Years with a orange border are years where the example was in rough condition, so the color may be inaccurate.
Years with a dash (-) before 1960 are tabs.
Years with a dash (-) after 1959 are base plates.
Years with just a dash (-) are years that are skipped, such as Motorcycle and School Bus plates.
Years with a green border are based on piles of stickers, which means that the sticker color could be inaccurate.
Years with a white border are predictions based on sticker colors from previous years.
Years with a purple border are years that I saw what the text color was, but it was in a pile of stickers. While this would indicate that I am almost certain of the sticker color, there are no guarantees as to if I am correct.
Years with a blue border are years that are claimed to exist from other collectors, but there is no confirmation whatsoever as to if their claims are true
Years with a gray border are years that I predicted the sticker color based on previous years and sound knowledge of the base. Though most times I'm correct, this means that it isn't impossible that the year was an outliar of the base (like 1981 Ex Prisoners of War).
Years with one asterisk(*) are years that were not supposed to be issued. Sometimes they may have a note on them, so click them to see more.
Years with two asterisks (**) have notes at the bottom of the page. To go to the note, simply click on the asterisks. If you want to go back to the spot you were at, just click on the year (example: 1976 Wisconsin Truck: 1976 truck stickers do not exist for truck plates because of the shift from December expirations to January expirations.)
I have also ordered all of the types by their shared color cycles (such as farm plates being next to motorcycle plates and truck plates)

1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
         Passenger         
Not issued until 1905 1905-1910 (undated) 1911 1912 1913 1914 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 1940 1941 1942 43- 44- 45- 46 47-** 48- 49- 50- 51- 52- 53 54- 55 56- 57 58- 59 60 61- 62 63- 64 65- 66 67 68- 69 70 71 72 73- 74 75 76 77 78 79 80- 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Trucks Not issued until 1918 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 41 41 42 42-43 43-4- 44 45 45 46 47- 1948 Tab* 50- 1951 52-** 53 54 55 56- 57 58 59 60- 61- 62- 63- 64 65- 66 67- 68 69 70- 71 72 73 74- 75 ** 77 78 79** 80 81- 82 83 84** 85 86 87 88- 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Farm Not issued until 1935 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 41 41 42 42-43 43-4- 44-5- 45-46 47- 1948 49- 50-** 1951 52** 53- 54 55 56- 57 58 59 60- 61- 62- 63- 64 65- 66 67- 68 69 70- 71 72 73 74- 75 - 77 78 79 80 81- 82 83 84 85 86 87 88- 89 90 - 92 - 94 - 96 - 98 - 2000 - 02 - 04 - 06 - 08 - 10 - 12 - 14 - 16 - 18 - 20 - 22 - 24
Motorcycle Not issued until 1909 1909-1910 (undated) 1911 1912 1913 1914 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 1940 1941 1942 1943 Tabs 1946 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 1958 1959 60- 61- 62- 63- 64- 65- 66 67- 68 69 70- 71 72- 73 74- 75 - 77- 78 79- 80 81- 82 83- 84 85** 86 87 88 89- 90 - 92 - 94- - 96 - 98 - 2000 - 02 - 04 - 06 - 08 - 10 - 12 - 14 - 16 - 18 - 20 - 22 - 24
Dealer 1905-1910 (undated) 1911 1912 1913 1914 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 1938 1939 1940 19 41 19 42 43- 1944 45- 19 46 19 47 19 48 19 49 19 50 19 51 19 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60- 61- 62- 63- 64- 65- 66- 67- 68- 69- 70- 71- 72- 73- 74- 75- 76- 77- 78- 79- 80 81- 82 83- 84 85- 86 87- 88 89- 90 91-** 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11** 12** 13** 11-24 (undated)
Heavy Farm Truck 1951 52-** 53- 54 55 56- 57 58 59 60- 61- 62- 63- 64 65- 66 67- 68 69 70- 71 72 73 74- 75 - 77 78 79- 80 81- 82 83- 84 85** 86 87** 88 89- 90 91- 92 93-** 94 95- 96 ** 98 ** 2000 ** 02 ** 04 ** 06 ** 08 ** 10 ** 12 ** 14 ** 16 ** 18 ** 20 ** 22 ** 24
Insert Truck** Not issued until 1941 40 41 41 42 42-43 43-4- 44 45 45 46 46 47 47 48 48 49 49 50 50 51 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60- 61- 62- 63- 64- 65- 66- 67-** 68- 69- 70- 71- 72- 74- 76- 78- 80- 82- 84- 86- 88- 90- 92- 94- 09-
Light Truck For Hire Not Issued Until 1941 40 41 41 42 42-43 43-4- 44 45 45 46 46 47 47 48 48 49 49 50 50 51 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60- 61- 62- 63- 65- 67- 70- 74- 78- 80- 82- 84- 86- 88- 90- 92- 94- Discontinued
Semi Trailer 56 57 58 59 60- 61- 62-** 63- 64- 65- 66- 67- 68- 69- 70- 71- 72- 73 74- 75 76- 77 78- 79 80- 81 82- 83 84- 85 86 87** 87-24 (undated)
Apportioned Not issued until 1978 78- 81- 82- 83- 84- 85- 86- 87- 88- 89- 90- 91- 92- 93- 94- 95- 96- 97- 98- 99** 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Semi Sticker Plate 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 No more known examples beyond 1985
Ex POW Not Issued until 1981 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Antique Not Issued until 1957 Plate colors are hard to tell apart, so they may be a little off. All dates are undated. 57-59 60-62 62-63 64 64-67 67-69 69-73 73 73-77 77-80 80-24
Hobbyist Not Issued until 1976 76-24 (undated)
Collector Not issued until 1975 75-24 (undated)
Historic Not issued until 2010 10-24 (undated)
Transfer Trailer 85?-24 (undated)**
Menominee Natives
Oneida Natives
Disabled Veteran Truck
Low Speed Not issued until 2008 08 - 10 - 12 - 14 - 16 - 18 - 20 - 22 - 24
City Bus 28 Not much is known about City Bus plates. 40 It is unknown what happened to city bus license plates. All I know is that they were issued from the late 1920s the the early 1940s.
Mobile Home
Driver Education
School Bus
Bus
Special-X
Special-UX/Z
Dual Purpose Farm Not Issued until 1978 78- 79 80 81- 82 83 84 85 86 87 88- 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05** 06** 07** 08** 09** 10* 11* 12* Discontinued
Dual Purpose Vehicle
Trailer 29 30 30 31 31 32 32 33
A Trailer
ZA Trailer
State Patrol
Municipal
Monthly 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 Monthly sticker colors have followed insert sticker colors since at least 1985.
Quarterly March 41* 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Quarterly June 41* 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
September Quarterly 40* 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
DEC 40* 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
School Bus Inspection 73 74* 75 76 76 77 77 78 78 79 79 80 80 81 81 82 82 83 83 84 84 85 85 86 86 87 87 88 88 89 89 90 90 91 91 92 92 93 93 94 94 95 95 96 96 97 97 98 98 99 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Boat Stickers
Snowmobile Dealer
ATV Dealer
PSC Permit (No caption) 32 33** 34
PSC Permit (Not Hire) 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 After 1941, insert truck license plates were issued, eliminating the need for PSC permits.
PSC Permit (K1) 38 39 40
PSC Permit (MN) 37
PSC Permit (P) 37
PSC Permit (T) 33
PSC Permit (V1) 39 40 41
PSC Permit (X) 35
PSC Permit (X2) 39
PSC Permit (Z) 33
PSC Permit (Z2)

Stickers are issued by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for snowmobile dealer and ATV dealer license plates, boats, and ATV/UTVs.

Insert Truck 40 41-24: The plate colors are shown for most bases, and for years when a new baseplate wasn't issued, December quarterly stickers are used in place of the baseplate.

2005-2009 Dual Purpose Farm:Dual Purpose Farm plates were discontinued in 2004, and plates issued since 1988 were revalidated until 2009.

2010-2012 Dual Purpose Farm:Any vehicles revalidated beyond 2009 are plates that shouldn't have een used that long. Only one plate so far has been known, and it had December insert stickers on it back to at least 2010.

Insert tabs 1940-1941: Tabs were color coded depending on whether the tab belonged to a contractor or private vehicle, with the colors reversed between the two vehicle types:

There is no way to tell for sure whether a tab belonged to a specific baseplate or not. There is so much variation between years, so many different types, and people could have gotten the wrong tabs with a plate, and they may have placed a tab they found laying around onto a plate that the tab never belonged to. Until 1963, it is very hard to tell whether a tab belonged to a plate. Here are some ways that you can tell the tab may have belonged to the plate:
1. The tab is stuck to the plate, either by tab slots or it is bolted on
2. The tab has been seen multiple times with that baseplate
And here are some ways that a tab's data may be inaccurate:
1. The tabs came with the plates but weren't attatched to the plate
2. The color has already been used in the previous year or in a different quarter
3. There are multiple tabs with the same type code and expiration date, yet they are different colors or different formats.
In that case, I have coded the color codes for insert tabs differently:
Gray: 1 plate with that tab
Brown: 2 plates with that tab
Red: 3 plates with that tab
Light Orange: 4 plates with that tab
Black: 5 or more plates with that tab (likely enough to be confirmed for that base
Orange: Plate was in rough shape
Blue: Claimed by other collectors, not confirmed
Green: Guessed by process of elimination (all years for format and quarter are found but one and there is one unknown one, many unknown tabs guessed, etc.)
White: Predictions, likely based on other types
A dash (-) means that the tab was not attatched to the plate, rather it came loose with the plate or someone later tied it to the plate.
An asterisk (*) means that both tabs were from the same source.
A number inside of parhentesis (1) means that that is how many were not attached to a plate (for years with both tabs on a plate and off a plate)
For a tab to be counted for more than one confirmed tab, there needs to be different serial numbers. For example, F 1285 and F 1851 1951 base truck plates would count for two different tabs, but a pair of plates don't count for two different tabs.

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Plate Colors Only

C P
Sep 40 Sep 40
Dec 40 Dec 40
Mar 41 Mar 41
Jun 41 Jun 41
PSC Permit (T)PSC Permit (V1)PSC Permit (X)PSC Permit (X2)PSC Permit (Z)PSC Permit (Z2)For Hire LessorPrivate Lessor
1900190119021903190419051906190719081909 1910191119121913191419151916191719181919 1920192119221923192419251926192719281929 1930193119321933193419351936193719381939 1940194119421943194419451946194719481949 1950195119521953195419551956195719581959 1960196119621963196419651966196719681969 1970197119721973197419751976197719781979 1980198119821983198419851986198719881989 1990199119921993199419951996199719981999 2000200120022003200420052006200720082009 2010201120122013201420152016201720182019 20202021202220232024
Passenger Not Issued until 1905 Jul 1905-Aug 1911 (undated) 1911 1912 1913 1914 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 1940 19 41 19 42 46 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 68 73 80 87 88 95 01 18 22-24
Truck Not Issued until 1918
Farm
Motorcycle
Dealer
Heavy Farm Truck
Insert Truck
Light Truck For Hire
Semi Trailer
Apportioned
Ex POW
Antique
Hobbyist
Collector
Historic
Transfer Trailer
Menominee Natives
Oneida Natives
Low Speed
Mobile Home
Driver Education
School Bus
Bus
Special-X
Special-UX/Z
Dual Purpose Farm
Dual Purpose Vehicle
Trailer
A Trailer
ZA Trailer
State Patrol
Official
Snowmobile
ATV
PSC Permit (No caption)
PSC PErmit (NFH)
PSC Permit (K1)
PSC Permit (K2)
PSC Permit (K3)
PSC Permit (K4)
PSC Permit (MN)
PSC Permit (P)

Sticker/Tab Colors Only

Passenger 43 44 45 - 47 48 49 50 51 52 - 54 - 56 - 58 - 60 - 62 - 64 - 66 67 - 69 70 71

Plate, Tab, and Sticker Colors Sorted By Color

A small letter is the equivalent to a border in this format, as I can't practically use a border in a year with other years in the same box.

In this table, I have sorted plates alphabetically, as types do not matter in this format. The only exception is Passenger, as it is the main sticker palette for license plates in Wisconsin.

Type Color Silver/Black White/Black Orange/Black Orange Yellow/Black Yellow/Black Black/Gray Dark Blue/Gray Black/Light Gray Blue/Light Gray Black/Aluminum Dark Blue/Aluminum Red/Silver Foil Dark Blue/Silver Foil Blue/Silver Foil Black/White Red/White Green/White Teal/White Dark Blue/White Blue/White White/Brown White/Marroon Black/Red Silver/Red White/Red Yellow/Red White/Dark Orange Black/Orange Silver/Orange White/Orange Blue/Orange Black/Tan Dark Green/Tan Dark Blue/Tan Black/Yellow Red/Yellow Green/Yellow Teal/Yellow Dark Blue/Yellow Red/Yellow Foil Dark Blue/Yellow Foil Black/Pale Yellow Brown/Pale Yellow Red/Pale Yellow White/Very Dark Green White/Dark Green Black/Green Silver/Green White/Green
Passenger

Souces of sticker color information: Wisconsin DMV, Andrew Turnbull, Jim Moini, Eric Tanner, plate guides, Ebay, plate hut, deer tag museum, plate shack, W. Yoder Auction. (Other Ebay archive sites used: Sale Of Car, Worthpoint)

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Created October 27, 2018. Updated December 14, 2020.