Wisconsin Senate Bill SB38

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/25
• Refer: 2/12/25
• Report Pass: 5/8/25
• Refer: 5/15/25
• Engrossed: 5/15/25
• Refer: 5/27/25
• Refer: 10/3/25
• Enrolled: 10/9/25
• Chaptered: 12/10/25
• Passed: 12/10/25

Caption

An Act to amend 341.145 (3) of the statutes; Relating to: personalized registration plate fees for gold star family special registration plates. (FE)

Summary

SB38 amends Wisconsin’s vehicle registration fee statute to create a fee exemption for personalized Gold Star family special registration plates. Under current law, applicants for personalized plates generally pay an initial issuance fee and ongoing maintenance or reissuance fees, depending on whether the plate is annual or biennial. This bill adds a specific exception so that members of the designated Gold Star family special group may not be charged the personalized-plate fee for maintenance or reissuance when the plate displays the applicable Gold Star symbol. The bill is narrowly focused on a single statutory section, s. 341.145 (3), and does not change the underlying availability of personalized plates or the regular fees for most motorists. Its practical effect is to reduce or eliminate certain recurring costs for eligible Gold Star family plate holders, while leaving the broader personalized plate fee structure intact. The act takes effect on the first day of the seventh month after publication.

Impact

SB38 amends Wisconsin Statutes section 341.145(3) to exempt a specified group—members of the Gold Star family special registration plate category—from paying personalized plate maintenance or reissuance fees for plates issued under the relevant special-group provision. The bill therefore creates a targeted fee waiver within the state’s motor vehicle registration system, affecting the Department of Transportation’s administration of personalized and special registration plates and reducing costs for eligible families.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the supplied materials. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be a narrowly tailored, supportive policy for Gold Star families, with an overall neutral-to-positive legislative posture and no visible controversy in the available record.

Contention

The bill’s only apparent point of contention would be fiscal and administrative: it removes a fee for a small, defined class of plate holders, which slightly reduces state fee revenue and requires the Department of Transportation to apply a new exemption. However, the available materials do not show any recorded objections, amendments, or divided votes, and the exemption is limited to a specific special-group plate category rather than the general public.