Buick GS License Plate Bulb Size

The Buick GS license plate light requires bulb size 194 or 97 depending on the specific configuration of the vehicle. Data for the bulb sizes covers the range from 1970 to 1972.

The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.

Bulb Size by Year Range

Years	Bulb Size
1972	194
1970-1971	97

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 3.78W.	194
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. Variant of 1156. 12V, 13W.	97

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The 1972 Buick GS uses a 194 bulb for the license plate position, while the 1970-1971 model years use a 97 bulb in the same position.
The 194 is a T10 miniature wedge bulb rated at 12V and 3.78W, making it a low-wattage lamp typical of illumination applications such as license plates and instrument panels.
The 97 bulb operates at 12V and 13W, a significantly higher wattage than the 194, which reflects a different electrical load requirement for the 1970-1971 license plate circuit.
Both the 194 and 97 bulbs conform to ANSI standards recognized in the United States and Canada.
The 97 bulb uses a BA15s single-contact bayonet base, a twist-and-lock socket type that is not physically compatible with the wedge-style socket used by the 194.
The 97 is described as a variant of the 1156 bulb. The 1156 is a widely used automotive single-filament bayonet bulb, and the 97 shares its base type while differing in wattage and physical size.
Because the 194 uses a wedge base and the 97 uses a BA15s bayonet base, the two bulbs are not interchangeable across the 1970-1972 model years despite serving the same license plate function.