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License Plate Gallery

The Wisconsin Pages:

Light Truck, 1918-1980

Light trucks have been issued distinctive license plates in Wisconsin since 1918. Through 1930, these issues followed the same colors and formats as passenger plates; though the 1918 and 1919 issues employ an abbreviation of "Wis" rather than "W."

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

As with passenger plates, light truck plates adopted the use of weight class code letters in 1924. Since the law stipulating this went into effect in July 1923, some late 1923-dated plates with code letters were made as well. While passenger plates dropped the letters after 1931, truck plates have retained them through the present day.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

In 1930, truck plates shifted to a July-to-June replacement cycle. June would be retained as the expiration for light truck plates until 1952, when expirations reverted to December. From this point through the mid 1990s, truck plates would employ color schemes and (often) replacement cycles substantially different from those for passenger cars.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

Several die and stamping variations exist on 1970-73 truck plates. This series was also the first to see the advent of two-alpha prefixes; initially as an overflow series.

Confirmed serial ranges and break points:

The 1974-80 series of truck plates is nothing if not complicated. In addition to the usual stable of die and format variations evidenced before, this series saw a number of changes pertaining to the schemes of registration itself. The constant expiration month shifted yet again; this time to January, in 1976. In 1978, meanwhile, weight codes shifted to better reflect the allotments of vehicles in use: "D" codes ceased being issued to light trucks, and "A" codes became much more common from this point on. A "79"-dated baseplate came into use for new registrants at this point. Older plates, however, were not immediately replaced...and since the older plates no longer necessarily corresponded to the weight classes stated on them, various chaos ensued. For 1979 expirations, Wisconsin sufficed by issuing two different colors of stickers to indicate this fact...though it's anyone's guess how closely this was adhered to. For 1980, the state issued stickers emblazoned with "4500," "6000," or "8000" notations. (Some 1979 expirations for new registrants received this style of sticker as well.)

Confirmed serial ranges and break points: