Vehicle registration

Annual registration periods begin the date you first operated the vehicle on Wisconsin roadways, certified by you when you title/register the vehicle. The expiration date will always be at the end of the month. Annual registration may not be renewed more than 180 days in advance of the expiration date.

The expiration month for autos, light trucks, autocycles will always be the same month you first operated the vehicle.

The expiration month for other annual registrations will be a set month and the fees will be prorated when first titling/registering the vehicle. For example:

• Heavy farm truck and farm trailers expire in February
• Heavy farm trucks prorated fee chart
• Farm trailer prorated fee chart
• Motorhomes expire in March
• Motorhome prorated fee chart
• Recreational vehicle trailer plates expires in April
• RV trailer prorated fee chart
• Heavy trucks/tractors and trailers expire in December
• HTK/TOR prorated fee chart
• Trailer prorated fee chart

SUVs and vans

If seating capacity of the sport utility vehicle or van is greater than 50% of the total space available, you may license it with automobile registration. If cargo space comprises more than 50% of available floor space, you must register it as a truck at the appropriate gross weight.

Note: If the vehicle has an open truck bed, it is considered a pickup and does not qualify for an auto plate.

Non-operation

If your vehicle has been out of operation for at least one full registration period, you can avoid paying registration fees for the time the vehicle was out of use by completing a non-operation statement. To qualify, your vehicle must have been out of operation for one full year after the registration expires.

Example: If your last registration expired on June 30th, the vehicle must not have been operated on Wisconsin roads from July 1st of that year until July 1st of the following year to qualify for a period of non-operation.

How to submit a non-operation statement

• If your vehicle has been out of operation for more than one year after the registration expiration date, you will be able to enter a non-operation statement within the online renewal.
• If you renew by mail or in person at a DMV services center that provides registration services, complete the back of your license plate renewal notice, or complete the Substitute Renewal Notice/Non-Operation Statement MV2016.

Registrations for motorcycles, mopeds, low speed vehicles and light farm trucks (up to 12,000 lbs. gross weight) expire only in even years.

• Light farm plates expire at the end of February
• Motorcycles, mopeds and low speed vehicles expire at the end of April

The first time you title/register the vehicle, the registration fees will be prorated. See charts for prorated fees:

• Motorcycle, moped and low speed vehicle
• Light farms trucks

Non-operation

If your vehicle has been out of operation for at least one full registration period, you can avoid paying registration fees for the time the vehicle was out of use by completing a non-operation statement. To qualify, your vehicle must have been out of operation for one full year after the registration expires.

An acceptable period of non-operation is 12 months or more from the expiration of the last registration period, even though the registration period is 24 months.

How to submit a non-operation statement

• If your vehicle has been out of operation for more than one year after the registration expiration date, you will be able to enter a non-operation statement within the online renewal.
• If you renew by mail or in person at a DMV services center that provides registration services, complete the back of your license plate renewal notice, or complete the Substitute Renewal Notice/Non-Operation Statement MV2016.

Consecutive monthly registration can be issued for a minimum of three consecutive months, or a maximum of four consecutive months, in a calendar year.

The registered gross weight of the vehicle must be over 8,000 pounds. Only motor trucks, trailers or truck tractors transporting the following commodities or providing the following services qualify:

• A motor truck, trailer or truck tractor used only to transport any of the following:
• Concrete pipe or block and related materials
• Calcium chloride liquid
• A weight transfer machine for purposes associated with truck or tractor pulling competitions or events
• Recycled metal salvage materials
• Logs or pulpwood
• Dirt, fill or aggregates
• Fresh milk
• Perishable fresh fruits or vegetables for canning, freezing, dehydrating or storage prior to processing, including return of waste
• Petroleum products
• A motor truck, trailer or truck tractor equipped with a dump, box or other container used only to transport any of the following:
• Gravel
• Concrete
• Cement and bituminous road construction materials
• Agricultural lime
• Feed
• Grain
• Fertilizer
  
• A motor truck or a trailer or a truck tractor equipped with a mechanical mixer used only to mix and deliver concrete.
  
• A motor truck or truck tractor owned by a retail lumberyard and used only to transport building construction materials from that lumberyard to a building construction site.
  
• Any motor vehicle used only for towing operations of stalled or disabled vehicles.
  

Refer to the Gross Weight Fee Schedule on form MV1 or the fee charts for pro-rated fees:

• Road tractor and truck
• Trailer
• Truck tractor

Please check our list of DMV Customer Service Centers to confirm the location you prefer is able to process consecutive monthly registration.

Non-operation

If your vehicle has been out of operation for at least one full registration period, you can avoid paying registration fees for the time the vehicle was out of use by completing a non-operation statement. Non-operation consideration may be given to one or more-month periods of nonuse for a vehicle registered under consecutive monthly registration or being re-registered from quarterly to consecutive monthly registration.

How to submit a non-operation statement:

• If your vehicle has been out of operation for more than one year after the registration expiration date, you will be able to enter a non-operation statement within the online renewal.
• If you renew by mail or in person at a DMV services center that provides registration services, complete the back of your license plate renewal notice, or complete the Substitute Renewal Notice/Non-Operation Statement MV2016.

Quarterly registration of a vehicle is for three consecutive months, see chart below. You pay for the whole quarter. An extra fee of $5 is charged at the time of initial registration and renewals.

The registration fee for a bus, truck, truck tractor or trailer may be paid on a quarterly basis when the registered gross weight of such unit is over 8,000 pounds. Truck tractor fees are based on the gross weight of the entire unit, which consists of the tractor, semi-trailer and load.

Farm trucks and other vehicles registered for restricted use do not qualify for quarterly registration.

Quarters for buses, trailers, trucks and tractor/semi-trailer are:

The registration fee for motorhomes also may be paid on a quarterly basis when the registered gross weight of such unit is over 8,000 pounds. Motorhome fees are based on the gross weight of the unit including property and passengers. Quarters for motorhomes are:

Refer to the fee charts for pro-rated fees:

• Road tractor and truck
• Trailer
• Truck tractor
• Motorhome fee chart

Non-operation

If your vehicle has been out of operation for at least one full registration period, you can avoid paying registration fees for the time the vehicle was out of use by completing a non-operation statement. To qualify, your vehicle must have been out of operation from the day after the last registration expired for at least one or more full quarters.

How to submit a non-operation statement

• If your vehicle has been out of operation for more than one year after the registration expiration date, you will be able to enter a non-operation statement within the online renewal.
• If you renew by mail or in person at a DMV services center that provides registration services, complete the back of your license plate renewal notice, or complete the Substitute Renewal Notice/Non-Operation Statement MV2016.

Telephone authorization (TA) is a call-in procedure only for intra-state operation of motor carriers that allows them to operate on Wisconsin highways without displaying evidence of registration. The program allows for immediate operation of an unregistered or newly acquired vehicle. Vehicles registered consecutive monthly may obtain telephone authorization for a $7.50 fee by calling (608) 267-5103.

You can apply for a telephone authorization up to 3 days before the start of your new registration period. After you’ve received authorization to operate, you must submit application for title and/or registration and fees within 72 hours.