Buick Special License Plate Bulb Size

The Buick Special license plate component utilizes unique bulb sizes 97, 1155, 67, and 63 depending on the specific production period. Available information covers the range from 1950 through 1969.

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
1965-1969	97
1964	1155
1961-1963	67
1954-1958	67
1950-1953	63

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. Variant of 1156. 12V, 13W.	97
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. Variant of 1156. 12V, 21W.	1155
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. Lower wattage variant of 1156. 12V, 8W.	67
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA9s base. 12V, 0.63W.	63

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The bulb type 67 is the most frequently specified license plate bulb across the Buick Special model range, covering the 1954-1958 and 1961-1963 model years.
The 97, 1155, and 67 bulbs all share the BA15s bayonet base, meaning the physical socket is identical across those three bulb types used in the Buick Special from 1961 onward.
Despite sharing the same BA15s base, the 97, 1155, and 67 bulbs operate at different wattages: 13W, 21W, and 8W respectively, which makes them electrically non-interchangeable even though they fit the same socket.
The 1155 bulb, specified for the 1964 Buick Special, carries the highest wattage of any license plate bulb in this range at 21W, notably higher than the 13W rating of the 97 bulb used in surrounding model years.
The 63 bulb, specified for the 1950-1953 model years, uses a BA9s base rather than the BA15s base found on all later bulb types in this application, making it physically incompatible with sockets used in subsequent model years.
At 0.63W, the 63 bulb draws significantly less power than any other bulb type in these specifications, reflecting the lower electrical output standards common to vehicles of that era.
All four bulb types listed are single-filament designs conforming to ANSI standards recognized in both the United States and Canada.
The 97, 1155, and 67 bulbs are each classified as variants of the 1156 bulb family, sharing its BA15s base architecture while differing in wattage output.
The Buick Special transitioned from the BA9s-based 63 bulb to the BA15s-based 67 bulb between the 1953 and 1954 model years, representing a base type change that requires a different socket.
The 1965-1969 Buick Special used the 97 bulb exclusively across that five-year span, indicating a stable specification during that period of production.