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Dealers were issued distinctive plates since the beginning of license plate issuance in the state in 1905, making them the first non-passenger license plate type issued. Since then, many different subclasses of dealer plates have been issued to various types of vehicle dealers, and for varying purposes.

On this page, variations aren't listed in the serial range tables. This is because most dealer plates run on a system where the numeric part of the serial is a unique dealer number, while the letter prefixes/suffixes are incremented per new plate issued to that specific dealer. This means that a plate numbered something like "79 AF" would be the 30th plate issued to dealer number 79. The dealer numbers usually stay constant for each motor vehicle dealer, so plates are not issued in "sequential" order by any means.

Because of this, the tables only show the highest and lowest known dealer numbers and suffixes/prefixes, along with a third column for an example of a full plate number to illustrate what the plate numbers generally look like.

This page includes the following plate types:

• Dealer
• Mobile Home Dealer
• Recreational Vehicle Dealer
• Motorcycle Dealer
• Moped Dealer
• Trailer Dealer
• Distributor
• Trailer Distributor
• Motorcycle Distributor
• In Transit/Transporter
• Demonstrator
• Trailer Demonstrator
• Tractor Demonstrator
• Manufacturer
• Motorcycle Manufacturer
• Finance Company
• Wholesaler

Dealer

Standard dealer plates were first issued in July 1905, at the same time as regular passenger plates. The first dealer plates were identifiable by a constant solid star to the side of the plate, making them often mistaken as "official" license plates.

Gideon Nicksic

Gideon Nicksic

In 1920, the numbering system was massively reworked, and a new letter suffix/prefix was added to make all plate numbers unique. This means that a plate numbered something like "79 W" would be the 21st plate issued to dealer number 79. This numbering system has since been used on almost every other dealer plate type.

Gideon Nicksic

Gideon Nicksic

In 1932, dealer plates dropped their solid star identifier and used a normal "WIS DEALER" caption instead. The first double letter suffixes confirmed are also from 1932, with the highest known suffix being "AE" for that time period. Dealer plates continued to be almost identical to passenger plates through 1942.

Gideon Nicksic

Gideon Nicksic

In 1943, dealer plates used incrementing letter prefixes as opposed to suffixes. The colors of dealer plates also began to split off from passenger plates; 1943 and 1945 tabs were yellow rather than white, though the 1944 plate was the same color as passenger tabs for that year and 1946 plates were the same color as passenger plates for that year. Additionally, small sized plates were used from 1944 to 1946.

Regular sized plates were issued again beginning in 1947. From 1947 to 1951, dealer plates used the same color schemes as motorcycle plates for that year. Plates continued using incrementing letter prefixes, with the exception of 1947 plates which used incrementing letter suffixes.

Gideon Nicksic

Gideon Nicksic

The design of dealer plates significantly changed in 1953, along with the rest of the plates in the state. From 1953 to 1957, dealer plates used unique colors that sharply contrasted with all other plate types.

In 1958, dealer plates once again switched over to using incrementing letter suffixes. Additionally, dealer plates began using the same colors as most other non-passenger plate types.

In 1964, dealer plates once again began using different color cycles, this time using the color cycles of heavy truck plates.

In 1973, heavy truck plates began to be issued on a biyearly basis, while dealer plates continued using yearly bases through 1978. Dealer plates used unique color schemes on odd years, while on even years dealer plates would use whatever color that heavy truck plates were using for that year.

In 1979, dealer plates began to be issued on a biyearly basis like heavy truck plates, but on odd years instead of even years. From 1979 onward, dealer plates generally used unique color schemes, and used unique stickers not used on any other plate types.

1989 base plates were a bit of a transitionary base for dealer plates; they were issued normally through 1990, but were issued an additional "JUN 91" sticker to transition the plate expirations from a constant December expiration to a new expiration date system. 1989 base plates were replaced with "91" base plates that used a completely different expiration date system.

In 1991, a new base of plates was issued with a completely different expiration date system. Plates could expire in either January, March, May, July, September, or November; additionally, plates now would expire in two year intervals instead of the single year intervals that previous plates used. With this system, there are plates for every year, but plates expiring in 1993 would be issued 1995 stickers, for example.

Another thing to note is that while the stickers would be the same colors as regular stickers for that year, the style of the sticker often was significantly different; "93" stickers used a different font, while "95" stickers didn't have the plastic covering that all other stickers had for that year, for example.

Plates issued later into the base used a narrow font, while a very small number of plates used a stacked "MV" prefix.

In 1995, reflective plates were issued and older plates were replaced by 1996. All plates from this point onward used a stacked "MV" prefix.

In 2011, bare metal plates began to be issued to dealers, with the last of the 1995 base plates being replaced in 2013. Suffix letters also generally weren't issued from this point onward, though a very small number of plates had varying types of letter stickers on them. Suffix letters were reintroduced in 2018, though earlier plates remain valid.

Mobile Home Dealer

Mobile Home Dealer plates have been issued since at least 1958, with legislation for them being enacted in 1953. They are identical to normal dealer plates with the exception of a constant "MH" before the prefix; "MHE" would be the 5th plate issued to that specific dealer, for example.

In 1979, multiyear bases began to be issued like all other dealer plates.

In July 1992, mobile home dealer plates split off into "RV" dealer plates for recreational vehicles, while dealers of other types of mobile homes continued to be issued "mobile home" dealer plates.

The last mockup known is from the 2018 plate guide. "Mobile home dealer" plates are listed in the current plate guide, but there is no information on them so I don't know if a separate type still exists or not.

Recreational Vehicle Dealer

RV dealer plates were first issued in July 1992, with the type splitting off from mobile home dealer plates. As with all other dealer plates, plates issued between 2011 and 2018 had no suffix, while all other plates have suffixes.

Motorcycle Dealer

Motorcycle Dealer license plates have been issued since 1909, at the same time that motorcycles were first issued plates. They have always used dealer colors on motorcycle sized plates. 1909 base plates used a hollow diamond at the left side to denote a motorcycle dealer, while plates from 1912 to 1931 used a solid star to indicate a motorcycle dealer.

In 1920 suffix letters were added.

In 1932, plate sizes changed.

As with other dealer plates, motorcycle dealer plates began to be issued with different color cycles than regular passenger plates. Additionally, prefixes were used from 1948 to 1957 as opposed to the usual suffix system.

In 1958, motorcycle dealer plates used suffix letters once again, like other dealer plates.

Multiyear bases were issued beginning in 1979.

In 1995, a new reflective base was issued for motorcycle dealers, and around 2002 a small size plate was issued instead of the previous larger plates.

Moped Dealer

Moped dealer plates are plates issued to moped dealers, as the name suggests. They're currently not listed on any plate guides as a separate type, though a single image from a moped company in Madison is known to exist. The image is dated to September 3, 2019, so these plates have been issued since at least 2019. My best guess is they were introduced after the current plate guide revision was released in mid-2018, with an introduction time around mid-2018 to mid-2019.

Trailer Dealer

Trailer Dealer plates were first issued by 1952. The first plates used a constant "TL" suffix.

Trailer dealers aren't mentioned until the 1959 plate guide, and are listed under regular "dealer" plates. It is unknown if these plates carried specific numbering blocks or if both classes of dealers recieved identical plates, nor is it known when the "TL" suffix was introduced/discontinued.

Dealer numbers in the 3000 block have long been associated with trailer dealers; many unused dealer plates from the 1970s in the 3000 block have the type "TRAILER DEALER" shown on the back of the envelope. The first 3000 block dealer plate known is from 1968, and the first confirmed "trailer dealer" plates in the 3000 block are from 1971.

Sometime between 1981 and 1992, trailer dealer plate numbering blocks changed from 3000 to 9000. Since they're not listed until the 1992 guide for "94" dated plates, it is very difficult to know exactly when the numbering blocks changed over.

Beginning with the 1997 base, a constant stacked "TL" prefix was used for trailer dealers, in addition to the 9001 numbering block. Unlike normal dealer plates, trailer dealer plates appear to continue to have used validation stickers through at least 2021.

Suffix letters were presumably discontinued in 2011. In 2018, the prefix was changed to "WT," though unlike other types suffix letters don't appear to have been added in 2018.

Distributor

Distributor plates were first issued around 1971. Distributor plates are issued to entities that transport vehicles between manufacturers and dealers. Newer plates use numbers in the 7000 series.

Beginning in 1979, distributor plates used numbers in the 7000 block.

Like other dealer plate types, distributor plates gained a constant stacked "MV" prefix in 1995. 2011 base plates didn't have suffixes, and plates issued since 2018 use a stacked "WD" prefix.

Trailer Distributor

There is a distributor plate known with a "TL" prefix. Given the numbering block, it's unlikely this is an error plate and probably is yet another subtype, though zero documentation of such a plate type exists so basically nothing is known about it. It appears the numbering might have started at TL 4601 or TL 4501, and these plates don't seem to carry alpha suffixes.

Motorcycle Distributor

Motorcycle distributor plates have been issued since at least 1973.

In Transit/Transporter

In transit plates have been issued since at least 1938, with legislation for them being enacted in 1937. They're used to people delivering vehicles "in tow on their own wheels" or "under their own power;" for example, these plates have been seen on semis transporting other semis.

In transit numbers always started at number 51.

In 1979, in transit plates began using numbers in the 8000 block.

Around 1990, the caption was changed to "transporter." Some 1989 base plates still said "IN TRANSIT" while others said "TRANSPORTER" on them.

Similarly to other dealer plate types, transporter plates gained a constant stacked "MV" suffix.

In 2011, suffix codes were dropped from the plates. Unlike other dealer plate types, however, stickers continued to be used on transporter plates, and while the prefix letters changed to "WP" in 2018, suffix letters never returned to these plates.

Demonstrator

Demonstrator plates have been issued since at least 1962, with legislation for them being enacted in 1961. They're used on heavy trucks, tractors, and trailers over 8,000 lbs. while testing being used normally for up to 10 days. Trucks and tractors use numbers from 4001 upward. Trailer demonstrator plates use numbers 4801 to 5000, and are shown in their own category. Unlike other dealer types, demonstrator plates carry no alpha suffixes.

Like other dealer types, demonstrator plates gained a stacked "MV" prefix.

In 2018, demonstrator plates changed their prefix codes; truck demonstrator plates used a "TK" prefix, while truck-tractors gained their own unique prefix code. This section shows the truck demonstrator plates; "tractor demonstrator" plates are shown in a separate section.

Trailer Demonstrator

Trailer demonstrator plates are normal demonstrator plates, but with numbers 4801 to 5000.

In 1995, trailer demonstrator plates gained a stacked "TL" prefix.

Tractor Demonstrator

Tractor demonstrator plates used to be issued identical plates to truck demonstrators; however, in 2018, both types split off into their own separate prefix series, so I include "tractor demonstrator" as a separate type.

Manufacturer

Manufacturer plates have been issued since at least 1947. They're used for manufacturers demonstrating and testing vehicles.

In 1979, manufacturer plates began using plates in the 6000 series.

Like most other dealer plate types, a stacked "MV" prefix was added in 1995, and in 2018 the prefix was changed to "WM."

Motorcycle Manufacturer

Motorcycle manufacturer plates have been issued since at least 1965. As the name suggests, they're manfuacturer plates for motorcycles.

Finance Company

Finance company plates were first issued between 1964 and 1965. Finance Company plates are used on repossessed vehicles.

In 1995, a stacked "MV" prefix was added, like most other dealer-related plate types. Suffix letters were discontinued in 2011, and it doesn't appear they were re-added in 2018.

Wholesaler

Wholesaler plates have been issued since at least 2011. They're a rare type of dealer plate issued to wholesalers, as the name suggests.

Created November 22, 2018. Updated June 12, 2024.