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LRB-4112/5
EVM:emw
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
January 21, 2022 - Introduced by Senators Petrowski, Erpenbach, Cowles,
Marklein, Ringhand, Smith and Wanggaard, cosponsored by Representatives
Spiros, Armstrong, Considine, Duchow, Edming, Gundrum, Pope, Wichgers
and Wittke. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Local
Government.
SB888,1,8 1An Act to amend 341.27 (title), 341.27 (1), 341.27 (3) (intro.), 341.27 (3) (a),
2341.27 (3) (b), 341.28 (title), 341.28 (1), 341.28 (2) (intro.), 341.28 (2) (a), 341.28
3(2) (b), 341.28 (3), 341.28 (4) (intro.), 341.28 (4) (a), 341.28 (4) (b), 341.28 (4) (c),
4341.28 (5), 341.28 (6), 341.28 (7) (intro.), 341.28 (7) (a), 341.28 (7) (b), 341.29
5(title), 341.29 (1), 341.295 (title), 341.31 (title), 341.31 (1) (b) 6. and 342.15 (4)
6(a); and to create 341.27 (2), 341.27 (3) (c) and 341.35 (1m) of the statutes;
7relating to: registration periods for certain motor vehicles and reuse of
8registration plates.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, most automobiles and motor trucks having a registered
weight of 8,000 pounds or less (light trucks) are registered by the Department of
Transportation for a period of one year. The registration ends after the passing of a
calendar year. Under this bill, most automobiles and light trucks are registered by
DOT under the monthly series system of registration. In the monthly series system,
there are 12 registration periods, each designated by a calendar month and
beginning on the first day of the month and ending on the last day of the 12th month
beginning after commencement. The registration, in general, begins on the date of
registration and ends on the final day of the 12th month beginning after
commencement.

Current law allows a county, town, village, or city to enact an ordinance to
collect an annual registration fee for automobiles or light trucks that are customarily
kept in the county, town, village, or city. Under the bill, the registration period for
any county, town, village, or city motor vehicle registration must be synchronous
with the DOT's registration period for that vehicle.
Also under current law, if a person transfers a motor truck, dual purpose motor
home, or dual purpose farm truck with a gross weight of not more than 8,000 pounds,
the owner may keep and use the vehicle's registration plates on another vehicle of
the same type and gross weight. Under the bill, such plates may be used on another
vehicle of the same type with a gross weight of less than 8,000 pounds, whether or
not the gross weight is the same as the previous vehicle.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB888,1 1Section 1. 341.27 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,2,3 2341.27 (title) Registration periods for private automobiles, certain
3motor trucks,
and taxicabs.
SB888,2 4Section 2. 341.27 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,2,95 341.27 (1) All automobiles and motor trucks having a registered weight of
68,000 pounds or less
, other than those that may be registered under s. 341.26 (2),
7341.265, 341.266, 341.268, or 341.269 or are required by s. 341.29 to be registered
8on a calendar-year basis, shall be registered by the department according to the
9monthly series system of registration prescribed by this section.
SB888,3 10Section 3. 341.27 (2) of the statutes is created to read:
SB888,3,211 341.27 (2) There are established 12 registration periods, each to be designated
12by a calendar month and, except as provided in sub. (3) (c) and s. 341.28 (7) (a), to
13start on the first day of the month and end on the last day of the 12th month
14beginning after the date of commencing. The department shall administer the
15monthly series system of registration to distribute the work of registering

1automobiles and motor trucks having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less as
2uniformly as practicable throughout the calendar year.
SB888,4 3Section 4. 341.27 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,3,74 341.27 (3) (intro.) All automobiles and motor trucks having a registered weight
5of 8,000 pounds or less that are
subject to the registration system under this section
6shall be registered by the department for a period of one year 12 consecutive months,
7except as follows:
SB888,5 8Section 5. 341.27 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,3,189 341.27 (3) (a) If the applicant holds current registration plates that were
10removed from an automobile or a motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000
11pounds or less
that the applicant no longer owns or that has been junked, is no longer
12used on the highways, or has been registered as a special interest vehicle under s.
13341.266 (2) (a) or a reconstructed, replica, street modified, or homemade vehicle
14under s. 341.268 (2) (a), and the plates were issued under the system of registration
15prescribed by this section, and the application is for registration of the same type of
16vehicle,
the department shall register the automobile which or motor truck having
17a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less that
is the subject of the application for
18the remainder of the unexpired registration period.
SB888,6 19Section 6. 341.27 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,4,220 341.27 (3) (b) If the applicant does not hold current registration plates under
21the circumstances described in par. (a) and the application is an original rather than
22renewal application, the
The department may register the an automobile which is
23the subject of the application
or a motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000
24pounds or less
for such a registration period or part thereof as other than a period
25of 12 consecutive months if
the secretary determines that the different registration

1period
will help to equalize the registration and renewal workload of the department
2or will avoid unnecessary cost or inconvenience.
SB888,7 3Section 7. 341.27 (3) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
SB888,4,114 341.27 (3) (c) 1. For an application for original registration, the registration
5period shall include, in addition to the 12-month registration period, the period
6beginning on the date that a complete application for registration, including
7evidence of any inspection under s. 110.20 when required, accompanied by the
8required fee is delivered to the department, submitted to a dealer under s. 341.09
9(2m) for transmittal to the department, or deposited in the mail properly addressed
10to the department with postage prepaid and continuing through the end of that
11month.
SB888,4,1512 2. For an application for renewal of a registration that ends on a date other than
13the last day of a month, the registration period shall include, in addition to the
1412-month registration period, the period beginning on the date that the previous
15registration period expires and continuing through the end of that month.
SB888,8 16Section 8. 341.28 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,4,18 17341.28 (title) When part-year Part-year fees payable for private
18automobiles; computation of part-year fees
.
SB888,9 19Section 9. 341.28 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,4,2320 341.28 (1) The applicant for registration of an automobile or motor truck
21having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
under the system of registration
22prescribed by s. 341.27 shall pay in full the annual registration fee prescribed by law,
23except as otherwise provided in this section.
SB888,10 24Section 10. 341.28 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,5,9
1341.28 (2) (intro.) If the applicant for registration holds current registration
2plates which that were removed from an automobile which or motor truck having a
3registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less that
the applicant no longer owns or which
4that has been junked, is no longer being used on the highways, or has been registered
5as a special interest vehicle under s. 341.266 (2) (a) or a reconstructed, replica, street
6modified, or homemade vehicle under s. 341.268 (2) (a), and the plates were issued
7under the system of registration prescribed by s. 341.27, and the application is for
8registration of the same type of vehicle,
the applicant is exempt from the payment
9of a registration fee, except in the following cases:
SB888,11 10Section 11. 341.28 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,5,1911 341.28 (2) (a) If the annual fee prescribed for the automobile or motor truck
12having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
being registered is higher than the
13annual fee prescribed for the automobile or motor truck having a registered weight
14of 8,000 pounds or less
from which the plates were removed, the applicant shall pay
15a fee computed on the basis of one-twelfth of the difference between the 2 annual fees
16multiplied by the number of months for which the automobile which or motor truck
17having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less that
is the subject of the
18application is being registered. The start of the new registration, for the purpose of
19computing the fee, shall be determined in accordance with sub. (7).
SB888,12 20Section 12. 341.28 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,6,1221 341.28 (2) (b) If the automobile which or motor truck having a registered weight
22of 8,000 pounds or less that
is the subject of the application was owned by the
23applicant at any time during the month in which the transfer, termination of the
24consumer lease, discontinuance of use on the highways, junking, or registration
25under s. 341.266 (2) (a) or 341.268 (2) (a) of the other automobile or motor truck

1having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
occurred and was not currently
2registered at the time of such the transfer, termination of the consumer lease,
3discontinuance of use on the highways, junking, or registration under s. 341.266 (2)
4(a) or 341.268 (2) (a), the applicant shall pay a fee to be computed as provided in subs.
5(3) to (5) but shall receive a credit for the unused portion of the current registration.
6The credit shall be computed on the basis of one-twelfth of the annual fee paid for
7the vehicle from which the plates were removed multiplied by the number of months
8remaining in the registration period represented by the removed plates, including
9the month during which the applicant transferred, discontinued to use on the
10highways, junked, or registered under s. 341.266 (2) (a) or 341.268 (2) (a) or
11terminated the consumer lease of the automobile or motor truck having a registered
12weight of 8,000 pounds or less
from which the plates were removed.
SB888,13 13Section 13. 341.28 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,6,2314 341.28 (3) If the applicant does not hold current registration plates under the
15circumstances described in sub. (2) and the automobile which or motor truck having
16a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less that
is the subject of the application has
17not previously been registered in this state by the applicant, the fee payable by the
18applicant shall be computed on the basis of one-twelfth of the annual fee multiplied
19by the number of months for which the automobile or motor truck having a registered
20weight of 8,000 pounds or less
is being registered, with the start of such the
21registration period to be determined in accordance with sub. (7). If the registration
22period begins on a date other than the first day of a month, the department shall
23disregard the initial partial month in calculating the fee under this subsection.
SB888,14 24Section 14. 341.28 (4) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,7,7
1341.28 (4) (intro.) If the applicant does not hold current registration plates
2under the circumstances described in sub. (2) but the automobile which or motor
3truck having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less that
is the subject of the
4application has previously been registered in this state by the applicant, the
5applicant shall pay a fee covering all the time since the end of the period for which
6the automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
7previously was registered unless any of the following applies:
SB888,15 8Section 15. 341.28 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,7,119 341.28 (4) (a) The automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of
108,000 pounds or less
in the meantime has been owned by another person or registered
11in another state; or.
SB888,16 12Section 16. 341.28 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,7,2013 341.28 (4) (b) At least 12 months have elapsed since the end of the period for
14which the automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or
15less
previously was registered and the applicant filed with the department a
16statement that the applicant did not during those 12 months operate or consent to
17the operation of such the automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of
188,000 pounds or less
under circumstances making the automobile or motor truck
19having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
subject to registration in this state;
20or
.
SB888,17 21Section 17. 341.28 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,8,322 341.28 (4) (c) The automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000
23pounds or less
is owned by a person who has been in active military service or who
24is a member of the U.S. foreign service appointed under 22 USC 3942 (a) (1) or 3943
25who has been in active service and less than 12 months of nonoperation have elapsed

1since the end of the period for which the automobile or motor truck having a
2registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
was previously registered, provided the
3applicant files with the department a statement of such nonoperation.
SB888,18 4Section 18. 341.28 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,8,95 341.28 (5) Under the circumstances described in sub. (4), the fee payable by the
6applicant shall be computed as prescribed in sub. (3) for an automobile or motor truck
7having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less that was
not previously registered
8by the applicant in this state, provided that he or she first files with the department
9a statement of nonoperation if required to do so by sub. (7).
SB888,19 10Section 19. 341.28 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,8,1411 341.28 (6) If the automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000
12pounds or less
being registered under the circumstances described in sub. (3) or (4)
13is a replacement for a registered vehicle which that has been junked, the applicant
14is entitled to a credit to be computed and applied in accordance with s. 341.31 (2) (b).
SB888,20 15Section 20. 341.28 (7) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,8,1916 341.28 (7) (intro.) For the purpose of computing the registration fee payable
17upon registration of an automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000
18pounds or less
under circumstances described in subs. (2) to (4), the beginning of the
19current registration period shall be determined as follows:
SB888,21 20Section 21. 341.28 (7) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,9,521 341.28 (7) (a) The registration period for an automobile or motor truck having
22a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
commences when on the day on which the
23first operation of the automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000
24pounds or less
under circumstances making the owner liable for its registration in
25this state occurs. For purposes of this paragraph, “first operation" means operation

1of an automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
2for the first time after it was transferred or leased to the applicant or after it was
3registered in another state or after an active service refund or after the expiration
4of 12 months of nonoperation since expiration of the last registration in this state or
5after it was no longer used on the highways.
SB888,22 6Section 22. 341.28 (7) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,9,247 341.28 (7) (b) In the case of an automobile which or motor truck having a
8registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less that
has not previously been registered or
9which that has not been registered in this state by the present owner since the owner
10last acquired ownership of the automobile or motor truck having a registered weight
11of 8,000 pounds or less
, the department shall assume that the date of first operation
12within the meaning of par. (a) is the date of the bill of sale evidencing the transfer
13of ownership to the applicant or, with respect to a leased vehicle, the date of
14commencement of the lease by the applicant, unless the applicant files with the
15department a statement that the automobile or motor truck having a registered
16weight of 8,000 pounds or less
was not so operated until a later date, specifying the
17date of such first operation. In the case of at least 12 months of nonoperation of an
18automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
19previously registered by the applicant, the applicant must shall file with the
20department a statement that he or she did not operate or consent to the operation
21of the automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less
22under circumstances making it subject to registration in this state during such the
2312-month period and must shall specify the date following such that period when the
24automobile or motor truck having a registered weight of 8,000 pounds or less was

1first so operated. The department may refuse to accept a statement which that
2projects the date of first operation into the future.
SB888,23 3Section 23. 341.29 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,10,5 4341.29 (title) Registration for vehicles other than private automobiles,
5certain motor trucks,
and taxicabs.
SB888,24 6Section 24. 341.29 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,10,127 341.29 (1) The registration period for all vehicles registered on an annual basis,
8other than private automobiles, motor trucks having a registered weight of 8,000
9pounds or less
, taxicabs, those eligible for quarterly registration under s. 341.30, and
10driver education vehicles, shall be determined by the secretary. The secretary may
11require that any of the vehicles subject to this section be registered according to the
12monthly series system under s. 341.295.
SB888,25 13Section 25. 341.295 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,10,15 14341.295 (title) Special registration period for certain vehicles other
15than private automobiles and taxicabs
.
SB888,26 16Section 26. 341.31 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,10,18 17341.31 (title) When part-period fees payable for vehicles other than
18automobiles
and certain motor trucks; computation of part-period fees.
SB888,27 19Section 27. 341.31 (1) (b) 6. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB888,10,2520 341.31 (1) (b) 6. The vehicle which that has been transferred to or leased by the
21applicant is a motor home or a motor truck, dual purpose motor home or dual purpose
22farm truck which that had been registered by the previous owner at a gross weight
23of 8,000 pounds or less, other than a dual purpose motor home to be registered as a
24motor truck,
or is a farm truck which that had been registered by the previous owner
25at a gross weight of 12,000 pounds or less; or
SB888,28
1Section 28. 341.35 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB888,11,42 341.35 (1m) Registration period. A municipality or county shall establish the
3registration period provided by the department for the motor vehicle as the
4registration period for a motor vehicle registered by the municipality or county.
SB888,29 5Section 29. 342.15 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
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