Vehicle registration plates of Wisconsin
The U.S. state of Wisconsin first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. Plates are currently issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.
Passenger baseplates
1953 to 1967
In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1956 issue was the first Wisconsin license plate that complied with these standards.| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "53" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 | Letter corresponds to month of expiration | Letters A, B, C, D, E, H, J, K, L, P, T and V were used for January through December respectively; this practice continued through 1960. Revalidated for 1954 with red tabs. | ||
| 1955–56 | Embossed green serial on white plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "55" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 | First letter corresponds to month of expiration | Two-letter serial format introduced in months where serials in the one-letter format had been exhausted. Revalidated for 1956 with yellow tabs. Late plates and remakes measured 6" x 12". | |
| 1957–58 | Embossed black serial on golden yellow plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "57" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 AB-1234 | First letter corresponds to month of expiration | First base plate where all plates are 6" x 12". Revalidated for 1958 with white tabs. K, L, and N used as overflow second letters through 1960. | |
| 1959–60 | Embossed dark green serial on white plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "59" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 AB-1234 | First letter corresponds to month of expiration | Revalidated for 1960 with orange tabs. | |
| 1961–62 | Embossed black serial on light yellow plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "61" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 | Letter corresponds to month of expiration | Two letters assigned for each month ; this practice continued until 1986. Revalidated for 1962 with stickers. | |
| 1963–64 | Embossed blue serial on white plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "63" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 | Letter corresponds to month of expiration | Revalidated for 1964 with stickers. | |
| 1965–67 | Embossed white serial on maroon plate; "WIS" at top left; month of expiration and "65" at top right | "AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND" centered at bottom | A12-345 | Letter corresponds to month of expiration | Revalidated for 1966 and 1967 with stickers. |
Non-passenger plates
Tribal plates
Tribal and Indian nation plates are given to members and nonmembers who reside on their respective reservation. Plates also usually bear special-design expiration stickers unavailable to the rest of the state or other reservations, except for Ho-Chunk nation plates, which use standard Wisconsin expiration stickers.Additionally, most reservations issue non-passenger plates. Truck plates generally start with "T", except for Oneida and Menominee, which use various other prefixes to denote trucks. Most reservations also have motorcycle plates available, and some also issue motorhome plates. Disabled plates are available for multiple reservations, as well as disabled veteran plates. Some also issue plates specifically for municipal and tribal government vehicles.
| Image | Tribe | Dates Issued | Design | Serial Format | Serials Issued | Notes |
| Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | 2006 - c. 2018 | Embossed black serial on red graphic plate, "BAD RIVER BAND" screened on top and "LAKE SUPERIOR CHIPPEWA" screened in white below. | A123 | A001 to approximately A850 | ||
| Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | c. 2019 | Embossed black serial on white to blue gradient plate; "Bad River Tribe" screened at top above two blue waves, "Of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians" and "WI" screened at bottom, and tribal seal screened at left | A123 | c. A851 to A899 | ||
| Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | 2020 to 2024 | As above, but with the serial screened | A123 | c. A901 to A999 | ||
| Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | 2020 to 2024 | As above, but with the serial screened | BR123 | BR100 to BR299 | ||
| Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | 2024 to present | Embossed black serial on blue, white, and red graphic plate | BR123 | c. BR 300 to BR 393 | ||
| Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin | 2020–present | Embossed blue serial on blue, white, and green graphic plate. | 1234HC | 1000HC to 1046HC | ||
| Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians | 2010–Present | Screened black serial on white graphic plate with eagle to the left. "LAC COURTE OREILLES" screened in red at top and "OJIBWE NATION" screened in white inside red box below, or, "VETERAN" screened in red inside white box below. | A123 | A101 to B962 | ||
| Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | 1994–Present | Embossed blue serial, later a black serial and later a screened black serial on red, white and blue graphic plate, "LAC DU FLAMBEAU" screened on top in white and "OJIBWE NATION" screened in white below. Optional "VETERAN" screened vertically in black at left. | 1234, T123 or T1234 | 1001 to approximately 6079, T101 to approximately T1019 | ||
| Menominee Tribe/de facto Menominee County | 1980-1990 | Embossed blue serial on white plate with embossed thunderbird symbol to left. "WIS" screened in blue at top and "MENOMINEE NATION" screened in blue below. | A123 | A001 to at least E343 | ||
| Menominee Tribe/de facto Menominee County | 1990-1996 | As 1980-1990 base with inverted colors. | A123 | A101 to at least C543 | ||
| Menominee Tribe/de facto Menominee County | 1996-2000 | Embossed black serial on sky and nature scene graphic plate. "WIS" screened in white at top and "MENOMINEE NATION" screened in white below. | A1234 | A0100 to at least A2490 | - | |
| Menominee Tribe/de facto Menominee County | 2000- c. 2021 | Revised graphics from 1996 base. "WISCONSIN" now screened on top. | A1234 | A0100 to at least A11147 | - | |
| Menominee Tribe/de facto Menominee County | c. 2021 to present | Embossed black serial on white plate; "WISCONSIN" screened at top, "OMĀĒQNOMENĒWAK" screened at bottom | 1234 | 1 to 2273 | ||
| Oneida Nation of Wisconsin | 1999-2004 | Embossed purple serial on white plate with eagle, pine tree and turtle at left. "ONEIDA NATION" screened in purple in top right. | 7G-1234 | 7G-1001 to at least 7G-2769 | ||
| Oneida Nation of Wisconsin | 2004-2017 | Embossed black serial on white and purple graphic plate with clan symbols at left. "ONEIDA NATION" screened in purple above and clan sticker screened in purple below. | 3C1234 | 3C1001 to at least 3C4496 | - | |
| Oneida Nation of Wisconsin | 2004-2017 | Embossed black serial on white plate with eagle at left. "ONEIDA NATION" screened in white inside purple box-like graphic in top right. | 6N1234 | 6N1001 to at least 6N3299 | Regular passenger car | |
| Oneida Nation of Wisconsin | 2004-2017 | Embossed black serial on white plate with eagle at left. "ONEIDA NATION" screened in white inside purple box-like graphic in top right. | MH-123 | MH-101 to at least MH-115 | Motor home | |
| Oneida Nation of Wisconsin | 2017 to present | Embossed white serial on black plate; purple band at top with white "ONEIDA NATION" screened at top, clan symbol screened at left, and clan slogan screened at bottom | BC1234 | BC1001 to BC1061 | Bear clan | |
| Oneida Nation of Wisconsin | 2017 to present | Embossed white serial on black plate; purple band at top with white "ONEIDA NATION" screened at top, clan symbol screened at left, and clan slogan screened at bottom | TC1234 | TC1001 to TC1266 | Turtle clan | |
| Oneida Nation of Wisconsin | 2017 to present | Embossed white serial on black plate; purple band at top with white "ONEIDA NATION" screened at top, clan symbol screened at left, and clan slogan screened at bottom | WC1234 | Wolf clan | ||
| Red Cliff Band | 2012 to present | White serial screened on graphic base depicting a cliff on Lake Superior; "Red Cliff Band" screened at top, "Lake Superior Chippewa" screened at bottom, and tribal seal screened in middle behind serial | R12345 | R00001 to R01057 as of |