The peeling plates in Wisconsin is ridiculous. I would think they want every car to have clear, legible plates. I honestly would think that the police would be pulling these cars over to advise them they need to get new plates, but that obviously isn't the case. Hit and runs, and other incidents makes it pretty important to have clear plates, but I guess it isn't a concern.
I always wonder about the pitch dark window tinting too. When I was a new driver and into my 20's, I know there were laws against your windows being too dark. Seems those laws are gone, or completely ignored by law enforcement. I don't understand it. You'd think cops would be putting up a stink so they can be a lot safer during traffic stops, but I guess that isn't a concern either.
As to the the part I quoted, I got my personalized plates online about 4 years ago. Did it all online, so the fact you can't do that now must be something new.