Wisconsin title answers · Vehicle types
Do ATVs and UTVs have titles in Wisconsin?
Short answer
No. Wisconsin does not title ATVs or UTVs. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) registers them and issues a registration card and decals, while WisDOT titles cars, trucks, motorcycles and trailers. When you buy a used one, the seller hands you the DNR registration card and you apply to transfer it within 10 days. The part people miss is that the DNR wants proof that sales tax was paid on every sale, private ones included.
Who handles ATVs and UTVs
The DNR's registration page says it registers boats, ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles and off-highway motorcycles, and that WisDOT issues titles and plates for automobiles, motorcycles, trailers and trucks. The ATV and UTV statute, Wis. Stat. 23.33, sets out registration rules and does not create a certificate of title.
So if you are searching for a Wisconsin ATV title form, there isn't one. WisDOT's bonded title process for cars and trucks does not apply to an ATV or UTV either, and a bill of sale plus the DNR card is the whole paper trail on a Wisconsin machine.
The registration types and what they cost
These are the DNR's listed fees. Check the DNR page before you pay, since fees change.
- Public use: $30 the first time, then $30 every 2 years plus a $1 renewal issuing fee. Needed for public trails, road routes and frozen waterways. Runs April 1 to March 31 two years later.
- Private use, agricultural: $15, good until the machine changes owners.
- Private use, non-agricultural: $15, good until the machine changes owners. Only for land you or your immediate family own or lease.
- Transfer to a new owner: $5, plus the registration fee.
- Late renewal of an expired public decal: $5, which the DNR says it waives when the renewal is part of a transfer.
Buying a used ATV or UTV
The DNR says the seller must give the registration certificate card to the buyer at the time of the transfer, and the buyer must apply for the transfer within 10 days. If you buy from a Wisconsin dealer, the dealer has 5 days to submit the registration for you and gives you a signed receipt to carry until decals arrive.
Get a signed, dated bill of sale with the VIN, the price, and both names, and check that the VIN on the frame matches the one on the card. The DNR page says proof of sales tax payment is required for all sales transactions, so the bill of sale with the real price is what you will lean on. Sales tax paid to another state can be claimed as a credit.
You can register online at GoWild.wi.gov and print a temporary operating receipt good for 21 days, or go to a DNR service center, or mail Form 9400-376. Some machines came from states that do title ATVs; if the seller has an out-of-state title, take it along with the bill of sale.
The DNR page does not cover a sale where the seller has no registration card at all. Call the DNR at 1-888-936-7463 (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and ask what they will accept before you hand over money.
Where buyers get stuck
Not every off-road machine can be registered. The DNR's definitions require a commercially made machine: an ATV is 900 pounds or less and 50 inches wide or less with a straddle seat, and a UTV has a steering wheel, seat belts, a roll bar and lights and is no wider than 65 inches. Homemade machines, golf carts, dune buggies and mini-trucks are on the DNR's list of things that cannot be registered as either.
If a machine fails those definitions, the DNR says it can be ridden only on private land with the landowner's consent. Before you buy something unusual, such as an imported mini-truck or a heavily modified machine, read the DNR's definitions or call and ask whether it qualifies.
Can a UTV be put on the road with plates?
Not through WisDOT. WisDOT's low-speed vehicle page says golf carts, ATVs and UTVs are not low-speed vehicles and cannot be registered for use on public roads in Wisconsin. Any riding on roads or routes is governed by DNR registration rules and local trail and route decisions, so ask the DNR or your town before assuming a road is open.
Because no WisDOT title is involved, this is not something TitleFiled prepares paperwork for. The DNR is the right place to start.
Common questions
Do I need a title to sell my ATV in Wisconsin?
No. Give the buyer the DNR registration certificate and a signed bill of sale. The buyer then applies to transfer the registration within 10 days.
Can I register an ATV I bought with only a bill of sale?
The DNR does not publish a rule for that case on its registration page. Call the DNR Call Center at 1-888-936-7463 before you buy and ask what proof they will accept.
My UTV has a title from another state. Does Wisconsin use it?
Wisconsin does not issue its own ATV or UTV title, so the DNR registration is what you will get here. Keep the out-of-state title with your records, and ask the DNR whether to send a copy with your application.
How do I report that I sold or junked my ATV?
Update it in your GoWild.wi.gov account under "my vehicles," or email CSWEB@wisconsin.gov with your name, whether it was sold or junked, and the registration number (AT- or UT- followed by the number). The buyer still applies for the transfer within 10 days.
Can I ride a newly bought ATV before the decals come in the mail?
Yes, if you registered online or at a DNR service center, you get a 21-day temporary operating receipt to carry. If you mail the form and the old decals have expired, the DNR says to wait for your materials before riding.
Want us to do the paperwork?
You tell us your situation. We fill out the WisDOT forms for it and give you a checklist of what to include. You review, sign and mail the package yourself.
If the state asks for a bond, you buy it from a licensed surety of your choosing. We take no commission.
- ✓ $299, one flat fee, bonded titles included
- ✓ Track your case online
- ✓ The application is in your name from the start
State fees are paid to WisDOT. Any bond premium is paid to the surety you choose.
Prefer to fill out the forms yourself? The $97 do-it-yourself kit walks you through every form field, the real costs, and the 12 reasons packets get rejected.
Related answers
Do snowmobiles have titles in Wisconsin?
No. Wisconsin snowmobiles get a DNR registration, not a title. The seller hands over the registration certificate and you transfer it in 10 days.
Read this guide →Do dirt bikes need a title in Wisconsin?
No. An off-road dirt bike in Wisconsin gets a DNR registration, not a WisDOT title. Only motorcycles built for highway use are titled.
Read this guide →Do boats need a title in Wisconsin?
Boats 16 feet or longer that must be registered need a DNR title. Under 16 feet, or a canoe or kayak with no motor, needs no title.
Read this guide →Can you title a golf cart in Wisconsin?
No. WisDOT says golf carts cannot be registered for public roads, so there is no title. A certified low-speed vehicle is titled on form MV14.
Read this guide →Wisconsin trailer titles
Which trailers need a title and how to get one.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: Wisconsin DNR: ATV and UTV registration · Wisconsin DNR: Registration for boats and off-highway vehicles · Wis. Stat. 23.33 (ATVs and UTVs) · WisDOT: Low-speed vehicles. Rules can change; confirm with WisDOT before you file.
TitleFiled is a document-preparation and title-recovery assistance service operated by Nuvent66 LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any DMV or government agency, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). We do not guarantee that any agency will approve or issue a title. Information on this page is provided for general reference, was verified against official WisDOT sources on the date shown, and is not legal advice.