Buick LaCrosse License Plate Bulb Size

The Buick LaCrosse license plate light requires 12961 and 194 bulb sizes for the various production versions. Available information covers the span from 2005 through 2019 for the specified vehicle components.

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
2010-2019	12961
2005-2009	194

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
Philips part number. Miniature wedge bulb (T10) with W2.1x9.5d base. 12V, 5W.	12961
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 3.78W.	194

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The Buick LaCrosse uses two distinct license plate bulb types across its production span, with the 12961 specified for 2010-2019 models and the 194 specified for 2005-2009 models.
Both the 12961 and 194 share the same T10 miniature wedge form factor, meaning they occupy the same physical bulb housing category.
Despite the shared T10 form factor, the two bulbs differ in wattage. The 12961 operates at 5W, while the 194 operates at 3.78W, making them electrically non-equivalent.
The 12961 is a Philips part number rather than an ANSI industry-standard designation, and it specifies a W2.1x9.5d base type along with a 12V operating voltage.
The 194 carries an ANSI standard designation recognized in both the United States and Canada, also rated at 12V.
The W2.1x9.5d base designation on the 12961 refers to a wedge base with a 2.1mm wire width and a 9.5mm pin spacing, which is the standard geometry for T10 wedge bulbs.
Because the 12961 and 194 differ in wattage despite sharing a T10 wedge base, substituting one for the other carries a risk of electrical mismatch relative to the circuit design of each respective vehicle generation.
The Buick LaCrosse (2010-2019) exclusively uses the 12961 across all ten model years in that range, indicating a consistent fitment specification throughout that generation.