Wisconsin · WI · Vehicles
Wisconsin: Do you need a front license plate?
Front and rear plates
Wisconsin issues two plates for cars and requires one on the front and one on the rear.
State law tells the DMV to issue two plates for an automobile, and when two plates are issued, one goes on the front and one on the rear. Vehicles that get only one plate, such as motorcycles and trailers, display it on the rear, while truck tractors and road tractors display it on the front. The statute has no general exemption for cars built without a front plate bracket.
What the law says
Whenever 2 registration plates are issued for a vehicle, one plate shall be attached to the front and one to the rear of the vehicle.
Sources
- Wis. Stat. § 341.15(1) Official · docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
- Wis. Stat. § 341.12(1) Official · docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles
- Phone
- (608) 264-7447
- Website
- wisconsindot.gov
How bordering states compare
- Illinois Front and rear platesIllinois requires passenger cars to display registration plates on both the front and the rear.
- Iowa Front and rear platesIowa requires passenger cars to display registration plates on both the front and the rear.
- Michigan Rear plate onlyMichigan requires only a rear license plate on passenger cars.
- Minnesota Front and rear platesMinnesota requires passenger cars to display one plate on the front and one on the rear.