To apply, you must:
9 Wisconsin Dealer License Requirements
Every Dealer License in Wisconsin is issued by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Dealer and Agent Section (DAS). This page covers Wisconsin's 7 Dealer License types, their requirements, bond amounts, costs, and how to apply.
Name your Dealership
Your company name is the first step, because you'll use it through the entire Dealer License process. Wisconsin's Dealer application accepts 5 business types: Sole Proprietorship, LLC, Corporation, Partnership, and Association.
An LLC keeps your business separate from your personal life and adds trust to the name.
WisDOT treats a change of ownership type, such as a sole proprietor forming a corporation, as an ownership change. That means a complete original application and an MV2130 addendum from every owner. Adding or deleting a partner works the same way, so add everyone now.
Choose your Dealer License Type
Wisconsin issues 7 Dealer License types from one office, and the Motor Vehicle Dealer License covers both new and used vehicles. Most people start with the Wholesale Dealer License.
| License Type | What It Lets You Do |
|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle DealerRetail. New and used vehicles on one license | Buy and sell cars and trucks to the public from a permanent building, never a residence. Selling new vehicles adds the MV2131 franchise certification. Motorcycles, RVs, mopeds, and salvage need their own license |
| Wholesale DealerSells to licensed Dealers only | Buy and sell with licensed Dealers, with a posted sign reading “sales restricted to licensed dealers only.” The building may be a residence if your municipality permits it. Training is required |
| Auction Dealer“Wholesale auction dealer license” on WisDOT's site | Run a dealer auction. Issued together with a Wholesale or Motor Vehicle Dealer License, from a permanent building that is never a residence |
| Salvage Dealer4 types: dismantler yard, indoor dismantler, scrap processor, scavenger | Buy, dismantle, process, or transport salvage vehicles. Requires a $25,000 bond in place of proof of financial solvency |
| Recreational Vehicle DealerIts own chapter of law, Wis. Stat. 218.10–218.164 | Buy and sell RVs. The business office may be inside a residence if it has an outside entrance and is used primarily for the RV business |
| Motorcycle DealerApplies on the Motor Vehicle Dealer form (MV2186) | Buy and sell motorcycles only. Display room for 3 units instead of 12 x 20 feet, and a $5,000 bond instead of $50,000 |
| Moped Dealer | Buy and sell mopeds only, from a permanent building that is not a residence. A bond only when WisDOT asks for one |
| Salesperson LicenseIndividual license. A Motor Vehicle Dealer needs at least 1 | Sell for a licensed Dealer. The owner can hold it. $8, plus a 45-question exam |
| Buyer's LicenseIndividual license | Bid and buy at auction on your dealership's behalf. Separate from the salesperson license, and one per employer |
Get your Dealer Bond (Surety Bond)
A Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Dealer License requires a $50,000 bond, and a Wholesale Dealer License requires a $25,000 bond. The bond covers a customer if the Dealer breaks a dealer law. It runs to the State of Wisconsin “for the benefit of any aggrieved person.” A $25,000 Wholesale Dealer Bond costs only $150 a year, after a credit check.
You file the bond with WisDOT on its Dealer Bond form (MV2511), or an irrevocable letter of credit for the same amount. The bond is continuous: it “shall not automatically expire with the license” but continues year to year as a new obligation for each 12-month period.
Three more rules apply by license type. A motorcycle-only Dealer posts $5,000 instead of $50,000. Naming your dealership as lessor on any vehicle title adds a separate $60,000 Lessor Bond (MV2509, Wis. Stat. §344.51). A Moped Dealer posts a bond only when WisDOT asks for one.
| License Type | You Pay | Bond Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle DealerWisconsin - NEW Motor Vehicle Dealer ($50,000) | $250/yearabout $21 a month, after a credit check | $50,000 |
| Wholesale DealerWisconsin - Motor Vehicle Wholesaler ($25,000) | $150/yearabout $13 a month, after a credit check | $25,000 |
| Auction DealerWisconsin - Motor Vehicle Auction Dealer ($25,000) | $250/yearabout $21 a month, after a credit check | $25,000 |
| Salvage DealerWisconsin - Motor Vehicle Salvage Dealer ($25,000) | $250/yearabout $21 a month, after a credit check | $25,000 |
| Recreational Vehicle DealerYou enter the amount the statute sets. Wisconsin - Recreational Vehicle Dealer | $500/yearabout $42 a month, after a credit check | $50,000 |
| Moped DealerOnly when WisDOT asks for a bond. Wisconsin - Moped Dealer ($5,000) | $100/yearabout $8 a month, after a credit check | $5,000 |
Set up your Dealer Office (Business Facilities Statement)
A Wisconsin Wholesale Dealer License can be based in a residence when your municipality permits it.
A Motor Vehicle Dealer License requires a permanent building in Wisconsin with a business office for your books and records. The rule says a “residence, tent, or temporary stand is not a sufficiently permanent business facility.”
WisDOT must approve the service agreement before the license issues.
| Wholesale | Motor Vehicle Dealer (Retail) | |
|---|---|---|
| Building | A permanent building in Wisconsin. “May be a residence if permitted by municipality” | A permanent building in Wisconsin. Never a residence, tent, or temporary stand |
| Office | An office inside the building for your books and records | An office inside the building for your books and records |
| Display area | None required — office space only | Indoors, at least 12 x 20 feet for display, prep, or repair. An outdoor lot next to the office, at least one standard parking stall by local zoning, unless every vehicle is displayed indoors |
| Repair shop | Not on the Wholesale Business Facilities Statement | On the premises, or a written service agreement (MV2085) with a shop within 50 miles |
| Signs | Your licensed name in 4-inch letters outside, and a business-hours sign at the entrance. Plus a sign reading “sales restricted to licensed dealers only” | Your licensed name in 4-inch letters outside, and a business-hours sign at the entrance |
| Zoning | Your local zoning official signs page 2 of MV2860. In a township, the county signs too | Your local zoning official signs page 2 of MV2186. In a township, the county signs too |
Attend the Dealer Training — required for Wholesale
Wisconsin requires Dealer training for a Wholesale Dealer License and makes it voluntary for a Motor Vehicle Dealer License. WisDOT's Dealer and Agent Section teaches both itself; there are no outside schools or approved-provider lists. Wisconsin has no exam for any Dealer License.
For Wholesale, the training happens after you apply. WisDOT says you “will be contacted by a member of our training team to set up your training after we review your application.” The license issues after you attend.
The voluntary seminar for retail Dealers is 4 hours and costs nothing. You can attend in person at the Hill Farms Building in Madison or watch the YouTube livestream. Pre-registration is required, by email to [email protected].
Your salesperson exam
The salesperson license has the only exam, and the owner can hold it. It is 45 questions; you need 36 correct. If you fail, you wait 1 day and retake it, with no limit on attempts.
Salespeople who sell only recreational vehicles take no exam.
Pass the Background Check (Entity/Owner Statement)
Wisconsin runs a background check on every salesperson and buyer's license application. Every dealership owner discloses their record on the Entity/Owner Statement (MV2844). There are no fingerprints and no Live Scan anywhere in Wisconsin's dealer paperwork. The Department itself runs the check.
Who files an Entity/Owner Statement:
- Each owner, partner, corporate officer, shareholder, association member, LLC member, or LLC manager — one form each, and ownership must total 100%
- Every salesperson and buyer answers the same questions on their own application
- If any officer, director, or manager would be refused a license as an individual, that is cause to deny the company's license (Wis. Stat. §218.0116(6))
What a conviction does
Wisconsin has no automatic bar and no waiting period. A license “may be denied” only for a crime that substantially relates to the licensed activity, felony or misdemeanor. WisDOT's own words: you “must not have been convicted of a serious crime directly related to the sale of motor vehicles.”
The crimes WisDOT names, from its Individual License Denials page:
- Crimes related to the sale of a motor vehicle
- Theft of property, including auto theft
- Fraud, fraud schemes, and financial crimes
- Identity theft
WisDOT says the list is “a general overview”, not a complete one. A pending charge is judged by the same test, and a no-contest plea counts as a conviction.
The way back
If a conviction might be grounds to deny, you can submit evidence of rehabilitation under Wis. Stat. §111.335(4)(d). WisDOT prints that right on the form. One route is a DD-214 for military service completed after the offense. Another is your release papers plus completed supervision, or 1 year since release with no new conviction.
WisDOT must also weigh the offense, your age at the time, how long ago it was, and reference letters. A Certificate of Qualification for Employment does not clear a dealer-license conviction issue; its own statute excludes §111.335(3)(a). A pardon counts as evidence of rehabilitation, not a formal unlock.
A denial comes in writing within 60 days, stating the grounds. You have 30 days to ask WisDOT for a hearing, held within 45 days. Then 30 days to appeal to the Division of Hearings and Appeals, which decides within 30 days.
Disclose it, every time:
- The question is “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” — lifetime, any crime
- “False statements on this application are punishable by law and may result in denial, suspension, or revocation of your dealer license” (MV2844)
- On the salesperson form, a “yes” with no explanation attached is denied on its own
Get your Dealer License Plates
A Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Dealer application includes 2 dealer plates for $150, plus a one-time $12 issuance fee for new applicants. Additional plates are $10 each and replacements $4. Plates arrive in 4 to 5 weeks. Dealer plates, or dealer tags, let you drive your inventory on Wisconsin highways; WisDOT says use outside Wisconsin “is not advised.”
Who can drive on them
On Motor Vehicle Dealer plates, you, your employees, and your spouse or household children can drive a plated vehicle for business or personal purposes. The vehicle must be labeled with a Wisconsin Buyer's Guide or Monroney sticker, offered for sale, and available for display during business hours.
Loaner vehicles qualify under the same condition. Rental vehicles, service vehicles, and tow trucks never do. Wholesale plates are different: “Wholesalers can only use the Wholesale dealer plates for business purposes, not personal use.”
Submit your Dealer License Application (MV2186 or MV2860)
A Wisconsin Dealer License application uses form MV2186 for a Motor Vehicle Dealer, or MV2860 for a Wholesale Dealer. There is no online application for a Dealer License; you print the form and mail or email it to the Dealer and Agent Section. Every fee is itemized under costs.
Each owner, partner, officer, shareholder, LLC member, or manager files an Entity/Owner Statement (MV2844) with their Social Security number, marked “(Required)” on the form. The business lists its FEIN on the application. The state “shall deny” an application missing either number (Wis. Stat. §218.0114(21e)). An individual with no SSN files a sworn statement saying so instead.
No owner has to live in Wisconsin, and no owner submits a photo ID; the WI driver license field on MV2844 is optional. The business itself must be in Wisconsin. An LLC also keeps a registered agent with a Wisconsin street address (Wis. Stat. §183.0115).
Pass the Site Inspection
Wisconsin inspects your business location after you apply and before any license is issued. The Business Facilities Statement you sign says a failed inspection means no license credentials “until the Department verifies the facilities are in compliance.”
After you apply:
- WisDOT must grant or refuse a Motor Vehicle Dealer or Wholesale Dealer license within 60 days of receiving the application (Wis. Stat. §218.0114(12)(a))
- For a Wholesale license, the training team contacts you to schedule your session
- WisDOT inspects the location against the facilities requirements
- Your license credentials are issued once the location passes
Dealer License Cost
A Wisconsin Dealer License is $40 for a 2-year term, for a Motor Vehicle Dealer or a Wholesale Dealer. Every other fee on this page is in the table.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dealer License | $40 per 2-year term, Motor Vehicle or Wholesale |
| Branch LicenseOptional — a second selling location | $40 per branch |
| Sublot LicenseOptional — a satellite lot | $2 per sublot |
| Salesperson License | $8 each; a Motor Vehicle Dealer needs at least 1 |
| Salesperson exam | $5 exam fee$5 counter-service fee at the DMV service center |
| Buyer's LicenseOptional individual license | $12 if it expires more than a year out$6 if it expires within a year |
| Salvage Buyer ID (BID) cardOptional individual credential | $12 each |
| Dealer license plates | $150 for the required 2$12 one-time issuance fee, new applicants$10 each additional plate$4 each replacement |
| Dealer Bond | $250 a year, retail$150 a year, Wholesale$250 a year, Auction or Salvage$500 a year, Recreational Vehicle$100 a year, Moped |
| DFI fee (LFS180) | $20 cash-only sales$100 if you finance or lease |
| Dealer training | $0 — WisDOT runs it |
Dealer License Renewal
A Wisconsin Dealer License is valid for 2 years. It expires at the end of the odd-numbered month closest to when it was issued, not on the anniversary date. Two months before that date, WisDOT mails you renewal materials pre-filled with your current dealer, salesperson, plate, and BID data.
Common Questions
Can you get a Wisconsin Dealer License with a felony?
A felony does not automatically bar a Wisconsin Dealer License, and there is no waiting period. WisDOT may deny only for a crime that substantially relates to dealer work: theft, fraud, financial crimes, identity theft. You can submit rehabilitation evidence under Wis. Stat. §111.335(4)(d), and a denial comes with written reasons and a hearing right. Background Check
Can you get a Dealer License in Wisconsin without a lot?
Yes — a Wisconsin Wholesale Dealer License needs no display area, and the building “may be a residence if permitted by municipality.” A Recreational Vehicle Dealer's office may also be in a residence with an outside entrance. A Motor Vehicle Dealer location must be a permanent building, never a residence. Dealer Office
How many cars can you sell in Wisconsin without a Dealer License?
In Wisconsin, you can sell up to 5 of your own personal vehicles in any 12-month period without a Dealer License (Trans 138.025). They must be titled to you. Buying even one vehicle to resell requires a license.
Can my spouse drive on a Wisconsin dealer plate?
Yes, on a Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Dealer's plates, with a condition. Your spouse or household children can drive a plated vehicle only if it is labeled, offered for sale, and available for display during business hours. WisDOT adds that this use “has caused adverse public reaction.” Wholesale plates are for business use only. Get your Dealer License Plates
Do I need a separate used car dealer license in Wisconsin?
No — Wisconsin issues one Motor Vehicle Dealer License for both new and used vehicles. Selling new vehicles adds a manufacturer/distributor franchise certification (MV2131) on top of the same license. Motorcycles, RVs, mopeds, and salvage vehicles need their own license type. Choose your Dealer License Type
How long does licensing take?
Wisconsin law requires WisDOT to grant or refuse a Motor Vehicle Dealer or Wholesale Dealer license within 60 days of receiving the application. WisDOT publishes no typical processing time, and the statute names no consequence if the 60 days pass. Salvage, Auction, and RV Dealer licenses run on a different rule: WisDOT may deny within 60 days without a hearing.
Do I need a business bank account?
No — no Wisconsin statute, rule, or dealer application asks for a business bank account. The full text of Wis. Stat. ch. 218 and Wis. Admin. Code Trans 138 contains no bank-account requirement. The DFI form (LFS180) asks only whether you will finance sales, which sets a $20 or $100 fee.
Support
The Dealer and Agent Section handles every license on this page, and it runs the Dealer training itself. Questions about the LFS180 fee go to the Department of Financial Institutions.
| Contact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Department | Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Dealer and Agent Section (DAS) |
| Phone | (608) 266-1425 |
| [email protected][email protected] for training | |
| Address | Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation, Dealer & Agent SectionPO Box 7909Madison, WI 53707-7909 |
Additional sources (9)
The forms and agency pages for each step are linked in the steps. These are the law, the rules, and the agency pages this page was checked against.
- Wisconsin Statutes, chapter 218 (PDF) — the dealer licensing law: license types, bond amounts, the 60-day rule, SSN and FEIN, grounds for denial
- Wis. Admin. Code Trans 138 (PDF) — business facilities, signs, the wholesale exemptions, and the 5-vehicle exemption
- Wis. Admin. Code Trans 142 (PDF) — Recreational Vehicle Dealer rules, including the office inside a residence
- Wisconsin Statutes, chapter 111 (PDF) — §111.335, the conviction-record test and the rehabilitation-evidence process
- Wisconsin Statutes, chapter 344 (PDF) — §344.51, the $60,000 Lessor Bond
- Change a current dealer license (WisDOT) — an ownership change, including a new business type, requires a complete original application
- Motor Vehicle Dealer Service Agreement (MV2085) — the written repair agreement with a shop within 50 miles
- Auction Business Facilities Statement (MV3189) — “a permanent building, not a residence, tent or temporary stand”
- Moped Business Facilities Statement (MV3182) — “a permanent building (not a residence)”
