VEH.3.11.010 Calculation of Partial Fees

(a) The applicant for registration of an automobile under the monthly series system shall pay in full the annual registration fee prescribed by law, except as otherwise provided in this section.

(b) If the applicant for registration holds current registration plates which were removed from an automobile which the applicant no longer owns or which has been junked, is no longer being used on the highways or has been registered as a special interest vehicle the applicant is exempt from the payment of a registration fee, except in the following cases:

(1) If the annual fee prescribed for the automobile being registered is higher than the annual fee prescribed for the automobile from which the plates were removed, the applicant shall pay a fee computed on the basis of one-twelfth of the difference between the two annual fees multiplied by the number of months for which the automobile which is the subject of the application is being registered. The start of the new registration, for the purpose of computing the fee, shall be determined in accordance with par. (c).

(c) For the purpose of computing the registration fee payable upon registration of an automobile under circumstances described in par. (a) & (b), the beginning of the current registration period shall be determined as follows:

(1) If the first operation of an automobile under circumstances making the owner liable for its registration by the Department occurs on or before the 15th day of a given month, the registration period commences on the first day of such month. If the first operation occurs on or after the 16th day of a given month, the registration period commences on the first day of the following month. "First operation" means operation of an automobile for the first time after it was transferred to the applicant or after it was registered in another jurisdiction or after the expiration of 12 months of non-operation since expiration of the last registration by the Department or after it was no longer used on the highways.

(2) In the case of an automobile which has not previously been registered or which has not been registered by the Department by the present owner since the last owner last acquired ownership of the automobile, the Department shall assume that the date of first operation within the meaning of sub. (1) is the date of the bill of sale evidencing the transfer of ownership to the applicant unless the applicant files with the department a statement that the automobile was not so operated until a later date, specifying the date of such first operation. In the case of at least 12 months of non-operation of an automobile previously registered by the applicant, the applicant must file with the department a statement that he or she did not operate or consent to the operation of the automobile under circumstances making it subject to registration in this state during such 12-month period and must specify the date following such period when the automobile was first so operated. The department may refuse to accept a statement which projects the date of first operation into the future.