Scan the PDF417 barcode on U.S. and Canadian driver's licenses and ID cards and get labeled fields back: name, address, date of birth, license number and dates. Parsing follows the AAMVA DL/ID Card Design Standard and runs on the device, on iOS, Android and the web.
Reading the barcode and interpreting its contents are two separate steps. barKoder does both on the device, so your driver license barcode scanner returns data your app can use directly.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) defines the standard for driver's license barcode data across the United States and Canada.
Most states and provinces print a PDF417 barcode on the back of driver's licenses and ID cards. PDF417 is only the container. The AAMVA DL/ID Card Design Standard defines what goes inside: labeled fields, each marked by a three-letter code.
Because every jurisdiction uses the same codes, one AAMVA parser can read the birth date or license number from a card issued anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. Read more in AAMVA standards and their role in barcode scanning and in our AAMVA PDF417 driver license barcode guide.
| Code | Data element | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| DCS | Family name | Stored in capital letters |
| DAC | First name | Middle names have their own field |
| DBB | Date of birth | U.S. cards typically use month-day-year, Canadian cards year-month-day |
| DBC | Sex | A numeric code |
| DAQ | License number | Each state and province has its own format |
| DBA | Expiration date | Use it to flag expired cards |
| DBD | Issue date | Tells newer cards from older ones |
| DAJ | Issuing jurisdiction | Two-letter state or province code |
barKoder's AAMVA parser extracts structured identity data from U.S. and Canadian driver's licenses and ID cards and returns key/value pairs mapped to the AAMVA data elements.
formattedJSON and formattedText
Enable the PDF417 decoder, set the formatting to AAMVA, and read the parsed result. This example uses the Web SDK.
async function barkoderInit () {
var Barkoder = await BarkoderSDK.initialize("your_license_key_here");
//enable symbologies you'd like to scan
Barkoder.setEnabledDecoders(
Barkoder.constants.Decoders.PDF417
);
//change any additional settings
Barkoder.setCameraResolution(Barkoder.constants.CameraResolution.FHD);
Barkoder.setDecodingSpeed(Barkoder.constants.DecodingSpeed.Slow);
Barkoder.setFormatting(Barkoder.constants.Formatting.Automatic);
}
barkoderInit(); //using await requires an async method
Automatic detects whether a result is parsable and applies the matching parser. To force the AAMVA parser, set the formatting explicitly:
Barkoder.setFormatting(Barkoder.constants.Formatting.AAMVA);
2. Read the parsed fields
Each parsed result carries formattedJSON, a JSON string with all parsed data that you pass to JSON.parse, and formattedText with the same data as key/value pairs.
Native and framework SDKs expose the same option as formattingType, with AAMVA among the formatting modes.
License barcodes get scratched, faded and bent in wallets. Most PDF417 decoders depend on the Start and Stop patterns and the row indicator columns.
barKoder's LineSight doesn't, so it keeps reading when those elements are worn, cut off or missing.
See every damage case on the PDF417 Barcode Scanner SDK page.
The AAMVA parser tells you what the barcode says. Plan the rest of your ID check around it.
A drivers license barcode scanner replaces typing names, addresses and license numbers with one scan.
The AAMVA parser ships with the barKoder SDK. Set the formatting to AAMVA in native, web or cross-platform apps and read the parsed fields from the scan result.
Direct SDKs for mobile, browser, desktop and server environments.
Official integrations for teams building one application across platforms.
Teams using barKoder to read dense PDF417 barcodes on licenses and ID cards.
Decoding and parsing run locally. The SDK goes online only for the license check, at least once every 30 days, and it does not store any personal information retrieved from scanning a barcode. Your application decides what it keeps.
Verified credentials
Certified information security management built around internationally recognized controls.
Official Solution Provider supporting standards-based barcode and data-capture workflows.
Solution Provider listing covering barcode, mobile application and 2D barcode capabilities.
Discover the barKoder Web SDK listing and connect through Microsoft Marketplace.
Registered Independent Software Vendor in Zebra's PartnerConnect ecosystem.
Install the free barKoder demo app, or open the web demo, and scan your own barcodes before you integrate the SDK.
iPhone and iPad
Scan with your camera, or point it at the QR code to open the App Store.
Android phones and tablets
Scan with your camera, or point it at the QR code to open Google Play.
Any modern browser
Runs the Web SDK in your browser, on desktop or mobile, with nothing to install.
Test with known samples. Print or display the testing sheet and scan each 1D and 2D barcode with the demo app. The data sheet summarizes the SDK for your team.
U.S. and Canadian driver's licenses and ID cards carry a PDF417 barcode. Its contents follow the AAMVA DL/ID Card Design Standard: labeled fields such as name, address, date of birth, license number and dates, each marked by a three-letter code.
The barKoder AAMVA parser follows the AAMVA DL/ID Card Design Standard from v1.0.0 to v10.0. It handles all U.S. states and most Canadian provinces, and parses both fixed and optional data groups.
Add the barKoder SDK, enable the PDF417 decoder and set the formatting to AAMVA, or to Automatic. The parsed fields arrive in formattedJSON with the scan result. The Web SDK guide walks through setup. Get a key with a free trial license.
Only for the license check, which each device needs at least once every 30 days. Scanning and AAMVA parsing run on the device, and the SDK does not store personal information retrieved from scans.
Yes. The barKoder Web SDK includes the PDF417 decoder and the AAMVA formatting option, and works in browsers that support WebAssembly. See the WASM Barcode Scanner SDK.
No. The parser interprets and validates the data encoded in the barcode. It doesn't establish that the card is authentic or that it belongs to the person presenting it, so add the checks your application needs.
Yes. barKoder's free online Barcode Generator creates PDF417 barcodes from the data you enter. Use made-up test data, never a real person's details.
Yes. The SA DL parser decrypts South African driver's licenses, and the MRZ parser reads passports and other ID documents with a machine-readable zone.
Test the AAMVA parser on your own license samples with a free 30-day trial, or talk to an SDK expert about your project.
