Wisconsin title answers · Selling and buying
Can you get temporary plates after a private sale in Wisconsin?
Short answer
Yes. After a private sale you can title and register the car online through WisDOT's eMV Public and print a temporary plate, if the vehicle is eligible. A DMV Customer Service Center or a third-party title and registration provider can instead give you metal plates on the spot. Either way you pay the regular registration fee, and a car, light truck or autocycle must display a plate within two business days of purchase.
The two-day rule
WisDOT's MV1 application says that to legally operate a car, light truck or autocycle, you must display license plates within two business days of purchase, either plates you are transferring or a temporary plate. The seller usually takes their plates off when they sell, so a buyer in a private sale often needs one of the options below right away.
A temporary plate is tied to a title and registration application. It is not a stand-alone permit to drive an untitled car.
Your options
Pick the one that fits your paperwork:
- Online with eMV Public: title and register the vehicle online and print a temporary plate, available for automobiles, SUVs, autocycles and light trucks if eligible. You then mail the original signed title and your receipt to WisDOT. If the title has any alterations, WisDOT wants a Statement of Intent (MV2489) in that envelope too.
- Third-party title and registration provider: WisDOT's temporary plate page says these providers, like DMV centers, issue metal plates immediately. The MV1 lists a $3 temporary plate fee when an authorized agent issues a temporary plate instead, and agents may add a service fee.
- DMV Customer Service Center: centers that handle registration issue metal plates immediately, so you do not need a temporary plate. A $5 counter service fee applies.
- Transfer your own plates: if you have unexpired plates from a vehicle of the same type that you, your spouse or domestic partner no longer use, you can transfer them.
When a temporary plate is not available
Some situations do not qualify. WisDOT's eMV Public page says a title-only application does not let you drive the vehicle, and that transferring plates online does not issue a temporary plate. WisDOT's temporary plate page says a temporary plate needs current, paid registration, so a Wisconsin buyer has to pay the regular registration fee to get one. Temporary plates are also not issued for for-hire vehicles, buses, vehicles registered quarterly or monthly, or vehicles under the International Registration Plan.
Salvage vehicles are eligible online for a title only. A salvage vehicle cannot be driven until it passes a salvage inspection, except to travel to the inspection site.
One snag catches sellers rather than buyers. If you already moved your plates to your next car, WisDOT will not issue you a temporary plate so buyers can test drive the old one. Plan test drives before you transfer the plates, or let buyers look without driving.
If the seller had no title
Plates follow a title application. If the seller could not give you a title, you cannot use eMV Public, and the normal two-day plan does not fit your situation. The route is a bonded title application, which WisDOT reviews before issuing anything. Plan on keeping the vehicle off public roads until the title is sorted out. We prepare that paperwork for a flat $299 if you want help, and you sign and mail it.
Common questions
Can I drive the car home on the seller's plates?
WisDOT tells sellers to remove their plates in most cases, and the plates stay registered to the seller. Arrange your own plate or temporary plate before you drive.
How long is a Wisconsin temporary plate good for?
WisDOT says temporary plates run 5 to 90 days depending on the type. The one an agent issues with your MV1 is valid for 90 days.
I live out of state. Can I get a Wisconsin temporary plate to drive the car home?
WisDOT's temporary plate application, MV2505, includes a $3, 30-day option for a vehicle purchased in Wisconsin that is being driven home, with a copy of the signed title or purchase contract. Call WisDOT at (608) 264-7447 to confirm it fits your case.
Does the temporary plate cover me if my title application is delayed?
Only for its stated period. If your title is held up past that, contact WisDOT about your application before the plate expires.
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
No title for your car in Wisconsin
Which path fits: replacement, bonded title, or neither.
Read this guide →Can you drive the car while you wait for the title in Wisconsin?
Yes, once you have applied for title and plates and a temporary or transferred plate is on the car. A title-only application does not let you drive.
Read this guide →Can you get license plates without a title in Wisconsin?
Usually no. Wisconsin plates go on the same MV1 as the title, and title eligibility comes first. The new-resident exception and bonded route.
Read this guide →How much is car registration in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin car registration is $85 a year. Electric cars add $175 and hybrids $75, plus any local wheel tax. Light trucks start at $100.
Read this guide →Can you apply for a Wisconsin title online?
Yes, through eMV Public, if a seller signed a title over to you. Most finish in 3 days, but you still mail the original title. No-title cases are paper.
Read this guide →What should you check when buying a car from a private seller in Wisconsin?
Before you pay: title in the seller's name, VIN match, lien release, brands, odometer. Then title and plate it within 2 business days.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: MV1 Title/License Plate Application · WisDOT: Temporary plates · WisDOT: Title and register with eMV Public · WisDOT: MV2505 Temporary License Plate Application · WisDOT: Sell your vehicle. 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.