Volkswagen Beetle License Plate Bulb Size

The Volkswagen Beetle license plate component utilizes unique bulb sizes 12961, DE3423, 89, and 63. Available information covers the range of years from 1958 through 2019.

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
2017-2019	12961 (With Halogen Capsule Headlamps)
2012-2016	12961
2006-2010	DE3423
1998-2005	12961
1967-1979	89
1958-1966	63

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
Philips part number. Miniature wedge bulb (T10) with W2.1x9.5d base. 12V, 5W.	12961
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Festoon bulb, 41mm length, end-cap contacts. 12V.	DE3423
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA15s bayonet base. Lower wattage variant of 1156. 12V, 13W.	89
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA9s base. 12V, 0.63W.	63

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The 12961 is a Philips part number for a T10 miniature wedge bulb with a W2.1x9.5d base, rated at 12V and 5W. It is the most frequently specified license plate bulb across the Volkswagen Beetle's model history, covering the 1998-2005 and 2012-2019 model years.
For the 2017-2019 Volkswagen Beetle, the 12961 bulb applies specifically to vehicles equipped with Halogen Capsule Headlamps. The 2012-2016 model years carry no such conditional note, meaning the 12961 applies without a headlamp-type restriction for those years.
The DE3423 is an ANSI-standard festoon bulb with a 41mm length and end-cap contacts, rated at 12V. Festoon bulbs make contact at both ends of the housing rather than through a base socket, which distinguishes them physically from wedge and bayonet types.
The DE3423 was specified for the 2006-2010 model years. Because it uses a festoon form factor rather than the wedge base of the 12961, the two bulb types are not interchangeable despite sharing the same 12V operating voltage.
The bulb size 89 is an ANSI-standard single-filament bulb with a BA15s bayonet base, rated at 12V and 13W. It is described as a lower-wattage variant of the 1156 bulb family and was specified for the 1967-1979 model years.
At 13W, the 89 bulb draws considerably more power than the 12961 (5W) or the 63 bulb (0.63W). This wattage difference reflects the different electrical standards and design expectations of the eras in which each bulb type was specified.
The bulb size 63 is an ANSI-standard single-filament bulb with a BA9s base, rated at 12V and 0.63W. It was specified for the 1958-1966 model years and represents the lowest wattage of any bulb type in these specifications.
The BA9s base of the 63 bulb and the BA15s base of the 89 bulb are both bayonet-style fittings, but they differ in pin collar size and are not interchangeable. Substituting one for the other would result in an incorrect fit.
Three of the four bulb types in these specifications (12961, DE3423, and 89) operate at 12V, while the 63 bulb also operates at 12V, making operating voltage a consistent characteristic across all specified license plate bulbs for the Beetle.
The W2.1x9.5d base designation of the 12961 describes a wedge-type connection where the bulb's glass envelope itself acts as the retaining element within the socket, with no separate metal base pins or bayonet lugs involved.