New Wisconsin License Plates Will Contain 7 Characters

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin license plates have features six characters for more than 30 years, but that’s about to change.

The state Department of Transportation expects to begin issuing plates with seven numbers and letters beginning later this month as the inventory of six-character plates dwindles. Department of Corrections prisoners are already making the plates.

The six-character plates allowed for about 20 million different combinations. It will take a while to exhaust the seven-character plates with up to 100 million combinations possible.

The new plates will start with letters first, then the four digits. That’s a reversal from the current combination in which numbers are first.