Maine Driver License & ID Card PDF417 API

Decode the PDF417 barcode on Maine driver licenses and state ID cards into AAMVA JSON, with document_kind to tell licenses from ID cards.

Reading Maine Card Barcodes in Real Workflows

Maine businesses swing between quiet winters and busy summer seasons with temporary staff. New staff need a capture flow that tells them exactly when to retake. PDF417 error correction recovers some damage, but an application should never invent identity values when the barcode cannot be decoded.

One API for Maine Licenses and ID Cards

Maine cards are issued by the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Licenses and identification cards carry the same AAMVA DL/ID PDF417 barcode on the back. Send the back image to the StructOCR PDF417 API: it decodes the barcode deterministically, normalizes the jurisdiction to ME, and returns document_kind as driver_license or id_card. Test a non-sensitive sample in the free PDF417 scanner. For the printed front of the card, use the Driver License OCR API.

Where This Workflow Fits

  • Summer rental counters: Pre-fill names, dates, and address for summer rental counters and keep final confirmation in your application.
  • Cannabis store check-in: Accept both Maine licenses and state ID cards, and use document_kind where only a license is acceptable.
  • Rural clinic registration: Send unreadable Maine barcodes to a retake or manual review step instead of saving partial identity data.
Need more testing? Create a free account to get 200 free credits (equals 100 Driver License scans).

Decode a Maine Card Back

Upload a JPG, PNG, or WebP image of the full card back. Ask for the back of the card to fill most of the frame, with a small margin on every side and no fingers over the barcode.

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

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

Technical Specs

  • •Endpoint: POST https://api.structocr.com/v1/driver-license-pdf417
  • •Document scope: Back of a Maine driver license or state ID card with an AAMVA PDF417 record
  • •Inputs: JPG, PNG, or WebP; Base64 JSON or multipart upload; maximum 4.5 MB
  • •Cost: 2 credits for a successful decode; processing failures are refunded
  • •Region output: ME when encoded in a valid Maine record; document_kind separates licenses from ID cards
  • •Important: Parsing barcode data does not by itself authenticate the credential or the person presenting it

Key Features

  • •Deterministic source: Returned identity fields come from the decoded barcode payload, not generative guessing.
  • •Retake-safe errors: PDF417_NOT_DECODED and AAMVA_NOT_VALID return explicit 422 responses, with an optional capture_issue hint.
  • •License or ID card: document_kind reports which record the barcode carries; ID cards return null license class, restrictions, and endorsements.
  • •Local demand: Built for seasonal tourism, adult-use cannabis retail, and rural healthcare.

Illustrative Maine ID Card Response

This response uses wholly fictional data to show a ME identification card. A license returns document_kind driver_license and its class fields.

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "type": "drivers_license",
    "document_kind": "id_card",
    "source": "pdf417",
    "country_code": "USA",
    "region": "ME",
    "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": null,
    "restrictions": null,
    "endorsements": null,
    "document_discriminator": "SAMPLE-DISCRIMINATOR",
    "issuer_identification_number": null,
    "aamva_version": 10,
    "jurisdiction_version": 0
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the API read Maine state ID cards as well as driver licenses?

Yes, when the back of the card carries a usable AAMVA record. The response sets document_kind to id_card for identification cards and driver_license for licenses.

Does a successful Maine decode prove the card is genuine?

No. It proves a usable barcode payload was decoded and parsed. Authenticity, identity, eligibility, and fraud decisions require separate controls.

What should the app do after a 422 response?

Ask for a new photo of the full Maine card back in even light, using the capture_issue hint when present. Do not fill missing fields from an uncertain barcode.

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