Wisconsin License Plates
Wisconsin issued its first license plate in 1905 and unlike many East Coast states, none of these were porcelain. In 1940, the slogan "AMERICA’S DAIRYLAND" was introduced and is still used today. Wisconsin introduced its first license plate with graphics in 1986, which included images of a sailboat against a blazing sun, a couple of geese in flight, and a farm scene. The original issue year plate numbers were blue, which looked similar to the Illinois license plate and in 1987, the imprint color changed to red.
The Wisconsin license plates issued in 1905 – 1913 were made by riveting aluminum numbers onto a metal base. The only years where Wisconsin’s plates were undated were 1905 through 1911. In 1968, Wisconsin issued its first retro-reflective license plate in a lemon-yellow finish. Reflective white followed in 1968 and Reflective Yellow in 1980. All license plates issued by Wisconsin after 1968 had a retro-reflective finish. The DOT awarded states with funds for road projects if states issued license plates with a retro-reflective finish.
