A refund of fees paid for annual, quarterly or consecutive monthly registration is only possible if requested before the beginning of the registration period.
If you renew your license plates and later dispose of the vehicle by selling or junking it, or move out of Wisconsin after the new registration period begins, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation DMV is unable to refund the unused portion of the registration fee.
For biennial registration (motorcycles and 12,000 lb. farm plates), the second year of registration may be refunded before the beginning of the second year. (Wis. Stat 341.33(3))
To request a refund on fees paid before the new registration period:
- Complete License Plate/Registration Refund Request form MV2030
- Include this form, the original Certificate of Vehicle Registration, and the year sticker
- Send to the address listed on the form for the plate type listed
No fee to transfer plates
When you sell, junk or remove a vehicle from operation, you may transfer most valid license plates to another vehicle of the same type (example: auto to auto, or pickup truck to same weight pickup truck). The other vehicle must also be registered to you, your spouse or domestic partner. There is no fee and the registration period remains the same.