How do you title a kit car or homemade vehicle in Wisconsin?

Pick the right category

These definitions come from WisDOT's pages and Wis. Stat. 341.268. Where a particular kit lands depends on its body and frame, so read them carefully.

• Homemade: built from new or used parts on a body and frame that did not come from, and do not resemble, any previously manufactured vehicle. Reproduction motorcycles also count. Titled with make HMDE.
• Reconstructed: a vehicle substantially altered from the manufacturer's original specifications, so much that it no longer resembles the original. WisDOT's example is a dune buggy. Titled with make RCON.
• Replica: a reproduction of a vehicle originally made by another manufacturer, using a reproduction body on a new, used or replica frame and drivetrain (not motorcycles). Titled under the year and make of the vehicle replicated, branded REPLICA.
• Street modified: changed from factory specifications but still recognizable as its original year and make. Titled under that original year and make, branded STREET MODIFIED.

The homemade vehicle process, step by step

WisDOT's homemade vehicle page lays out what to send to the Vehicle Research Unit, P.O. Box 8070, Madison WI 53708-8070:

• The original titles or certificates of origin for every vehicle used in the build.
• Original bills of sale for all major vehicle equipment, showing the amount and date of each sale.
• Form MV1, completed and signed, with the fees for tax, title and plates. Keep a copy.

What happens after you mail it

Once WisDOT receives the application, it mails you a letter saying who to contact for the inspection. The vehicle has to pass the safety equipment requirements in effect for the year it is inspected, and the inspector sends the completed inspection form and a copy of the letter back to the Vehicle Research Unit.

WisDOT then titles the vehicle as the year it passed inspection, with a make of HMDE, and issues a Wisconsin-assigned VIN. A reconstructed vehicle being titled in Wisconsin for the first time also needs a safety equipment inspection, sends the same kinds of documents to the same address, and is titled as the year it passed with make RCON. If your vehicle later qualifies as a replica, form MV2389 removes the reconstructed or homemade designation.

Where builders get stuck

The paperwork is gathered after the fact, and that is where most builds stall. WisDOT wants original bills of sale for all major vehicle equipment, and each one must show the amount and the date of the sale. A parts-swap-meet engine with no receipt, or a frame from a friend, leaves a hole you have to explain in writing. Start a folder on day one and put every receipt in it.

The second surprise is which year's equipment rules apply. WisDOT inspects a homemade vehicle for the equipment required in the year of the inspection. A reconstructed vehicle is inspected for the equipment required for the year of its base chassis. The same build can need different lights, belts or mirrors depending on which category it lands in, so settle the category before you finish the wiring.

Third, the donor titles. WisDOT asks for the original titles or certificates of origin for every vehicle used in the build. Sign nothing away and junk nothing until the build is titled.

Plates for a built car

Regular plates work for many builds. WisDOT also offers Hobbyist plates for vehicles 20 years or older with an altered body, including street rods, replicas, reconstructed and homemade vehicles. Hobbyist plates do not expire while you own the vehicle, cannot be used in January without a temporary plate (form MV2750), and require you to own or lease another vehicle with current Wisconsin registration for regular transportation.

Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: Homemade vehicles · WisDOT: Reconstructed vehicles · WisDOT: Replica vehicles · WisDOT: Street modified vehicles · WisDOT: Hobbyist license plates. Rules can change; confirm with WisDOT before you file.