March 13, 2026

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List of automobile light bulb kinds

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Bulb Types and Descriptions

Light bulbs for automobiles are made in several standardized series. Bulbs used for headlamps, turn signals and brake lamps may be required to comply with international and national regulations governing the types of lamps used. Other automotive lighting applications such as auxiliary lamps or interior lighting may not be regulated, but common types are used by many automotive manufacturers.

International

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The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (ECE Regulations) develops and maintains international-consensus UN Regulations on light sources acceptable for use in lamps on vehicles and trailers type-approved for use in countries that recognise the UN Regulations. These include Regulation 37,[1] which contains specifications for filament lamps, and Regulation 99 and its addenda[2][3]
which covers light sources for high-intensity discharge headlamps. Some UN-approved bulb types[4] are also permitted by some other regulations, such as those of the United States or of Japan, though Japan has begun supplanting the former Japanese national regulations with the international UN regulations.

Filament lamps

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UN Regulation 37 covers motor vehicle filament lamps. These are categorized in three groups: those without general restriction that can be used in any application, those acceptable only for signalling lights (not for road illumination lamps), and those no longer allowable as light sources for new type approvals but still permitted for production as replacement parts.

Group 1[edit]
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Group 2[edit]

WY16W

W2.1×9.5d

1

12 V: 16 W

Amber, ANSI № 921NA

W21W

W3×16d

1

12 V: 21 W

T20 size

ANSI № 7440

WY21W

WX3×16d

1

12 V: 21 W

Amber
ANSI № 7440NA

WP21W

WY2.5×16d

1

12 V: 21 W

WPY21W

WZ2.5×16d

1

12 V: 21 W

Amber

W21/5W

W3×16q

2

12 V: 21 / 5 W

T20 size

ANSI № 7443

WR21/5W

WY3×16q

2

12 V: 21 / 5 W

Red

Group 3[edit]

Gas discharge lamps

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UN Regulation 99 covers gas discharge light sources for use in vehicle headlamps. All light sources acceptable under Regulation 99 are also acceptable under US regulations.

Germany

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There is a German national regulation for vehicle bulbs, now superseded by international ECE regulations. Bulbs according to the old German regulation are still manufactured. The German regulation is contained in §22a, Subsection 1, No. 18 of the Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO, Road Traffic Approval Regulation). Per the Fahrzeugteileverordnung (FzTV, Vehicle Parts Regulation), such light bulbs must bear an approval mark consisting of a sine wave and the letter ‘K’. The technical requirements themselves are established by standards produced by DIN.

United States and Canada

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In the United States, entry 49 CFR 564 in the Code of Federal Regulations requires manufacturers of headlight bulbs, officially known as “replaceable light sources”, to furnish the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with product specifications at least 60 days prior to first use.[6] The specifications supplied by the manufacturer, on approval by NHTSA, are entered in Federal docket NHTSA-1998-3397.[7] From then on, any light source made and certified by any manufacturer as conforming to the specifications is legal for use in headlamps certified as conforming to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108. Light sources for vehicle lamps other than headlamps are not Federally regulated.

In Canada, vehicle headlamps may use light sources (bulbs) conforming to either the US or the international ECE regulations.[8]: 108(5)(a) 

Other countries

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See also

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  • List of lamp caps and holders
  • Sealed beam
  • Automotive lighting

References

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  • ^ ECE Regulation No. 37: Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Filament Lamps for Use in Approved Lamp Units on Power-Driven Vehicles and of their Trailers, Revision 7
  • ^ ECE Regulation No. 99: Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Light Sources for Use in Approved Gas-Discharge Lamp Units of Power-Driven Vehicles
  • ^ ECE Regulation 99 Amendment 3
  • ^ Types of bulbs and socles
  • ^ Consolidated Resolution on the common specification of light source categories (R.E.5), 1 March 2018, p. 14
  • ^ .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:”””””””‘””‘”}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url(“//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg”)right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url(“//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg”)right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url(“//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg”)right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url(“//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg”)right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(–color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(–color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}”49 CFR 564 – Replaceable Light Source Information” (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office.
  • ^ NHTSA Docket 1998-3397: Replaceable Light Source Information
  • ^ Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 Archived 2013-06-21 at the Wayback Machine
  • ^ “PHILIPS PC74 | Bulb 14 VOLTS $0.89”. www.interlight.biz. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
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