Scan South African driver's licenses, Smart ID cards and vehicle license discs with the phone camera. barKoder decrypts and parses the license PDF417 on the device and returns the ID number, names, vehicle codes and dates as structured fields, in Android, iOS and web apps.
The SA DL parser reads the PDF417 barcode on the SA driver's license. Two options of the same parser add the Smart ID card and the vehicle license disc, so one integration covers onboarding, rental, fleet and access control workflows.
The drivers license barcode is an encrypted, ultra-dense PDF417 that holds up to 720 bytes of data. barKoder decrypts and parses it on the device, without a remote parsing service.
Fields you can map
Use barKoder as a Smart ID card scanner. The SA ID barcode is parsed into structured, positional data, so your app gets key data such as the ID number, names and dates without custom parsing logic.
Fields you can map
Turn a phone into a license disc scanner. The license disc barcode is much less dense than the license barcode, so it scans quickly, even through windscreen glare, and is returned as structured data.
Typical workflows
The SA ID and vehicle license disc parsers are options of the SA DL parser, not separate products. They are documented for the Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native, Capacitor, .NET MAUI, NativeScript and Cordova SDKs.
Reading the barcode and interpreting its contents are two steps. barKoder does both on the device.
Most document barcodes hold readable text. The PDF417 on a South African driver's license is encoded and protected, so a generic reader returns data your app can't use.
It is also very dense, because it contains the holder's facial image, and the lamination on the card makes it harder to read.
barKoder handles both problems. LineSight decodes the dense barcode, and the SA DL parser decrypts the payload and returns structured fields and the photo.
| Field | What your app gets |
|---|---|
| ID number | The holder's South African ID number |
| License number | The number of the driving license |
| Surname and initials | The holder's name as encoded on the license |
| Date of birth and gender | Personal details for KYC and age checks |
| License codes | The vehicle code classes the holder may drive |
| Restrictions | Restrictions recorded on the license |
| Issue and expiry dates | License validity information |
| Holder photo | The facial image, decrypted and extracted from the barcode |
Turn on the PDF417 decoder, select the SA DL formatting, and add the ID and license disc options if your app needs them.
// Enable PDF417 symbology and South African Driving License parser
bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig().PDF417.enabled = true;
bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig().formattingType = Barkoder.FormattingType.SADL;
// Parsers for data in South African IDs and South African Vehicle License Discs
Barkoder.SetCustomOption(bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig(), "SADL_decode_ID" , 1);
Barkoder.SetCustomOption(bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig(), "SADL_decode_vehicle_disk", 1);
// Get SADL image - called when Barkoder returns a scan result
Bitmap sadlImage = BarkoderHelper.sadlImage(results[0].extra);
The Web SDK parses the SA driver's license in the browser. After a scan, read the fields from formattedJSON:
//access the parsed result
let SADL_ParsedData = JSON.parse(result.formattedJSON);
//access specific fields - most likely you need the following:
let driver_surname = SADL_ParsedData.Field[0].Value;
let driver_initials = SADL_ParsedData.Field[1].Value;
let id_number = SADL_ParsedData.Field[6].Value;
let license_number = SADL_ParsedData.Field[5].Value;
let license_codes = SADL_ParsedData.Field[18].Values.join(", ");
let gender = SADL_ParsedData.Field[14].Value;
let nationality = SADL_ParsedData.Field[3].Value; //most likely
let dob = SADL_ParsedData.Field[11].Value;
let license_expiry = SADL_ParsedData.Field[13].Value;
The same options are documented for every framework SDK:
Licenses spend years in wallets, and license discs sit behind windscreens in the sun. Their barcodes get scratched, faded and cut off.
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 or missing.
See the damage cases on the PDF417 Barcode Scanner SDK page, then test your own samples.
Replace manual entry of ID numbers, names and license codes with one scan.
The SA DL parser ships with the barKoder SDK. License parsing is documented for native, web and cross-platform SDKs; the ID and license disc options for Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native, Capacitor, .NET MAUI, NativeScript and Cordova.
Direct SDKs for mobile, browser, desktop and server environments.
Official integrations for teams building one application across platforms.
Teams using barKoder to read South African licenses, ID cards and license discs.
Decoding, decryption 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.
Add the barKoder SDK, enable the PDF417 decoder and set the formatting to SADL. When the user scans the back of the license, the SDK returns the decrypted, parsed fields and the holder photo. The SA driver's license parser docs show the code for each platform.
Yes. The SA ID and vehicle license disc parsers are options of the SA DL parser. Turn them on with the SADL_decode_ID and SADL_decode_vehicle_disk options. They are documented for the Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native, Capacitor, .NET MAUI, NativeScript and Cordova SDKs.
The PDF417 on the South African driver's license is encoded and protected. A generic reader can decode the barcode symbols but can't interpret the payload. barKoder decrypts it and returns structured fields.
Yes. The SA DL parser decrypts and extracts the facial image embedded in the license barcode. Each SDK has a helper for it, for example BarkoderHelper.sadlImage on Android and getSADLImage in the Web SDK.
Yes. Decoding, decryption and parsing run on the device, without a remote parsing service. The SDK goes online only for the license check, at least once every 30 days, and it does not store personal information from scans.
Yes. The barKoder Web SDK reads the license PDF417 in the browser and returns the parsed fields in formattedJSON. Start with the SA license web example and the WASM Barcode Scanner SDK page.
The free online barcode scanner reads barcodes from an uploaded image. To get parsed license, ID or license disc fields inside your own app, use the SDK with a free trial license.
No. Parsing interprets the data encoded in the barcode. It doesn't establish that the document is authentic or that it belongs to the person presenting it, so add the checks your application needs.
Test the SA DL parser on your own licenses, Smart ID cards and license discs with a free 30-day trial, or talk to an SDK expert about your project.
