Chevrolet Silverado License Plate Bulb Size

The Chevrolet Silverado license plate bulb uses 3 different sizes: 194, 12961, and 168. A replacement chart documents bulb specifications across the 1999 to 2024 production years.

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

If US Type and EU Type show the same value, a direct cross-reference for this bulb is not available or the data is insufficient.

Years	US Type	EU Type	Shop
2023-2024	194	W5W	Check Price
2022	194 (2500/3500 HD only)	W5W	Check Price
2021	194	W5W	Check Price
2019-2020	194 (1500 only)	W5W	Check Price
2019-2020	12961 (2500/3500 HD only)	12961	Check Price
2015-2018	12961	12961	Check Price
2014	12961 (1500 only)	12961	Check Price
2014	168 (2500/3500 HD only)	W5W	Check Price
2011-2013	168	W5W	Check Price
2007-2010	192	192	Check Price
2003-2006	194	W5W	Check Price
2002	97	97	Check Price
1999-2001	194	W5W	Check Price

Bulb Specifications

Description	Type	Shop
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 3.78W.	194	Check Price
ECE standard (Europe & worldwide). Single-filament signalling bulb with W2.1x9.5d wedge base. 12V, 5W.	W5W	Check Price
Philips part number. Miniature wedge bulb (T10) with W2.1x9.5d base. 12V, 5W.	12961	Check Price
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 4.9W.	168	Check Price
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 3W.	192	Check Price
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. Variant of 1156. 12V, 13W.	97	Check Price

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The 194, 12961, 168, and 192 bulbs are all T10 miniature wedge bulbs, meaning they share the same physical form factor despite carrying different part numbers and wattage ratings.
The 194 bulb is an ANSI-standard T10 wedge type rated at 12V and 3.78W, and it is the most frequently specified license plate bulb across the Chevrolet Silverado model range, appearing in the 1999-2006, 2021-2024, and select 2019-2020 configurations.
The 12961 is a Philips part number rather than an ANSI designation, and it uses a W2.1x9.5d wedge base at 12V and 5W, making it the highest-wattage T10 variant listed in these specifications.
Although the 194 and 12961 are both T10 wedge bulbs, their wattage ratings differ by more than 1.2W, and the base designations are not confirmed as identical, so substitution between them should not be assumed without verification.
The 168 bulb is an ANSI-standard T10 wedge type rated at 12V and 4.9W, placing it between the 12961 and the 194 in terms of power draw among the T10 variants in these specifications.
The 192 bulb is an ANSI-standard T10 wedge type rated at 12V and 3W, the lowest wattage of all T10 variants listed, and it was specified for the Silverado in 2007-2010.
The 97 bulb, specified for the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado, is a single-filament bulb with a BA15s bayonet base rated at 12V and 13W, and it is a variant of the 1156 bulb family. Its bayonet base makes it physically incompatible with any of the T10 wedge bulbs listed elsewhere in these specifications.
The 2014 Silverado requires fitment attention, as the 1500 trim uses a 12961 bulb while the 2500/3500 HD trim uses a 168 bulb, meaning the two sub-models are not interchangeable for this application.
A similar trim-level split exists in the 2019-2020 Silverado, where the 1500 uses a 194 bulb and the 2500/3500 HD uses a 12961, again indicating that the license plate bulb is not uniform across the model lineup in those years.
In 2022, the 194 bulb fitment is noted exclusively for the 2500/3500 HD trim, which represents a reversal of the trim-based pattern seen in 2019 and 2020, where the HD variants carried the 12961 rather than the 194.