341.12 Design, procurement and issuance of registration plates.

(1) The department upon registering a vehicle pursuant to s. 341.25 or 341.30 shall issue and deliver prepaid to the applicant 2 registration plates for an automobile, motor truck, motor bus, school bus, motor home, or dual purpose motor home and one plate for other vehicles. The department upon registering a vehicle pursuant to any other section shall issue one plate unless the department determines that 2 plates will better serve the interests of law enforcement.

(2) The department shall purchase plates from the Waupun Correctional Institution unless otherwise approved by the governor. Subject to any specific requirements which may be imposed by statute, the department shall determine the size, color and design of registration plates with a view toward making them visible evidence of the period for which the vehicle is registered and the fee class into which the vehicle falls as well as making them a ready means of identifying the specific vehicle or owner for which the plates were issued.

(3) All registration plates shall have displayed upon them the following:

(a) The registration number assigned to the vehicle or owner. The registration number shall be composed of numbers or letters or both.

(b) The name “Wisconsin" or abbreviation “Wis".

(c) An indication of the period for which the specific plate is issued or the date of expiration of registration.

(4)

(a) All registration plates issued under s. 341.25 (1) (a) and for motor trucks having a gross weight of not more than 8,000 pounds shall be treated with a reflectorized material or substance. The department shall prescribe the term for the use of reflectorized plates.

(b) The department, in conjunction with the department of corrections and the department of administration, shall establish the specifications for the reflectorized material and invite bids for supplying reflectorized material. The department of administration shall establish a date for the opening of such bids and shall award the contract for supplying reflectorized material to the lowest responsible bidder. The specifications shall be drawn up for each base plate year.

History: 1971 c. 164 ss. 71, 83; 1975 c. 136; 1977 c. 29 ss. 1415, 1654 (7) (a); 1977 c. 418 s. 924 (18) (a); 1979 c. 34; 1989 a. 31; 1993 a. 16; 1999 a. 9; 2007 a. 11.