The U.S. state of Wisconsin first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1905. Plates are currently issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.
In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Wisconsin license plate that complied with these standards.
Tribal and Indian nation plates are given to members and nonmembers who reside on their respective reservation. Plates also usually bear special-design expiration stickers unavailable to the rest of the state or other reservations, except for Ho-Chunk nation plates, which use standard Wisconsin expiration stickers.
Additionally, most reservations issue non-passenger plates. Truck plates generally start with "T", except for Oneida and Menominee, which use various other prefixes to denote trucks. Most reservations also have motorcycle plates available, and some also issue motorhome plates. Disabled plates are available for multiple reservations, as well as disabled veteran plates. Some also issue plates specifically for municipal and tribal government vehicles.