Gideon Nicksic
Wisconsin has issued various types of license plates to semi trucks and trailers since around the mid-1950s. While there aren't as many types today, mostly because of apportioned plates replacing the several types of out-of-state truck permits used back then, there's still plenty of types used for semi trucks and interstate commercial vehicles.
This page includes the following plate types:
Apportioned plates were first issued in 1978, when Wisconsin joined the IRP. Once apportioned plates were introduced, many other types of semi truck plates and out-of-state permits were issued less and many types were discontinued entirely.
From 1992 to 1998, numbers started at various points with seemingly no correlation to plates that were issued the previous year; due to this, in 1998 numbers reached 99999, and a subsequent overflow series starting at 10001 was issued briefly before the current base began issuance.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 78 | 10894 49416 |
|
| 81 | 1205 9840 |
|
| 82 | 1091 15437 |
|
| 83 | 242 16513 |
|
| 84 | 247 15932 |
|
| 85 | 2842 14255 |
|
| 86 | 356 18395 |
|
| 87 | 1730 18573 |
|
| 88 | 1 20924 |
|
| 89 | 169 22009 |
|
| 90 | 3083 22971 |
|
| 91 | 1 20607 |
|
| 92 | 62736 85230 |
|
| 93 | 30274 53136 |
|
| 94 | 61480 90786 |
|
| 95 | 43815 70757 |
|
| 96 | 50001 79848 |
|
| 97 | 37355 64282 |
|
| 98 | 61005 92513 10719 |
In 1999, new multiyear apportioned plates were made. Early plates had the state name at the bottom and had a debossed "99" in the bottom right corner, while later plates were undated and had the state name at the top. Black on white plates were issued starting in 2018, at number 80000X.
Numbering likely started at 1, then went to 99999 before going to a 101W format and running to 99999W, which was followed by 10001X and plates ran to 79999X before the 2018 base came out starting at 80000X.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 99 | Offset Right | 118 45811 |
| Centered | 47941 |
|
| Offset Right | 54164 54278 |
|
| 01 | Centered | 75088 97977 817W |
| Offset Right | 3594W 4102W |
|
| Centered Unknown Sheeting |
7847W 11473W |
|
| Centered 3M Sheeting |
9983W 17940W |
|
| Offset Right 3M Sheeting |
24156W 54269W |
|
| Centered 3M Sheeting |
62600W 65684W |
|
| Offset Right 3M Sheeting |
69801W 98692W 10612X 50439X |
|
| Offset Right Avery Sheeting |
54808X 79899X |
|
| Expected Ranges |
1? 99999 101W 99999W 10001X 79999X |
In 2018, a new base with black numbers was issued to new registrants. Older plates are still valid, though it looks like they're slowly being phased out.
Numbering started at 80000X, and once 99999X was reached plates skipped to 10001Z, skipping the Y suffix because the "salutes veterans" specialty base uses a 12345Y. I'm not exactly sure what will be done after 99999Z is reached, though I'm guessing either 10001A, A10001, or 100001Z will be issued.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Avery Sheeting |
82185X 94884X 10nnnZ 66426Z |
| Expected Ranges |
80000X 99999X 10001Z 70457Z |
Apportioned license plates originally were issued to both trucks and their trailers. Apportioned trailer plates were issued to both semi trailers and full trailers from 1978 to 1989.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 78 | 100007 107638 |
|
| 81 | 102308 102310 |
|
| 82 | 102354 102378 |
|
| 83 | 104026 105062 |
|
| 84 | 104809 | |
| 85 | 107199 | |
| 86 | 105199 | |
| 87 | 103025 109105 |
|
| 88 | 101905 105841 |
|
| 89 |
In 1990 apportioned trailer plates split off into apportioned full trailer and apportioned semi trailer plates. From this point onward apportioned trailer plate registrations dropped significantly and barely reached 102000 on the last multiyear base before being discontinued in 2001.
Previously-issued plates are still valid according to the Wisconsin DOT.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | ||
| 91 | ||
| 92 | ||
| 93 | ||
| 94 | ||
| 95 | ||
| 96 | ||
| 97 | ||
| 98 | ||
| 99 | 102191 |
Apportioned semi trailer plates were first issued in 1990, set to expire in 2001. Only two series of apportioned semi trailer plates were issued, since California, the last state requiring apportioning for trailers, dropped the requirement in 2001.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 1001 60330 |
|
| 99 | ST10026 ST30940 |
Semi trailer plates have been issued since at least 1954. Until 1987, semi trailer plates were split into 2 different subtypes, with "C" meaning commercial semi trailer and "P" meaning private semi trailer.
The first plates were captioned "trailer" and were only identifiable by their "PS" or "CS" prefix as opposed to a single-letter weight class prefix. By 1955 there was a full "semi-trailer" caption on the plates.
| Base | Variation | C | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | PS 168 | ||
| 55 | CS 5451 | PS 975 PS 979 |
|
| 56 | Full Size Plate | CS 4320 | PS 4368 |
| 6"x12" Plate | CS 7391 CS 7554 |
||
| 57 | PS 4112 | ||
| 58 | CS 8671 | PS 3685 | |
| 59 | PS 5359 | ||
| 60 | Groove | CS 1779 CS 4184 |
PS 1428 |
| No Groove | 1CS 306 | PS 6383 | |
| 61 | CS 1293 CS 8087 |
||
| 62 | 1CS 514 3CS 943 |
PS 5207 | |
| 63 | CS 7628 CS14313 |
PS 1298 | |
| 64 | PS 2770 PS 4577 |
||
| 65 | CS 6006 CS15535 |
PS 2029 PS 2892 |
|
| 66 | CS 4810 CS15127 |
PS 9535 | |
| 67 | PS 5942 PS13330 |
||
| 68 | CS14058 CS15413 |
PS10118 PS10800 |
|
| 69 | CS17900 CS17918 |
PS11271 PS11273 |
|
| 70 | CS 1677 | PS 310 PS12160 |
|
| 71 | CS 1842 CS 19757 |
PS 2329 PS 9325 |
|
| 72 | CS 1778 CS20480 |
PS13102 | |
| 74 | Normal Font |
CS 90 CS10498 |
|
| Crude Font |
CS22899 | PS13237 PS13330 |
|
| Normal Font | CS26770 CS27094 |
PS15240 PS18500 |
|
| 76 | CS 3828 CS27382 |
PS 821 PS14614 |
|
| 78 | CA 5190 CA24742 |
PA 2239 PA17798 |
|
| 80 | CC 1268 CC25073 |
PC 1832 PC21599 |
|
| 82 | CE 1956 CE17706 |
PE10288 PE21886 |
|
| 84 | Tall Letters | CG 3791 CG26450 |
PG12819 PG22831 |
| Short Letters | CG30995 | PG24393 PG26612 |
In late 1987, a permanent baseplate was issued to semi trailers, and the numbering started at 200001.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 87 | Wide Font Nonreflective |
200001 343040 |
| Narrow Font Nonreflective |
346838 429000 |
|
| Narrow Font 3M Sheeting |
435980 456914 |
|
| Narrow Font Avery Sheeting |
458746 512220 |
|
| Narrow Font 3M Sheeting |
579125 633412 |
|
| Narrow Font Avery Sheeting |
800700 | |
| Expected Ranges |
200001 851437 |
Rental semi trailer plates at first used uncoded, fully numeric plates, most likely starting at 50001. They also were undated and were validated with 4th quarter insert stickers. The earliest rental semi trailer plate found is from 1971, but there are (unpainted) samples back to 1969 known.
1976-1979 plates used regular semi trailer stickers and from 1980 onward rental semi trailer plates used an "RA" stacked prefix format like other semi trailer plates.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 69 | ||
| 70 | ||
| 71 | 50535 51418 |
|
| 72 | 51214 51560 |
|
| 74 | 51091 | |
| 76 | 12345 | |
| 78 | ||
| 80 | ||
| 82 | RE 264 | |
| 84 |
5-year semi trailer plates were first issued in 1978, set to expire in 1982. 5-year semi trailer plates were identical to normal semi trailer plates, however they would be issued unique stickers that would have long-term expiration intervals.
The last sticker issued was set to expire in 1990, which was issued in 1986 before the permanent semi trailer base came out.
Farm semi trailer plates were semi trailer plates issued to farm vehicles between 1992 and 1998. Unlike normal semi trailer plates, these plates were registered yearly, and were discontinued just 6 years after they were introduced.
For the entirety of the type's issuance, they were completely indistinguishable from normal farm trailer plates, aside from their constant stacked "ST" prefix.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 92 | ST 1001 | |
| 94 | Wide Font | |
| Narrow Font | ST 5675 |
Tractor plates have been available since at least the mid-1950s. They're issued to semi trucks, also known as truck-tractors, hence the name.
From their introduction in the 1950s to 1962, tractor plates in the double letter weight classes (YA-YX) only had capacity for 999 plates to be issued; in the early 1960s, once the format was exhausted a 1Yx01 format would be issued, which at least two weight classes (YB and YL) reached. However, that format also was exhausted by 1962, creating a second overflow format of 10Yx1 for at least the YL weight class. Beginning in 1963 the weight classes were stacked giving capacity for 9999 plates to be issued in each weight class, so there are no overflow formats from that point onward, with the exception of the YX class that later used YY and YZ as prefix letters.
| Base Weight |
Variation | 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 |
YG 52,000 |
YH 54,000 |
YJ 56,000 |
||
| YK 58,000 |
YL 60,000 |
YM 62,000 |
YN 64,000 |
YR 66,000 |
||
| YS 68,000 |
YT 70,000 |
YU 71,000 |
YV 72,000 |
YX-YZ 73,000 |
||
| 54 | ||||||
| 55 | ||||||
| 56 | ||||||
| 57 | ||||||
| YK255 |
YL435 YL831 |
|||||
| 58 | ||||||
| 59 | ||||||
| 60 | ||||||
| R 21 |
||||||
| Y 738 | ||||||
| YK 80 |
||||||
| 61 | ||||||
| Y 823 | ||||||
| YK650 |
||||||
| 62 | ||||||
| N 91 |
||||||
| 1YB02 | YC344 |
|||||
| 61YL4 | ||||||
| 63 | ||||||
| YB 513 |
||||||
| YL1113 | ||||||
| 64 | ||||||
| 65 | ||||||
| YK 258 |
||||||
| YX1532? |
||||||
| 66 | ||||||
| Y 280 | ||||||
| YF 339 |
||||||
| 67 | ||||||
| YK 5 | ||||||
| YX 471 YX4127 |
||||||
| 68 | ||||||
| YF 427 |
||||||
| YX4305 | ||||||
| 69 | ||||||
| S 392 |
||||||
| YG 321 |
YH 401 |
|||||
| YL1709 | ||||||
| YS 407 |
||||||
| 70 | ||||||
| YG 178 |
||||||
| YL 330 YL1482 |
||||||
| YV1266 |
YX1965 YX6747 |
|||||
| 71 | E 19 |
G 28 |
||||
| L 45 |
||||||
| YH 348 |
YJ 217 |
|||||
| YK 831 |
YL 958 | YM 377 |
YN 244 |
YR 467 |
||
| YS 331 YS 335 |
YX1045 YX8927 |
|||||
| 72 | D 18 |
|||||
| L 56 L 58 |
M 144 |
N 129 |
||||
| T 384 |
X 471 | |||||
| Y 279 | YA 439 |
YD 259 |
||||
| YF 454 |
YG 121 |
YH 247 |
YJ 9 YJ 736 |
|||
| YK 9 |
YL 309 | YR 795 |
||||
| YT 12 |
YU 5 YU 9 |
YY2367 YY4989 |
||||
| 74 | ||||||
| S 223 |
||||||
| YD 91 |
||||||
| YH 176 |
||||||
| YM 4 |
YR 4 |
|||||
| YS 4 |
YX5358 YY7452 |
|||||
| 76 | G 38 |
H 19 |
||||
| N 106 |
||||||
| S 261 |
||||||
| YE 415 |
YG 322 |
|||||
| YL 7 | ||||||
| YU 33 |
YV 845 YV2118 |
YX4119 YZ2524 |
In 1978, the weight classes changed, along with all other plates in the state of Wisconsin. The lightest weight class of tractor plate isn't exactly known, however the lowest weight class found is C and the lowest weight class with evidence of them being issued is the B weight class.
| Base Weight |
Variation | 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 | DA 68 |
FA 1 |
||||
| LA1046 | ||||||
| 80 | ||||||
| JA 142 JA 253 |
||||||
| PA 160 | RA 967 RA1539 |
SA1121 |
||||
| TA 13?? | ||||||
| 82 | ||||||
| LA 662 LA 728 |
||||||
| PA 156 |
||||||
| TA 954 |
||||||
| 84 | DA 51 | |||||
| PA 1 |
RA 243 |
SA 273 |
||||
| TA 109 TA2541 |
||||||
| 86 | ||||||
| NA 606 |
PA 455 |
SA 850 |
||||
| TA 887 | ||||||
| 88 | ||||||
| TA 1 |
||||||
| 90 | ||||||
| LA 915 |
||||||
| QA 103 |
||||||
| TA 136? |
In 1992, the X and M weight classes were added. The 1994 base started at xS 1, with x being the weight class.
Tractor plates under the D weight class were reportedly discontinued sometime during the 2009 base according to one of the supervisors at the DOT. Given the evidence I have on hand, my best guess is that they were discontinued around 2015. I have since uncovered evidence that they were issued until at least 2019.
| Base Weight |
Variation | 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 | ||||||
| RA 168 |
TA 1 TA2990 |
|||||
| 94 | Wide Font |
DS 8 | ||||
| HS 38 | JS 194 | KS 76 | ||||
| LS 565 LS1134 |
MS 125 | QS 15 | ||||
| RS 287 | SS 1 SS 194 |
TS 6 TS3322 |
||||
| Narrow Prefix |
||||||
| TS 5208 TS 5378 |
||||||
| Wide Prefix |
ES 124 ES 153 |
|||||
| FS 557 | HS 559 | JS 368 JS 743 |
||||
| MS 1356 | PS 1060 PS 1440 |
QS 485 QS 516 |
||||
| RS 1077 RS 1313 |
TS 6220 TS23308 |
|||||
| Expected Ranges |
BS 1? | CS 1 CS 23 |
XS 1 XS 11 |
DS 1 DS 77 |
ES 1 ES 247 |
|
| FS 1 FS 533 |
GS 1 GS 565 |
HS 1 HS 728 |
JS 1 JS 760 |
KS 1 KS 953 |
||
| LS 1 LS 2701 |
MS 1 MS 2440 |
NS 1 NS 882 |
PS 1 PS1661? |
QS 1 QS 1104 |
||
| RS 1 RS 1828 |
SS 1 SS 1322 |
TS 1 TS23618 |
||||
| 09 | Expected Ranges |
BS 51 BS 61 |
CS 61 CS 95 CT 11 CT 13 |
XS 51 XS 100 |
DS 126 DS 223 |
ES 326 ES 641 |
| FS 651 FS 999 FS 101 FS 473 |
GS 701 GS 1212 |
HS 826 HS 1670 |
JS 826 JS 1619 |
KS 1001 KS 1705 |
||
| LS 3001 LS 4540 |
MS 3001 MS 5967 |
NS 1001 NS 1562 |
PS 1739 PS 3172 |
QS 1301 QS 2519 |
||
| RS 1901 RS 3501 |
SS 1401 SS 2224 |
TS24501 TS58688 |
||||
| Confirmed Ranges |
DS 134 | ES 347 ES 592 |
||||
| FS 889 FS 916 FS 379 FS 443 |
GS 883 | HS 1621 | JS 932 JS 1319 |
KS 1433 | ||
| LS 4123 | MS 3755 MS 5815 |
NS 1431 | PS 2164 PS 3012 |
QS 1601 QS 2145 |
||
| RS 1983 RS 3278 |
SS 1481 SS 1676 |
TS25204 TS58297 |
Permit reciprocity plates were issued from 1956 to 1969. They were a type of permit issued to out-of-state trucks having limited reciprocity with Wisconsin.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | PR 1509 | |
| 57 | PR 3184 | |
| 58 | ||
| JUN 59 | ||
| DEC 59 | PR 4784 | |
| 60 | PR 7054 PR 7066 |
|
| 61 | PR 9417 | |
| 62 | PR 940A | |
| 63 | PR14161 | |
| 64 | ||
| 65 | PR18545 PR19795 |
|
| 66 | PR20712 PR21353 |
|
| 67 | PR20959 | |
| 68 | PR18547 PR24758 |
|
| 69 | PR16327 PR28632 |
In 1970, permit reciprocity plates were renamed to prorate plates. Prorate plates were issued from 1970 to 1971, then were discontinued and likely replaced with prorate bingoboard plate stickers.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | PR32988 | |
| 71 | PR24977 |
Prorate bingoboard plate stickers were issued from 1971 to at least 1989. As the name suggests, they were stickers issued to bingoboard plates.
Canadian reciprocity license plates were issued to semi trucks having reciprocity with Canadian provinces. As of 1960 they were issued to semi trucks having reciprocity with Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, and as of 1963 they were issued to semi trucks having reciprocity with Saskatchewan. Canadian reciprocity plates were discontinued around 1967.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | CR 101 | |
| 57 | CR 733 | |
| 58 | CR 106 | |
| 59 | ||
| 60 | CR 532 | |
| 61 | CR 97 | |
| 62 | ||
| 63 | ||
| 64 | ||
| 65 | CR 93 CR 99 |
"Reciprocity" plates were bicycle-sized identification plates issued to out-of-state trucks and trailers with a gross weight of 8,000lbs. or more, which had full reciprocity with Wisconsin. They were issued from 1952 to around 1961, and allegedly there was only one red-on-white baseplate however two other bases have been found.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| ? | ||
| ? | ||
| ? |
Tax only license plates were another type of permit for out-of-state trucks having limited reciprocity with Wisconsin.
According to the 1985 Wisconsin plate guide, this confusing class of plates is "issued for vehicles currently registered in states having limited reciprocity with Wisconsin. Permits interstate operation only in accordance with reciprocal agreement with states imposing a tax on vehicles operated by Wisconsin residents."
These plates were issued from 1954 to 1986, then discontinued. Between 1975 and 1977 numbers for these plates dropped drastically and went from almost 10,000 numbers to less than 1000 in 1978, with the last found base in 1985 not even reaching 100.
| Base | Variation | Ranges |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | 244 | |
| 56 | ||
| 57 | ||
| 58 | ||
| 59 | ||
| 60 | ||
| 61 | ||
| 62 | 926 | |
| 63 | ||
| 64 | ||
| 65 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 67 | 639 | |
| 68 | ||
| 69 | 453 475 |
|
| 70 | ||
| 71 | 123 | |
| 72 | 9422 9775 |
|
| 74 | 6058 9953 |
|
| 75 | 543 8518 |
|
| 76 | 879 990 |
|
| 77 | 883 | |
| 78 | 186 296 |
|
| 79 | 626 | |
| 80 | 126 | |
| 81 | 238 | |
| 82 | 103 | |
| 83 | 368 | |
| 84 | 1 | |
| 85 | 74 | |
| 86 | (0000) |
