California Driver License PDF417 API

Capturing California License-Back Barcodes Reliably

California programs often collect license data through phones in bright outdoor settings. Reflective card surfaces, an angled camera, or a tightly cropped back can make an otherwise valid stacked barcode unreadable. PDF417 error correction can recover some damage, but an application should never invent identity values when the payload cannot be decoded.

Normalized AAMVA Data for California Workflows

Send the complete back image to the StructOCR PDF417 API. The service decodes the barcode deterministically, parses the record defined by the AAMVA DL/ID standard, and normalizes the jurisdiction to CA. Ask the user to place the full back of the card inside a landscape guide, move out of direct sunlight, and retake the image when the barcode edges are clipped. The free PDF417 scanner can be used to test non-sensitive samples before integration.

Where This Workflow Fits

• Rental agreement prefill: Pre-fill names, license number, dates, and address for rental agreement prefill while keeping final confirmation in the application.
• Age-gated delivery intake: Use normalized region CA and available AAMVA fields to reduce transcription in mobile customer onboarding, vehicle rental, and age-gated delivery.
• Customer profile review: Send unreadable California barcodes to a retake or review queue instead of saving incomplete identity data.

Decode a California License Back

Upload a JPG, PNG, or WebP image with the full California PDF417 barcode visible. The SDK tabs show equivalent server-side calls.

Prerequisite: A server-side StructOCR API key and a clear image of the complete license back

curl -X POST https://api.structocr.com/v1/driver-license-pdf417 \
  -H "x-api-key: $STRUCTOCR_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@california-license-back.jpg"

Illustrative California AAMVA Response

This response uses wholly fictional data to demonstrate the normalized CA shape. Optional elements can be null when they are not encoded.

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "type": "drivers_license",
    "source": "pdf417",
    "country_code": "USA",
    "region": "CA",
    "document_number": "SAMPLE1234",
    "surname": "SAMPLE",
    "given_names": "ALEX MORGAN",
    "first_name": "ALEX",
    "middle_name": "MORGAN",
    "sex": "X",
    "date_of_birth": "1990-01-15",
    "date_of_issue": "2025-01-15",
    "date_of_expiry": "2030-01-15",
    "address": "100 EXAMPLE AVE",
    "city": "SAMPLE CITY",
    "postal_code": "00000",
    "vehicle_class": "C",
    "restrictions": null,
    "endorsements": null,
    "document_discriminator": "SAMPLE-DISCRIMINATOR",
    "issuer_identification_number": null,
    "aamva_version": 10,
    "jurisdiction_version": 0
  }
}