WISCONSIN

Before the first state registration law of 1905, automobile licensing was effected by cities, with Oshkosh having the earliest known ordinance in June 1903.  Waukesha, Racine and Milwaukee also licensed motor vehicles and required plates.  The city pre-state era came to an end on July 1, 1905, when the first state law took effect, prohibiting any local ordinances regarding automobile registration.

1905 Chapter 305, passed June 5, 1905, and effective July 1, 1905, required automobile owners to register with the Secretary of State, pay a one-time $1 fee, and display an undated white-on-black state-issued rear plate.  The plate had a "W" suffix as the only state identification.  Automobile dealers were charged $5 for 4 identical plates, and $1 for each additional plate needed beyond that.  Dealer plates had a large star prefix.  Non-residents were exempted if their home state had a registration law and they displayed their home state's plate.  Motorcycles were not mentioned in the law and must not have been included, since the next law in 1909 amended this omission by providing specifically for motorcycle registrations and plates.  However, no motorcycle registration by cities is known either in 1905-09, leaving this a mystery.

Registration began on June 24, 1905.  A Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal news article on May 29, 1910, states that "Wisconsin's registration has reached 10,650.  At the close of the year the total registration was 9,895.  The 10,000 mark was reached during the first week in March."  Numbers issued by calendar year, and the totals in ( ), are listed in the following table:

             PASSENGER                          DEALER

   1905      1-W -  1492-W  (1,492)          *1-W -  *28-W   (28)

   1906   1493-W -  2666-W  (1,174)         *29-W -  *44-W   (16)

   1907   2667-W -  4147-W  (1,481)         *45-W -  *69-W   (25)

   1908   4148-W -  6192-W  (2,045)         *70-W - *103-W   (34)

   1909   6193-W -  9832-W  (3,640)        *104-W - *209-W  (106)

   1910   9833-W - 15831-W  (5,999)        *210-W - *371-W  (162)

   1911  15832-W - 21983-W  (6,152)        *372-W - *546-W  (175)

The 1911 figures are as of July 31, 1911, the last date of issue.  The highest known 1905-11 plates are as follows:  Passenger #21957-W, Dealer *514-W.

The next law, 1909 Chapter 500, passed on June 16, 1909, and effective immediately upon publication on June 19, 1909, amended the original 1905 law in several important ways.  All previous registrations were now to expire 90 days from the effective date (September 17, 1909) and automobile owners were required to renew them for a $1 fee, after which they could continue using the same 1905-09 plates.  New registrations paid a one-time fee of $2, and were issued plates in the same style as before.  Motorcycles were now required to be registered;  they paid a fee of $1 and were issued a smaller single undated silver-on-red state-issued plate also with a "W" suffix.  Motorcycle numbers issued by calendar year, and the totals in (), are listed in the following table:

   1909      1W -  498W     (498)

   1910    499W - 1310W     (812)

   1911   1311W - 2402W   (1,092)

The 1911 figures are as of July 31, 1911, the last date of issue. The highest known 1909-11 motorcycle plate is #2047W.

Motorcycle dealers were also required to register, at the same rates and quantities of single plates as automobile dealers.  A period photo exists of another type of 1909-11 motorcycle plate on a motorcycle, #1W with an outlined diamond prefix, believed to be the first motorcycle dealer plate.

1911 Chapter 600, passed on July 7, 1911, and effective July 11, 1911, amended the earlier laws further by making registration annual, raising the fees to $5 for automobiles and $2 for motorcycles annually, and requiring pairs of annual state-issued plates (or single plates for motorcycles).  Dealer and motorcycle dealers were unchanged from the 1909 law.  Registration under the new law began on August 1, 1911.  The registration year was January 1 to December 31.  All previously issued registrations were now to expire on December 31, 1911.  1911 plates were issued only to new registrations for just 5 months, which explains their rarity today.  For most residents, the 1912 plate was the first annual issue.

The following table lists the total registrations for 1911 and 1912, as well as the highest known plates, in each category:

                     1911 REGS.  1911 KNOWN       1912 REGS.  1912 KNOWN

   Passenger           1,287       #1258W           24,578     #24570W

   Motorcycle            277       (none)            4,060      #3435W

   Dealer                 47       (none)                +     #*1041W

   Motorcycle Dealer       ?       (none)                ?      #*381W

+It was reported that 959 Dealers were registered as of June 27, 1912.