Django PDF417 Driver License API

Designing a Safe PDF417 Route in Django

A production Django integration must protect the API key, reject oversized uploads, preserve enough image quality for decoding, and translate recoverable 422 responses into a useful capture experience. A browser-only request would expose credentials and make abuse controls harder.

A Server-Side Django Integration

Django can validate the uploaded image in the view, keep the API key in settings or the environment, and return a retake response without persisting the file. The PDF417 API reference documents the complete response and error model. Identity fields are only returned after deterministic barcode decoding and AAMVA parsing.

Where This Workflow Fits

• Protected upload endpoint: Keep STRUCTOCR_API_KEY inside Django server configuration rather than client code.
• Structured form prefill: Map normalized AAMVA fields into an editable form and require user or staff confirmation.
• Recoverable retake flow: Turn PDF417_NOT_DECODED into a clear request for a sharper, complete license-back image.

Django PDF417 Endpoint

The example accepts image data on the server and calls /v1/driver-license-pdf417. Adapt authentication, authorization, rate limits, and retention to your application.

Prerequisite: pip install structocr django

import json
import os
from django.http import JsonResponse
from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
from structocr import StructOCR, StructOCRError

client = StructOCR(os.environ["STRUCTOCR_API_KEY"])

@require_POST
def decode_pdf417(request):
    image = request.FILES.get("image")
    if not image:
        return JsonResponse({"error": "image is required"}, status=400)
    if image.size > 4_500_000:
        return JsonResponse({"error": "image exceeds 4.5 MB"}, status=413)
    try:
        return JsonResponse(client.scan_driver_license_pdf417(image.read()))
    except StructOCRError as error:
        return JsonResponse({"error": error.code, "message": str(error)}, status=error.status_code or 502)

Django Response Shape

The example contains fictional identity values. Optional AAMVA elements can be null, and production logs should avoid storing raw identity data.

{
  "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
  }
}