Trailers first got distinctive license plates in the 1920s, and since then many different types of trailer plates have been issued.
This page includes the following plate types:
Trailer plates were first issued in the 1920s, with the earliest known example being from 1929. It's suspected that they started in 1923 when weight class codes were added to truck plates.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 3,000 |
B 4,500 |
C 6,000 |
D 8,000 |
E 10,000 |
F 24,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 | |||||||
24 | |||||||
25 | |||||||
26 | |||||||
27 | |||||||
28 | |||||||
29 | F111 | ||||||
30 | |||||||
30 31 | C 92 |
In 1932, weight classes beyond the F weight class were added.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 3,000 |
B 4,500 |
C 6,000 |
D 8,000 |
E 10,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F 12,000 |
G 14,000 |
H 16,000 |
J 18,000 |
K 20,000 |
||
L 22,000 |
M 24,000 |
N 36,000 |
||||
31 32 | E 351 |
|||||
32 33 | ||||||
33 34 | 996 A | |||||
82 M | ||||||
34 35 | 1-716 A 4-022 A |
|||||
35 36 | 656 A 1-350 A |
|||||
36 37 | ||||||
37 38 | 117 C |
|||||
176 G |
||||||
38 39 | ||||||
22 G |
||||||
827 N | ||||||
39 40 | ||||||
184 J | ||||||
In 1940, trailer plates split off into light trailer plates and insert trailer plates, in the way that truck plates were split off into light truck plates and insert truck plates. Trailer plates from the A-D weight class that are used for private purposes received light trailer plates, while trailers used for commercial purposes and trailers beyond the D weight class used insert trailer plates.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 3,000 |
B 4,500 |
C 6,000 |
D 8,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
40 41 | C 1001 | ||||
41 42 | 1003 A | ||||
42-43 | 1001A | ||||
44 45 | A 1 008 | ||||
45 46 | A 1 007 A 1 117 |
B 1 090 | C 1 059 C 1 061 |
D 1 010 | |
1948 | 1050 C | ||||
1951 | A 1221 | ||||
52 | A 2085 A 3498 |
||||
53 | A 6608 A13-124 |
||||
54 | |||||
55 | 6"x12" Aluminum |
1255 A | |||
57 | |||||
58 | |||||
59 |
Apparently starting in 1960, "A" trailer plates were issued only to private trailers under 3,000 lbs. The registration of such trailers was optional, except for a six-month period in 1976 when all trailers had to register.
Base | Variation | Ranges |
60 | A 1295 | |
61 | A 1150 | |
62 | A 1395 | |
63 | ||
65 | A 4321 |
Light trailer plates were issued on insert truck plate bases starting in 1967, however plates were issued at the same intervals as light truck plates.
The 1970 base had a strange variation which there was only stubs for the top groove, and the 1974 base had the "74" in two different corners.
Base | Variation | Ranges |
67 | No Month | A 6318 A 7490 |
70 | Partial Groove | A 4034 A 5190 |
---|---|---|
Full Groove | A 8387 A 8962 |
|
Partial Groove | A 9509 A 11297 |
|
No Groove | A 11863 A 11892 |
|
74 | 74 at Right | A 1477 A 3406 |
74 at Left | A 5163 A 10636 |
In 1979, light trailer plates began using a constant "ZA" prefix and encompassed private-use trailers under 3,000lbs., though several "U-Haul" labelled light trailer plates from as far back as 1982 have been seen. Beginning in 1988, fleets of 100 or more commercial-use trailers under 4,500lbs. were able to use light trailer plates in 6-year intervals; the first of these plates would have expired in 1994. These plates, although identical to regular light trailer plates except for the expiration intervals, are shown with light trailer for hire plates.
In the 1991 plate guide, a "91" base is shown, though all "89" base plates were used until 1994. I'm guessing it was a planned base that was scrapped at the very last minute; if this is the case, it's entirely possible that a batch of these "91" base plates was actually produced but never issued. Light truck for hire plates also had a planned design in 1990 that was evidently scrapped at the very last minute and an actual plate for this scrapped design has been found, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that unused "91" base ZA trailer plates exist.
Currently, light trailer plates are often referred to as "ZA" trailer plates by the WisconsinDOT plate guide.
Base | Variation | Ranges |
---|---|---|
79 | ZA11532 ZA13638 |
|
81 | ZA10866 ZA11056 |
|
83 | ZA11006 ZA13424 |
|
85 | ZA10409 ZA13073 |
|
87 | Border Tall Prefix |
ZA12723 ZA12795 |
No Border Short Prefix |
ZA13084 | |
89 | ZA12576 ZA12859 |
|
95 | Wide Font | ZA 1226 ZA 2989 |
Narrow Font | ZA 4743 ZA 4780 |
|
00 | Avery Sheeting | 3083 ZA 4037 ZA |
3M Sheeting | 5193 ZA 7479 ZA |
|
Avery Sheeting | 10497ZA 14301ZA 15522ZA |
Light trailer for hire plates were issued in 1976 and 1977. They were issued to A weight class trailers for hire only and used light truck for hire blanks.
Base | Variation | Ranges |
---|---|---|
76 |
After 1977, light trailers for hire were issued regular light trailer plates. There was no specific plates for "light trailers for hire," though "U-Haul" labelled plates exist for 1982, 1986, and 1988.
In 1988, light trailers for hire were revalidated on a 6-year cycle. For 1994 and 2000 light trailer for hire plates used unique sticker colors, and as of 2030 they used the same sticker colors as passenger plates.
Heavy trailer plates were first issued in 1940, and were issued to trailers over 8,000lbs. and commercial trailers. The first base was to expire between September 1940 and June 1941, using insert tabs for validation, however a dated "3-31-40" base is known and is categorized here. The 3-31-40 base was only issued to trailers over 14,000lbs. Like heavy truck plates, I suspect that 12-31-39 and 6-30-40 bases may also have been issued, though no documentation or plates have been found yet.
Notably, heavy trailers used full-sized plates for 1942-1944, and were the only plates in the state to receive actual insert tabs during that time. I do not know whether yearly tabs for 1944 were issued in addition to quarterly inserts like they did on heavy truck plates, nor do I know what the colors may be.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 3,000 |
B 4,500 |
C 6,000 |
D 8,000 |
E 10,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F 12,000 |
G 14,000 |
H 16,000 |
J 18,000 |
K 20,000 |
||
L 22,000 |
M 24,000 |
N 36,000 |
||||
3-31-40 | ||||||
10 M | ||||||
40 41 | ||||||
41 42 | ||||||
42 43 | 10 B | |||||
44 45 | ||||||
Sometime between 1940 and 1947, weight classes beyond N were added, like insert truck plates. Around 1960 all trailers above 3,000lbs. received insert trailer plates and from that point on insert trailer plates in the lighter weight classes became much more common. Conversely, semi trailer plates were introduced in 1956 and insert trailer plates in the heaviest weight classes became almost nonexistent.
Shown in this section is a few mockup tests I made back in March 2024. They're still in development, but they should be relatively accurate representations of what these plates looked like and their approximate fonts. I'm still not sure if I'll permanently include mockups to represent plates like this, or if I'd rather keep this site to images of actual plates only.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 3,000 |
B 4,500 |
C 6,000 |
D 8,000 |
E 10,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F 12,000 |
G 14,000 |
H 16,000 |
J 18,000 |
K 20,000 |
||
L 22,000 |
M 24,000 |
N 26,000 |
R 28,000 |
S 30,000 |
||
T 32,000 |
V 34,000 |
X 36,000 |
Y 38,000 |
|||
45 46 | A 10 | B 107 | C 312 | D 184 | E 205 | |
F 219 | G 263 | H 347 | J 336 | K 538 | ||
L 467 | M 686 | N 741 | R 762 | S 732 | ||
T 528 | V 450 | X 444 | Y 682 | |||
47 48 | ||||||
48 49 | ||||||
49 50 | ||||||
50 51 | ||||||
R 463 | ||||||
51 52 | ||||||
53 | A 7 | |||||
M 42 | R 371 |
|||||
54 | B 16 B 348 |
|||||
55 | ||||||
56 | ||||||
57 | ||||||
58 | ||||||
59 | ||||||
60 | B 16 B 225 |
|||||
61 | ||||||
Weight classes beyond the Y weight class were added by 1962, which the known weight classes go up to at least YF. It's currently unknown when exactly these heavier weight classes were added, as the DMV plate guides didn't list weight classes beyond Y until 1976.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 3,000 |
B 4,500 |
C 6,000 |
D 8,000 |
E 10,000 |
F 12,000 |
G 14,000 |
H 16,000 |
J 18,000 |
K 20,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L 22,000 |
M 24,000 |
N 26,000 |
R 28,000 |
S 30,000 |
||
T 32,000 |
V 34,000 |
X 36,000 |
Y 38,000 |
YA 40,000 |
||
YB 42,000 |
YC 44,000 |
YD 46,000 |
YE 48,000 |
YF 50,000 |
||
62 | D 335 | |||||
YA 1 | ||||||
63 | ||||||
64 | ||||||
65 | B 183 | |||||
66 | B 315 | |||||
67 | ||||||
68 | B 428 | |||||
69 | E 323 | |||||
G 140 | ||||||
70 | B1013 | |||||
71 | A 2 | B 517 | C 404 C 832 |
E 114 E 166 |
||
F 164 |
||||||
Y 28 | ||||||
72 | B 299 | C 86 C 741 |
E 191 E1612 |
|||
K 244 | ||||||
N 62 N 94 |
||||||
74 | B 389 | C 18 C 519 |
||||
H 77 | ||||||
T 133 | V 1 V 4 |
X 9 | ||||
YC 17 | YF 3 | |||||
76 | B1257 B2031 |
C 441 C1784 |
E 1 |
|||
F 983 | H 141 | |||||
In 1978, the weight classes shifted along with all other plates in the state of Wisconsin. For the 1978 base, the C weight class for trailer plates has always had a bottom letter of "Z" as opposed to the "A" that all other insert trailer plates used as a bottom letter. The meaning of this is unknown.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 4,500 |
B 6,000 |
C 8,000 |
D 12,000 |
E 16,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F 20,000 |
G 26,000 |
H 32,000 |
J 38,000 |
K 44,000 |
||
L 50,000 |
N 56,000 |
P 62,000 |
Q 68,000 |
R 73,000 |
||
S 76,000 |
T 80,000 |
|||||
78 | BA3655 | CZ 222 CZ3126 |
DA 68 | EA 619 |
||
GA 90 | ||||||
LA 1 | QA 4 | |||||
80 | BA905 BA4033 |
CA 99 CA3858 |
DA1613 | EA 993 |
||
HA 446 | ||||||
LA 8 | ||||||
82 | AA2007 AA2733 |
BA 96 BA3426 |
CA 676 CA2024 |
DA1009 DA3333 |
EA 240 |
|
FA 8 | GA 67 | |||||
LA 1 | ||||||
84 | AA1887 AA3743 |
BA1282 BA4756 |
CA 566 CA5405 |
DA 243 DA1702 |
EA1044 EA1139 |
|
LA 1 | ||||||
86 | Tall Prefix | AA1741 | BA 972 | CA 55 CA4461 |
DA 650 DA1752 |
EA 619 EA 634 |
FA 782 FA 840 |
KA 64 | |||||
Short Prefix | AA3566 | BA5642 | ||||
88 | AA3216 AA4291 |
BA 782 BA690n |
CA 162 CA6909 |
DA 118 DA3172 |
||
GA 582 | ||||||
90 | AA1615 AA6573 |
BA1273 BA8348 |
CA 494 CA7544 |
DA 1 | EA1456 EA1577 |
|
JA 154 | ||||||
In 1992, the X and M weight classes were added, along with all other plate types.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 4,500 |
B 6,000 |
C 8,000 |
X 10,000 |
D 12,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E 16,000 |
F 20,000 |
G 26,000 |
H 32,000 |
J 38,000 |
||
K 44,000 |
L 50,000 |
M 54,000 |
N 56,000 |
P 62,000 |
||
Q 68,000 |
R 73,000 |
S 76,000 |
T 80,000 |
|||
92 | AA 440 AA7850 |
BA1728 BA6909 |
CA 427 CB1253 |
XA 1 XA1087 |
||
EA1324 EA1328 |
FA 70 FA 940 |
JA 215 JA 417 |
||||
In 1994 a new base was issued, and all plates started at xR 1, with x being the weight class. So A weight class plates would start at AR 1, B weight class plates would start at BR 1, and so on. When xR9999 was exhausted with the wide font plates, the bottom letter was incremented to "T," presumably because "S" was in use by tractor plates.
In addition to the usual font variations seen in all plates from 1994-1995, there were also two runs of reflective trailer plates; one in early 1995, and a much more common run in late 2004-early 2005. It's unknown what the run of 1995 plates is, and so far two reflective "trailer" plates have been found from the 1995 run; one 1995 farm trailer plate, and one 1995 insert trailer plate. The 2004-2005 run has at least 5 plates known in the run, and it's presumably plates made on blanks for light truck for hire plates after they were discontinued in 2004.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 4,500 |
B 6,000 |
C 8,000 |
X 10,000 |
D 12,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E 16,000 |
F 20,000 |
G 26,000 |
H 32,000 |
J 38,000 |
||
K 44,000 |
L 50,000 |
M 54,000 |
N 56,000 |
P 62,000 |
||
Q 68,000 |
R 73,000 |
S 76,000 |
T 80,000 |
|||
94 | Wide Font | AR 23 AR2163 |
BR 18 BR9687 |
CR 76 CR8928 |
XR 134 XR1384 |
DR 1 DR2315 |
ER1960 |
GR 429 |
|||||
Narrow Font Narrow Prefix |
AR 8255 AR 8409 |
BT 222 BT 794 |
CT 2119 CT 5531 |
XR 2669 |
||
FR 1536 |
||||||
Narrow Font Wide Prefix |
AR13218 AR38257 |
BT 3424 BT30530 |
CT 9096 CT60019 |
XR 3676 XR25475 |
DR10874 DR27545 |
|
ER 5222 ER 7715 |
FR 2027 FR 6625 |
GR 2655 GR 3760 |
JR 920? | |||
Expected Ranges |
AR 1 AR42410 |
BR 1 BT35922 |
CR 1 CT60929 |
XR 1 XR27962 |
DR 1 DR33565 |
|
ER 1 ER11891 |
FR 1 FR 7701 |
GR 1 GR 4553 |
HR 1 HR 1803 |
JR 1 JR 1311 |
||
KR 1 KR 1902 |
LR 1 LR 551 |
MR 1 MR 105 |
NR 1 NR 53 |
PR 1 PR 159 |
||
QR 1 QR 75 |
RR 1 RR 30 |
SR 1 SR 7 |
TR 1 TR 82 |
Around 2009, the Y weight class was added. Like other plates, the 2009 series picked up roughly where the 1994 series left off.
Numbering systems for current trailer plates are overcomplicated. CT plates, which stopped around CT60000 on the 1994 series, jumped to CA10001 beginning with the new 2009 base. Y weight class plates started at YA10001, while all other plates started roughly where the 1994 series left off. Beginning in the early 2020s, numbering systems changed from the standard "R to T to A" serial letter progression to a new system where the bottom letter would increment if the current serial format was exhausted; this meant that AR overflowed to AS, BT overflowed to BU, and more recently PR 999 led to PS 101. CA overflowed to CB as expected, and SR is going to either go to SS 11, SS 51, SR 101, or a variation of those formats in the very near future. Why the serial letter progression has become so complicated is anyone's guess.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 4,500 |
B 6,000 |
C 8,000 |
X 10,000 |
D 12,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Y 14,000 |
E 16,000 |
F 20,000 |
G 26,000 |
H 32,000 |
||
J 38,000 |
K 44,000 |
L 50,000 |
M 54,000 |
N 56,000 |
||
P 62,000 |
Q 68,000 |
R 73,000 |
S 76,000 |
T 80,000 |
||
09 | Expected Ranges |
AR45001 AS16404 |
BT37001 BU14896 |
CA10001 CB34313 |
XR30001 XR89550 |
DR36001 DR83825 |
YA10001 YA37292 |
ER14001 ER34267 |
FR 9001 FR22131 |
GR 5001 GR15399 |
HR 3001 HR 6110 |
||
JR 1501 JR 3640 |
KR 2501 KR 5222 |
LR 701 LR 2506 |
MR 301 MR 537 |
NR 101 NR 325 |
||
PR 226 PS 124 |
QR 101 QR 392 |
RR 101 RR 243 |
SR 51 SR 99 |
TR 116 TR 503 |
||
Confirmed Ranges |
AR48341 AS11817 |
BT4099n BU13127 |
CA26799 CB33220 |
XR30065 XR86317 |
DR37522 DR80156 |
|
YA11126 YA35997 |
ER16720 ER33946 |
FR 9967 FR20421 |
GR 5444 GR10884 |
HR 4803 HR 4812 |
||
JR 2713 JR 3134 |
KR 3493 KR 3763 |
LR 965 LR 1521 |
||||
PR 697 | QR 253 | TR 310 TR 354 |
Farm trailer plates have been issued since at least 1956, with the earliest base seen being from 1965. All plate numbers began at 1001.
Base | Variation | Ranges |
55 | ||
57 | ||
58 | ||
59 | ||
60 | ||
61 | ||
62 | ||
63 | ||
65 | 1025 | |
67 | 1236 1243 |
|
70 | 1463 |
|
74 | 1025 1419 |
|
78 | 2157 |
In 1980, plates serials were coded by weight class. As before, the numbers start at xF1001, with x being the weight class. Several serial spacing variations are known, however not much is known about them.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 4,500 |
B 6,000 |
C 8,000 |
D 12,000 |
E 16,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F 20,000 |
G 26,000 |
H 32,000 |
J 38,000 |
K 44,000 |
||
L 50,000 |
N 56,000 |
P 62,000 |
Q 68,000 |
R 73,000 |
||
S 76,000 |
T 80,000 |
|||||
80 | BF1069 |
CF1313 CF3174 |
DF3033 |
|||
GF1054 |
||||||
82 | BF1043 BF1139 |
CF1743 CF3552 |
DF1438 |
EF1339 |
||
84 | AF1078 |
CF1070 CF4159 |
DF3011 | |||
GF1092 | ||||||
86 | AF1025 |
BF1342 BF1757 |
CF2727 CF3770 |
DF1494 DF3345 |
EF1828 | |
88 | BF1039 |
CF2695 CF5252 |
DF1027 DF2051 |
EF1125 EF1959 |
||
FF1192 |
||||||
90 | AF1220 AF1332 |
BF1029 BF1978 |
CF4681 CF4849 |
DF2121 DF2696 |
EF1119 EF2288 |
|
FF1118 |
||||||
In 1992, like all other plates, the X and M weight classes were added. For the 1992 base, there are several plates that received December 1993 insert stickers as opposed to 1993 passenger stickers like they were supposed to, and from that point onward plates issued insert stickers as opposed to passenger stickers were relatively common. Plate serials in the 1994 base started at xF5001, with x being the weight class. The C weight class ran to CF9999 at some point, then wrapped around to CF 1001, and went to CF 5000 before jumping to CF10001.
Additionally, a strange variation where the pre-1995 prefix was used alongside the new narrow numbers font is known for some F weight class farm trailer plates; it isn't known if this variation exists with any other weight classes or other types.
Base Weight |
Variation | A 4,500 |
B 6,000 |
C 8,000 |
X 10,000 |
D 12,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E 16,000 |
F 20,000 |
G 26,000 |
H 32,000 |
J 38,000 |
||
K 44,000 |
L 50,000 |
M 54,000 |
N 56,000 |
P 62,000 |
||
Q 68,000 |
R 73,000 |
S 76,000 |
T 80,000 |
|||
92 | BF 1373 BF 1771 |
CF 2844 CF 3173 |
XF 1023 XF 1328 |
DF 2877 DF 2976 |
||
EF 1696 |
FF 1422 FF 1720 |
|||||
94 | Wide Font | AF 5207 |
BF5482 |
CF5017 CF9321 |
DF5691 DF7349 |
|
EF6782 | ||||||
Narrow Font Narrow Prefix |
DF 8563 |
|||||
FF 5885 | ||||||
Narrow Font Wide Prefix |
||||||
EF 7039 |
||||||
Narrow Font Old Prefix |
||||||
FF 6437 FF 6527 |
||||||
Narrow Font Wide Prefix |
AF 5601 |
BF 6937 BF 6976 |
CF 3104 CF10128 |
DF 9483 DF13092 |
||
EF 8159 EF10784 |
FF 6776 FF 8762 |
JF 5113 |
||||
Expected Ranges |
AF 5001 AF 5801 |
BF 5001 BF 7530 |
CF5001 CF9999 CF 1001 CF 5000 CF10001 CF11339 |
XF 5001 XF 8147 |
DF 5001 DF13635 |
|
EF 5001 EF11348 |
FF 5001 FF 8508 |
GF 5001 GF 6500 |
HF 5001 HF 2371 |
JF 5001 JF 5113 |
||
KF 5001 KF 5032 |
LF 5001 LF 5103 |
MF 5001 MF 5011 |
NF 5001 NF 5002 |
PF 5001 PF 5008 |
||
QF 5001 QF 5006 |
RF 5001? | None? | TF 5001 TF 5019 |
Around 2009 the Y weight class was added along with heavy trailer plates. Additionally, around 2021 G weight class farm trailer plates incremented their bottom letter to "G," changing the bottom letter on farm trailer plates for the first time ever in the plate type's history!
Base Weight |
Variation | A 4,500 |
B 6,000 |
C 8,000 |
X 10,000 |
D 12,000 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Y 14,000 |
E 16,000 |
F 20,000 |
G 26,000 |
H 32,000 |
||
J 38,000 |
K 44,000 |
L 50,000 |
M 54,000 |
N 56,000 |
||
P 62,000 |
Q 68,000 |
R 73,000 |
S 76,000 |
T 80,000 |
||
09 | Expected Ranges |
AF 6501 AF 7524 |
BF 7601 BF 9811 | CF11601 CF19596 | XF 8501 XF13145 | DF14001 DF22310 |
YF10001 YF15292 | EF12001 EF19783 |
FF 9201 FF15524 |
GF 6701 GG 1655 |
HF 5401 HF 5934 |
||
JF 5201 JF 5357 |
KF 5201 KF 5329 |
LF 5101 LF 5203 |
MF 5501 MF 5540 |
NF 5501 NF 5526 |
||
PF 5101 PF 5160 |
QF 5051 QF 5107 |
RF 5016 RF 5043 |
(none) | TF 5051 TF 5290 |
||
Confirmed Ranges |
AF 6nnn | BF 7664 BF 8476 |
CF13185 CF18904 |
XF 9555 XF12107 | DF16009 | |
YF11677 | EF12236 | FF10170 FF14856 |
GF 7299 GF 9196 |
|||
LF 5176 | ||||||
TF 5272 |
Transferable trailer plates were reportedly issued beginning in July 1973, and have been confirmed to have been issued since at least 1977. They are issued to modular housing units in transportation, and can be transfered from unit to unit freely, hence the name. They are validated with insert stickers, and use weight class stickers.
Base | Variation | Ranges |
73 | Nonreflective 67 Format |
|
---|---|---|
99??? | Reflective 94 Format |
1276 1289 |
Limited 2 mile trailer plates were issued to private trailers hauled 2 miles or less. They are allegedly issued as far back as 1941, and have been confirmed from 1942-43 to 1953.
Base | Variation | Ranges |
---|---|---|
40 41 | (00) | |
42-43 | ||
45 46? | ||
1948 | ||
52 |