Ford F-800 License Plate Bulb Size

The Ford F-800 license plate light requires a specific 1157 bulb size for proper illumination of the rear vehicle identification area. Available information covers the span from 1980 to 1999 for the specified component.

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
1980-1999	1157

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Dual-filament bulb with BAY15d bayonet base. 12V, 21W/5W.	1157

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The Ford F-800 uses the 1157 bulb for its license plate position across all listed model years, spanning 1980-1999.
The 1157 is an ANSI-standardized bulb type recognized across the United States and Canada, meaning it conforms to a defined set of electrical and physical specifications shared by multiple manufacturers.
The 1157 is a dual-filament bulb, which means it contains two separate filaments within a single glass envelope, each operating at a different wattage.
The two filaments in the 1157 operate at 21W and 5W respectively on a 12-volt circuit, with the higher-wattage filament typically serving a brighter function and the lower-wattage filament serving a reduced-intensity function.
The 1157 uses a BAY15d bayonet base, a two-pin offset base type where the two pins are positioned at different heights along the base to prevent incorrect insertion orientation.
The BAY15d base design is a fitment-critical detail for the Ford F-800; a single-filament bulb sharing a similar bayonet base, such as the 1156 with its BAU15s base, is not a direct substitute due to differing pin offsets and filament configurations.