How long does a temporary registration permit last in Wisconsin?

Temporary plates are issued on a short-term basis (5-90 days). Resident temporary plate: 90 days.

How much does a temporary registration permit cost in Wisconsin?

The fee for a temporary plate is $3 if purchased by mail (Temporary License Plate Application MV2505, mailed to the address provided); visiting a DMV customer service center or a Wisconsin emissions testing station requires an additional counter service fee of $5. The opened canonical page does not state a separate fee for the resident 90-day plate, the collector/hobbyist plate (the page says only to mail MV2750 'with the correct fee'), or the emissions plate.

Who qualifies for a temporary registration permit in Wisconsin?

Resident temporary plate: Wisconsin residents for vehicles weighing up to 8,000 pounds (for example autocycles, automobiles and light trucks), with proof that all registration fees have been paid; a Wisconsin resident who buys a vehicle must pay the regular registration fee in order to obtain a temporary plate. Non-Wisconsin resident: a non-Wisconsin resident needing a temporary plate; dealer issuance only as part of a Wisconsin dealer sale.

How do I get a temporary registration permit in Wisconsin?

Resident: if buying from a Wisconsin dealer, the dealer will provide metal plates or a temporary plate if needed; if applying online to title and register the purchase, print a temporary plate upon completion; if visiting a DMV Customer Service Center or a third-party title registration provider, metal plates are issued immediately and no temporary plate is needed. Military: complete Temporary License Plate Application MV2505 and mail it to the address provided or visit a DMV customer service center offering registration services; the military page adds that form MV2505 must be completed and a copy of the leave order included (see notes for the canonical page's document wording).

Temporary Registration Permits in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin temporary permit in one table

Question	Wisconsin rule
Duration	Temporary plates are issued on a short-term basis (5-90 days). Resident temporary plate: 90 days. Non-Wisconsin resident temporary plate: 30 days, as named. Military leave temporary plate: 30 days (canonical page) / good for up to 30 days (military page); additional temporary plates can be requested to cover the length of the leave. Collector/Hobbyist temporary plate: five consecutive days in January. Emissions temporary plate: 30 days. Online (eMV) temporary plate: no duration stated on the opened pages.
Fee	The fee for a temporary plate is $3 if purchased by mail (Temporary License Plate Application MV2505, mailed to the address provided); visiting a DMV customer service center or a Wisconsin emissions testing station requires an additional counter service fee of $5. The opened canonical page does not state a separate fee for the resident 90-day plate, the collector/hobbyist plate (the page says only to mail MV2750 'with the correct fee'), or the emissions plate. Military leave temporary plate: no charge. Non-Wisconsin resident mail-in temporary plate: $3.00 fee (with a copy of the front and back of the title and Form MV2505). Dealer temporary plate: none stated for the plate itself on the opened pages; the buyers guide notes a fee for the dealer's title/registration service that allows plates and stickers right away, and that service fee is not stated as the temporary-plate fee.
Who qualifies	Resident temporary plate: Wisconsin residents for vehicles weighing up to 8,000 pounds (for example autocycles, automobiles and light trucks), with proof that all registration fees have been paid; a Wisconsin resident who buys a vehicle must pay the regular registration fee in order to obtain a temporary plate. Non-Wisconsin resident: a non-Wisconsin resident needing a temporary plate; dealer issuance only as part of a Wisconsin dealer sale. Military: any member of the U.S. military, U.S. allied military forces, or U.S. Foreign Service on leave or furlough; the vehicle does not need to be titled or registered in the name of the active military member. Collector/Hobbyist: a vehicle with Collector or Hobbyist plates, for operation on public roads in January. Emissions: a vehicle that does not pass the emission inspection and has expired registration. Temporary plates cannot be issued for: vehicles without current/paid registration; private-sale test driving after the seller transferred plates to a newer vehicle; buses (except school buses owned by a non-resident); for-hire vehicles; vehicles operated quarterly or consecutive monthly when registered gross weight is over 8,000 pounds; vehicles subject to registration under the International Registration Plan (IRP). Online temporary plate eligibility by vehicle type: none stated on the opened pages.
How to get it	Resident: if buying from a Wisconsin dealer, the dealer will provide metal plates or a temporary plate if needed; if applying online to title and register the purchase, print a temporary plate upon completion; if visiting a DMV Customer Service Center or a third-party title registration provider, metal plates are issued immediately and no temporary plate is needed. Military: complete Temporary License Plate Application MV2505 and mail it to the address provided or visit a DMV customer service center offering registration services; the military page adds that form MV2505 must be completed and a copy of the leave order included (see notes for the canonical page's document wording). Non-Wisconsin resident: via a Wisconsin dealer as part of a Wisconsin dealer sale, or otherwise by mailing a copy of the front and back of the title with Form MV2505 and the $3.00 fee. Collector/Hobbyist: complete Collector or Hobbyist Vehicle Temporary License Plate Application MV2750 and mail it with the correct fee to the address on the form, or visit a DMV customer service center offering registration services. Emissions: purchase a 30-day temporary plate; the $3-by-mail / $5-counter-fee paragraph follows this section on the page (see notes). Display: tape the temporary plate inside the lower corner of the rear window on the driver's side; if window size prevents that, tape it to the rear passenger window on the driver's side.

The permit types

Temporary plate - Wisconsin resident (90 days) - For Wisconsin residents, the mandatory display law requires vehicles weighing up to 8,000 pounds (for example: autocycles, automobiles and light trucks) to display a permanent or temporary plate within two business days of purchase. A temporary plate valid for 90 days may be issued with proof that all registration fees have been paid.
Temporary plate - dealer-issued (90 days) - A dealer provides a temporary plate good for 90 days if the buyer does not have a plate to transfer; a license plate must be displayed on all autos and light trucks.
Temporary plate - online (eMV Public) - A temporary plate printed on completion of an online title-and-registration application; stated on the opened military page for a vehicle purchased while temporarily out of state ('apply for title/plates through our online application and print a temporary plate (for auto and light truck) to drive with immediately').
30-Day temporary plate for non-Wisconsin residents - Temporary plate for a non-Wisconsin resident. 30-day temporary plates for non-Wisconsin residents can only be issued by a Wisconsin dealer as part of a Wisconsin dealer sale; if a temporary plate is otherwise needed for a non-Wisconsin resident, the mail-in route applies.
Temporary license plate while on leave from the military - Temporary plate for a military member while home on leave, good for up to 30 days, issued at no charge; the vehicle does not need to be titled or registered in the name of the military member. The canonical page extends this to any member of the U.S. military, U.S. allied military forces, or U.S. Foreign Service on leave or furlough, and states additional temporary plates can be requested to cover the length of the leave.
Collector / Hobbyist temporary plate (January) - A vehicle with Collector or Hobbyist plates cannot be operated on public roads in the month of January without a temporary plate; a temporary plate valid for five consecutive days in January may be purchased.
30-day temporary plate - failed emissions inspection - A vehicle that does not pass the emission inspection and has expired registration may still be operated with the purchase of a 30-day temporary plate, to allow time for repairs needed in order to meet emissions requirements.

What this permit is, and what it is not

Wisconsin fee and document wording needs care. The $3 mail fee and $5 counter service fee paragraph sits after the emissions section but is worded generally, so this guide states it as the general temporary-plate fee, not as an emissions-only fee. For military plates, the canonical page asks for a copy of active service and furlough, while the military page asks for form MV2505 and a copy of the leave order; both wordings are stated here as written. No opened page states whether any Wisconsin temporary plate other than additional military plates is renewable.

The process, step by step

Match the situation to the permit. The permit types below are not interchangeable; pick the one that fits the purchase and the paperwork gap.
Gather what the issuing office needs. Resident temporary plate: Wisconsin residents for vehicles weighing up to 8,000 pounds (for example autocycles, automobiles and light trucks), with proof that all registration fees have been paid; a Wisconsin resident who buys a vehicle must pay the regular registration fee in order to obtain a temporary plate. Non-Wisconsin resident: a non-Wisconsin resident needing a temporary plate; dealer issuance only as part of a Wisconsin dealer sale. Military: any member of the U.S. military, U.S. allied military forces, or U.S. Foreign Service on leave or furlough; the vehicle does not need to be titled or registered in the name of the active military member. Collector/Hobbyist: a vehicle with Collector or Hobbyist plates, for operation on public roads in January. Emissions: a vehicle that does not pass the emission inspection and has expired registration. Temporary plates cannot be issued for: vehicles without current/paid registration; private-sale test driving after the seller transferred plates to a newer vehicle; buses (except school buses owned by a non-resident); for-hire vehicles; vehicles operated quarterly or consecutive monthly when registered gross weight is over 8,000 pounds; vehicles subject to registration under the International Registration Plan (IRP). Online temporary plate eligibility by vehicle type: none stated on the opened pages.
Apply through the stated channel. Resident: if buying from a Wisconsin dealer, the dealer will provide metal plates or a temporary plate if needed; if applying online to title and register the purchase, print a temporary plate upon completion; if visiting a DMV Customer Service Center or a third-party title registration provider, metal plates are issued immediately and no temporary plate is needed. Military: complete Temporary License Plate Application MV2505 and mail it to the address provided or visit a DMV customer service center offering registration services; the military page adds that form MV2505 must be completed and a copy of the leave order included (see notes for the canonical page's document wording). Non-Wisconsin resident: via a Wisconsin dealer as part of a Wisconsin dealer sale, or otherwise by mailing a copy of the front and back of the title with Form MV2505 and the $3.00 fee. Collector/Hobbyist: complete Collector or Hobbyist Vehicle Temporary License Plate Application MV2750 and mail it with the correct fee to the address on the form, or visit a DMV customer service center offering registration services. Emissions: purchase a 30-day temporary plate; the $3-by-mail / $5-counter-fee paragraph follows this section on the page (see notes). Display: tape the temporary plate inside the lower corner of the rear window on the driver's side; if window size prevents that, tape it to the rear passenger window on the driver's side.
Mind the expiry. Temporary plates are issued on a short-term basis (5-90 days). Resident temporary plate: 90 days. Non-Wisconsin resident temporary plate: 30 days, as named. Military leave temporary plate: 30 days (canonical page) / good for up to 30 days (military page); additional temporary plates can be requested to cover the length of the leave. Collector/Hobbyist temporary plate: five consecutive days in January. Emissions temporary plate: 30 days. Online (eMV) temporary plate: no duration stated on the opened pages.
Do not treat a temporary permit as a renewal extension unless the permit says so. For an already-registered vehicle, renewal runs through the normal renewal process.

Temporary registration permits somewhere else

See Temporary registration permits in Washington.

See Temporary registration permits in Arizona.

For all states side by side, see the Temporary Registration Permits by State directory.

Source

Facts verified 2026-10-29.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency.