Motor Vehicles — license plates

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Wisconsin Court of Appeals

Criminal

Motor Vehicles — license plates

Where a vehicle registered in Illinois only had a license plate on the back, the officer had grounds to stop the vehicle.

“Reading WIS. STAT. §§ 341.40(1) and 341.15(1) together, we agree with the State that Boyd was subject to the display requirements of § 341.15(1). The language referencing a single plate in § 341.40(1)(a) is simply the first of a list of criteria that vehicles registered in a jurisdiction other than Wisconsin must meet in order to be exempt “from the laws of this state providing for the registration of the vehicles.” In other words, having been issued at least one plate is a condition precedent for exemption, not a display requirement. And since § 341.40(1)(a) does not address how nonresidents are to display license plates, there is no conflict with § 341.15(1).”

Affirmed.

Recommended for publication in the official reports.

2011AP1056-CR State v. Boyd

Dist. III, Kenosha County, Warren, J., Brown, J.

Attorneys: For Appellant: Cornwall, Andrea Taylor, Milwaukee; For Respondent: Balistreri, Thomas J., Madison; Zapf, Robert D., Kenosha