× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Q: Why are Wisconsin license plates so poorly made these days?

A: Car drivers in New York, Illinois and Ontario have, over the years, been victims of delaminated license plates because of a flawed batch, but not in Wisconsin.

Jerome Krueger, supervisor in the Division of Motor Vehicles license plates section, said there is no flaw in the process. It’s just that Wisconsin has a lot of plates that are getting old, and they are generally expected to last five years. It’s an indication that people may be keeping their cars longer, also.

“There is not really a group that we see as delaminating before we are really expecting them to,” he said.

“Roughly, we say about five years, and the industry supports that. We tend to see most plates last in the seven- to 10-year range. Generally, if you park your car outside during the day, especially in Wisconsin winters, (the plates) will deteriorate faster,” he said.

The law says if a plate is illegible, it must be replaced, but it does not specify a penalty.