Integrate VIN scanning into mobile, web and enterprise applications with barKoder. The VIN Scanner SDK reads VIN barcodes encoded in Code 39, Code 128, Data Matrix and QR Code on every platform, and adds VIN OCR for the printed characters on Android, iOS and the cross-platform frameworks.
barKoder includes a dedicated VIN scanning mode for automotive workflows such as vehicle inspection, fleet management, service, logistics, rental and dealership applications. A VIN is data, not a barcode type, so the scanner has to read every symbology a VIN can be printed in. VIN mode turns all of them on with settings tuned for 17-character vehicle identifiers.
The scanner captures the identifier. Your app decides what happens next:
For a full walkthrough, read How to add VIN scanning to mobile and web apps.
Some vehicles carry a readable VIN barcode. Others only show the 17 characters on a windshield plate, a door label, a document or a metal part. barKoder covers both cases.
Reads VIN data encoded in Code 39, Code 128, Data Matrix and QR Code.
Reads and validates the 17-character VIN from visible text when there is no barcode, or when the barcode can't be decoded. The SDK tries the VIN barcode first and falls back to OCR on the printed characters.
Enable the four VIN decoders, set the region of interest and turn on VIN restrictions. This is the Web SDK version from the barKoder docs.
Barkoder.setEnabledDecoders(
Barkoder.constants.Decoders.Code39,
Barkoder.constants.Decoders.Code128,
Barkoder.constants.Decoders.DataMatrix,
Barkoder.constants.Decoders.QR
);
Barkoder.setCameraResolution(Barkoder.constants.CameraResolution.FHD);
Barkoder.setDecodingSpeed(Barkoder.constants.DecodingSpeed.Slow);
Barkoder.setRegionOfInterest(0, 35, 100, 30);
//Only VIN results are returned (only affects Code39)
Barkoder.setEnableVINRestrictions(Barkoder.constants.EnableVINRestrictions.Enable);The same setup is available as a configureBarkoder config or as the predefined vin template.
Add the ML Kit text recognition dependency, then enable OCR in the decoder configuration:
Barkoder.SetCustomOption(bkdView.config.getDecoderConfig(), "enable_ocr_functionality", 1);VIN examples for every SDK:
Code 39 is still found on many older cars in use today. It encodes letters A-Z, digits 0-9 and a few special characters, which fits an alphanumeric VIN.
As a VIN, Code 39 follows two extra rules. The length is fixed, typically 17 characters. The check character, optional in ordinary Code 39, is required. These rules help the scanner recognize a VIN barcode, and they are why VIN scanning needs its own mode.
With Segment Decoding®, barKoder reads Code 39 VINs that are deformed along the Z-axis: printed on paper for inventory lists or taped to a car window.
Code 128 is a high-density alphanumeric 1D symbology that is widely used to encode VINs.
Segment Decoding® also reads highly distorted Code 128 VIN codes. In the demo app, turn on Enable Misshaped Code Capture inside VIN mode to try it.
2D codes store more data in less space. QR Code is less common for VINs than Code 39 and Code 128, but appears in specific VIN workflows. Data Matrix is used where more information has to fit in a compact area.
QR Codes are easy to read with open-source scanners until their finder patterns are damaged. Then most scanners fail.
MatrixSight® reads VIN QR Codes with damage to both the finder and the alignment patterns. It also reads Data Matrix VINs that are missing finder or timing patterns, or that have random damage in the data area.
Install Barcode Scanner by barKoder on iOS or Android, then follow these steps.
VIN mode is documented for native Android and iOS, the Web SDK and every cross-platform framework. VIN OCR is available on the mobile SDKs and frameworks.
Direct SDKs for mobile, browser, desktop and server environments.
Official integrations for teams building one application across platforms.
Automotive teams that replaced manual VIN entry and older scanners with barKoder.
More automotive stories: Laser Appraiser now captures VIN barcodes that were previously unreadable.
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.
It's software you build into your own app to detect and decode barcodes that contain Vehicle Identification Numbers. barKoder's VIN mode reads VIN data encoded in Code 39, Code 128, Data Matrix and QR Code and returns the VIN to your app's workflow.
There is no single VIN barcode. Older vehicles and paperwork use Code 39, many labels use Code 128, and newer workflows use Data Matrix and QR Code. VIN mode enables all four.
Yes, with VIN OCR. It reads and validates the 17-character VIN from visible text, for example on a windshield, label, document or metal plate. The SDK tries the barcode first and falls back to OCR. VIN OCR needs a license key with OCR enabled.
VIN OCR is documented for Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native, Capacitor, Cordova, .NET MAUI and NativeScript, from SDK version 1.6.7. The Web SDK reads VIN barcodes but doesn't include VIN OCR yet. On Android, VIN OCR uses the ML Kit text recognition library.
Yes. The WASM Barcode Scanner SDK runs VIN mode in the browser, in any browser that supports WebAssembly and ResizeObserver. Follow the Web VIN example, or try VIN scanning first in the barKoder web demo.
For Code 39 and Code 128, Segment Decoding® reads barcodes that are bent, warped or curled. For QR Code and Data Matrix, MatrixSight® reads codes with missing finder, timing or alignment patterns. Results still depend on the damage, lighting and camera, so test with your own samples.
Create Code 39, Code 128, Data Matrix or QR Code test barcodes with the free barKoder Barcode Generator, or scan the sample images on this page with the demo app. Real labels from your own vehicles are the best final test.
Only for the license check, which each device needs at least once every 30 days. Scanning runs locally on the device, and the SDK doesn't store personal information retrieved from scanning.
Test VIN mode on your own vehicles and labels with a free 30-day trial, or talk to an SDK expert about your automotive project.
