 - Red figures, wide dies
Type 3 - Red figures, thin dies
Type 4 - As Type 3, but glossy (Avery)
ZYA-ZYZ = Human Service Vehicle, ZZA-ZZZ = Automobile For Hire.
Type 1 replaced 8/1/1993 to 7/31/1994.
Types 2-4 replaced 7/1/2000 to 6/30/2007 upon 7 years of use.
2001-25 FARM SCENE BASE No I,O,Q used.
6-24-00 "MAY 01" 101-AAA - 999-ZZZ (10,929,143 P)
5- 4-17 "APR 18" AAA-1001 - AZR-7788 (4,686,268 P)
(TOTAL 15,615,411 P)
ZYA-ZYJ, ZZA omitted.
OPTIONAL BASE:
1998-99 SESQUICENTENNIAL BASE No I,O,Q used.
1-15-97 "JAN 98" 10001T - 99999T (89,999 P)
"MAY 98" A1001T - Z9999T (206,977 P)
AA101T - DW999T (80,011 P)
(TOTAL 376,987 P)
Optional issue for $15 one-time extra fee.
Discontinued 12/31/1998, but still currently revalidated.
