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Bills from the 2025–26 session

Senate Bill 66

Registration plate concealment devices and providing a penalty

Topics: Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on, Motor vehicle: Taxation or registration, Transportation, Department of: Vehicles

Became law

The governor signed it on Nov 3, 2025. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 21, 2025

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed 31 to 2

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Oct 14, 2025

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2025 Wisconsin Act 37

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 19, 2026: “Representative Emerson added as a cosponsor”

Read the bill

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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 77. That version died when the session ended.

What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, any motor vehicle for which the Department of Transportation has issued registration plates must display those plates, along with any decals issued for the plates.

This bill prohibits the possession, sale, purchase, installation, and use of a registration plate concealment device, which is a manual, electronic, or mechanical device designed or adapted to be installed on a motor vehicle to 1) switch between two or more registration plates; 2) move, obstruct, or conceal a registration plate; or 3) alter the appearance of a registration plate so that the registration number cannot be seen and read. The bill also prohibits the equipment of any motor vehicle with a registration plate concealment device.

Read the full summary

A person who violates these prohibitions may be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both. Any vehicle equipped in violation of these prohibitions may be impounded, and reasonable costs for towing and impounding the vehicle may be assessed against the owner.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its ⁠. All 3 are Republicans.

25 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 28 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (25)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 4 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 3 · Apr 15, 2025

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote on an amendment

Passed, 18 to 15 · Apr 22, 2025

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote to pass it

Passed, 31 to 2 · Apr 22, 2025

See how each of the 33 senators voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

No (2)

Official motion: “PASSAGE”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote on an amendment

Passed, 51 to 45 · Oct 14, 2025

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Assembly Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 51, Noes 45”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 6, 2026 to Mar 19, 2026

    4 more representatives signed on in support.

  2. Nov 3, 2025

    The new law was published.

  3. Nov 3, 2025

    The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 37.

  4. Oct 30, 2025

    Sent to the governor.

  5. Oct 14, 2025

    The Assembly passed it too.

  6. Oct 2, 2025 to Oct 14, 2025

    2 more representatives signed on in support.

  7. May 27, 2025

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  8. Apr 22, 2025

    The Assembly received it.

  9. Apr 22, 2025

    The Senate passed it, 31 to 2.

  10. Apr 15, 2025

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 3.

  11. Mar 13, 2025

    The committee held a public hearing.

  12. Feb 25, 2025

    1 more representative signed on in support.

  13. Feb 21, 2025

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  14. Feb 21, 2025

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 21, 2025 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Wanggaard, Feyen and James; cosponsored by Representatives Donovan, Rodriguez, Behnke, Dittrich, Goeben, Gundrum, Hysell, Kitchens, Knodl, Miresse, Maxey, Nedweski, Mursau, Murphy, Penterman, Sinicki, Spiros, Subeck and Wichgers

  2. Feb 21, 2025 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  3. Feb 25, 2025 · Senate

    Representative Kaufert added as a cosponsor

  4. Mar 13, 2025 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety, Ayes 5, Noes 3

  7. Apr 15, 2025 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Apr 18, 2025 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 4-22-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  9. Apr 22, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Roys, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, L. Johnson, Smith and Wirch

  10. Apr 22, 2025 · Senate

    Read a second time

  11. Apr 22, 2025 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15

  12. Apr 22, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  13. Apr 22, 2025 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  14. Apr 22, 2025 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 31, Noes 2

  15. Apr 22, 2025 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  16. Apr 22, 2025 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  17. May 27, 2025 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  18. Oct 2, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Ortiz-Velez added as a cosponsor

  19. Oct 9, 2025 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 by Committee on Rules

  20. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  21. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Miresse withdrawn as a cosponsor

  22. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Representative Stubbs added as a cosponsor

  23. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  24. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Arney

  25. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 laid on table, Ayes 51, Noes 45

  26. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  27. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  28. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  29. Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  30. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  31. Oct 15, 2025 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  32. Oct 30, 2025 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 10-30-2025

  33. Nov 3, 2025 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 10-31-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 37

  34. Nov 3, 2025 · Senate

    Published 11-1-2025

  35. Mar 6, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Brown added as a cosponsor

  36. Mar 10, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Billings added as a cosponsor

  37. Mar 19, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Anderson added as a cosponsor

  38. Mar 19, 2026 · Senate

    Representative Emerson added as a cosponsor

Terms on this page

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary