A new bill authored by State Rep. Chuck Wichgers in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to eliminate the personalization fee for gold star family special registration plates, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
According to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s official website, the bill was described as follows: “personalized registration plate fees for gold star family special registration plates. (FE)”.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill exempts personalized gold star family special registration plates from the $15 annual fee typically charged for such plates in Wisconsin. Under current law, the Department of Transportation charges a registration fee for initial and renewal registrations of most motor vehicles and an additional $15 for the issuance, maintenance, or reissuance of personalized plates. Although gold star family members are already exempt from the special registration fee, they must still pay the personalization fee if they choose to personalize their plates. The bill aims to eliminate this personalization fee for gold star families, applying to plates that display the applicable gold star family symbol. The effective date of this legislation is the first day of the seventh month following its publication.
The bill was co-authored by Senator Rob Hutton (Republican-5th District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Brent Jacobson (Republican-87th District), Representative Daniel Knodl (Republican-24th District), Representative Rob Kreibich (Republican-28th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Julian Bradley (Republican-28th District), Senator Tim Carpenter (Democrat-3rd District), and Senator Melissa Ratcliff (Democrat-16th District), along 10 other co-sponsors.
Chuck Wichgers has co-authored or authored another 24 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.
Wichgers, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state’s 84th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Bob Donovan.
In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| AB37 | 02/17/2025 | Personalized registration plate fees for gold star family special registration plates. (FE) |
| AB36 | 02/17/2025 | Law enforcement and firefighter annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System who are rehired by a participating employer. (FE) |
| AB33 | 02/17/2025 | Representations depicting nudity and providing a penalty |
