Moving Out of State in Wisconsin

Your Registration and License Plates

The Department of Transportation (WisDOT) does not and will not refund any portion of your unused registration.

WisDOT does not require you to surrender your Wisconsin plates. In fact, they don't want them back at all. Keep your plates until you get registered in your new state, and then destroy the old plates, unless the new state offers a recycling program.

Things to Do When You Move to a New State

• Apply for a new driver's license. After establishing residency, most states require that this be done within a set amount of time, usually ranging between 30 and 60 days.
• Apply for a new registration. This, too, must be completed within a set amount of days after establishing residency.
• Apply for new license plates. This generally coincides with the registration process.
• Apply for a new vehicle title. Unlike the aforementioned, applying for a new title generally, depending on your state, is not mandatory. If you plan on selling your vehicle, only then will you need an updated title to correspond with your new state.
• If you're a prospective new driver, check if your permit is honored in your new state.
• If you completed a driver education course in your old state, you will also need to investigate whether your new state will honor the completion certificate.