Bar Code Data Encoding Requirements. Specifications for DL/ID cards are covered. Item of data that may appear on the license in either human or machine-readable. How to Identify a Barcode Type (Symbology)This web page was created to determine which barcode the client may be. Simplest way to identify a barcode type.

16 Jul 2019CPOL

This tutorial will introduce you to the classes and methods for both reading and writing AAMVA-compliant barcodes from Driver’s Licenses.

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Introduction

If you’ve renewed your driver’s license any time in the last few years, you have likely noticed an increase in its visual complexity. Many governing bodies have made significant strides towards making forgery more difficult. The unfortunate side-effect from that positive change is that traditional recognition algorithms are more difficult with the many colors, backgrounds, holograms, and layouts.

Thankfully, new driver’s licenses also have PDF417 barcodes on them, and in North America, follow specifications laid out by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). These barcodes are small, error resistant, and can encode a lot of information.

This tutorial will introduce you to the classes and methods for both reading and writing AAMVA-compliant barcodes from Driver’s Licenses.

Reading AAMVA Barcodes

Since Driver’s Licenses are so broadly accepted as forms of identification, there are a wealth of opportunities for reading the information from them. We covered those concepts in an earlier white paper on Capturing Customer Information from Driver's Licenses, so we won’t repeat them here. That paper also discussed using the PDF417 barcodes before they were regulated by AAMVA. Since then, LEADTOOLS has added a new AAMVAID class which does all the field parsing for you.

What’s the big deal? Take a look at the raw data for an AAMVA barcode:

Where’s the name? Or the birthdate? Do you need to calculate if this person is over 21 and legally allowed to make a purchase? With LEADTOOLS, you can get that kind of information in beautiful, strongly typed properties:

Writing AAMVA Barcodes

There may be fewer reasons for generating AAMVA barcodes, but every motor vehicle agency in every state or province in the United States, Canada, and Mexico needs the ability to print them on the licenses they issue. Naturally, you can’t just print any old barcode onto licenses and IDs. As with most specifications, they are hard to follow and can cause a significant development roadblock due to the R&D requirements. LEADTOOLS simplifies this in two ways: generating the AAMVA string and creating the PDF417 barcode.

First, you need to convert your customer data into a valid AAMVA string value. To aid in this process, LEADTOOLS provides the AAMVAIDBuilder class. The builder will help organize the data and output it conforming to the 2016 AAMVA CDS. Here we initialize the AAMVAIDBuilder, add some information and then use the Build function to generate the AAMVAID object:

Now that our customer’s information is correctly encoded for AAMVA, we will create the PDF417 barcode. Thanks to LEAD’s nearly three decades of experience in with raster and document imaging technologies, this process is even simpler than writing the AAMVA string despite the barcode’s greater complexity. Here we generate the BarcodeEngine, set a few options to help the proportions make AAMVA happy, and LEADTOOLS takes care of the rest. In this simple case, we simply created a blank image using the calculated bounds of the barcode:

As a check, we’ll load the image back into the Main Barcode demo like before and read the data.

Conclusion

LEADTOOLS has a history of staying on the forefront of document imaging and recognition technologies like OCR, Forms, Barcode, and PDF. Driver’s licenses and IDs have become far more complex, yet better regulated with the adoption of AAMVA barcodes. LEADTOOLS will stay a viable option for developers wanting to quickly and easily create software to read and write identification data stored in AAMVA barcodes.

Download the Full AAMVA Barcode Example

You can download the fully functional demo which includes the features discussed above. To run this example you will need the following:

Visual Studio 2010 or later
Browse to the LEADTOOLS Examples folder (e.g. C:LEADTOOLS 20Examples) where you can find example projects for this and many more technologies in LEADTOOLS.

Pdf417 Barcode Reader

Support

Need help getting this sample up and going? Contact our support team for free technical support! For pricing or licensing questions, you can contact our sales team (sales@leadtools.com) or call us at 704-332-5532.

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A GO ANYWHERE DESIGN AND TINY FOOTPRINT

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FEATURES

Driver S License Pdf417 Barcode Specifications

Scans 1D, 2D and PDF417 bar codes on paper, mobile phones and computer displays

Scan virtually any bar code on any medium; supports the technology your customers are embracing — mobile bar codes

New small footprint

Most compact device in its class, fits in the most space constrained areas, yet offers flexibility of a much larger scanner — the large high-mounted exit window enables scanning of even taller items

New sleek design

Perfect in the most design conscious environments

Handheld and hands-free modes

Dual mode functionality saves time; keeps lines moving and minimizes wait times; eliminates the need to lift heavy items, reducing the opportunity for injury

Picklist mode

Select and scan a single bar code from a bar code menu or “picklist” — ideal for items that are too small for bar code labels such as nuts and bolts in a hardware store to tiny cosmetic brushes

Driver’s license parsing (optional)

Captures the information you specify from driver’s licenses to enable fast auto-population of loyalty and credit card applications, increasing enrollment

Driver S License Pdf417 Barcode Specifications