As a general rule, lamps with 2-pins have the starter built into the body of the lamp but 4-pin versions need an external fluorescent starter. When replacing a 2D or circular lamp make sure you replace like-for-like with the appropriate wattage.

How do I know if my fluorescent light has a starter?

You can easily tell if your fluorescent fixture has a starter as it will have a small silver (or white) cylinder directly behind the tube.

Do LED lights need starters?

Conventional fluorescent tubes need a starter. This starter provides ignition voltage. Naturally, this isn’t necessary for LEDs, so the ignition voltage is superfluous. If you want to replace a traditional fluorescent bulb with an LED, then you must install a dummy starter or bypass the standard starter manually.