Driver's Licence Verification

South African driver's licence verification

Scan the PDF417 barcode, check its integrity and extract the encoded licence information. Add SA ID comparison or a Real-Time Home Affairs Face Match when the workflow needs more identity assurance.

Proprietary VerifyNow workflow
Optional ID Verification
Optional Real-Time Face Match
VerifyNow driver's licence barcode report showing privacy-masked holder fields and portrait with the expiry date, vehicle category and integrity checks visible
Sample report

See a driver's licence verification report

This fictional sample shows the licence-holder fields, rendered portrait, vehicle categories and PDF417 checks. Dashboard users can download an authenticated PDF with a transaction reference and VerifyNow authentication code.

Illustrative sample report - fictional data
South African Driver's Licence Barcode Verification Report

PDF417 decode and integrity checks

Date:

Time:

Barcode integrity checks passed

Information read from the card barcode

V2 - high confidence

Licence holder

Expiry date has not passed
Surname
NDOSI
Initials
S
SA ID number
9710220000082
Date of birth
1997-10-22
Gender
Female
ID country
ZA

Card portrait

Portrait decoded from the driver licence barcode
Low-resolution portrait decoded from the card barcode

Driver licence

Licence number
SAMPLE00001ZA
Issue number
01
Issue country
ZA
Encoded valid-from date
2025-05-14
Encoded expiry date
2030-05-13
Restriction
None

Vehicle categories

EB

Light vehicle drawing a trailer, up to 3,500 kg combined mass

First issued

2017-11-06

Restriction

None

Decode checks

  • Barcode structurePassed
  • ID number formatPassed
  • ID checksumPassed
  • Birth date and IDPassed
  • Encoded expiry dateDate not passed

Powered by VerifyNow

Use it your way

Check a licence from your dashboard or your own system

Run a check whenever you need one, or add the same service to your app, website or internal workflow through the VerifyNow API.

For everyday checks

Verify in the dashboard

Take a clear photo of the barcode on the back of the card. VerifyNow reads the licence details and prepares a report for you to review, download and keep with the driver's record.

A practical option for hiring, rental desks, test drives and occasional licence checks.

Start a licence check

For connected workflows

Connect through the API

Send a base64 image of the back of the card or the complete PDF417 payload from your own system. Receive structured licence details, categories, dates, validation results and the embedded portrait in the response.

Built for automated onboarding and regular licence checks at scale.

View the API guide
Features

Driver's licence verification reports

Start with barcode verification. Add an identity record check, Home Affairs Face Match or Full Verification + Passive Liveness when the use case needs stronger holder evidence.

Driver's Licence Barcode Scan

Read the PDF417 barcode on the back of the card, check its integrity and return the encoded licence fields and low-resolution portrait.

Licence Classes & Restrictions

Read the licence classes (A, A1, B, C, C1, EB, EC, EC1) and any recorded restrictions directly from the barcode.

Issue & Expiry Dates

Return the dates encoded in the card and show whether the encoded expiry date has passed.

SA ID Basic Comparison

Compare the decoded ID number, surname, initials and date of birth with the returned South African identity record.

Real-Time Face Match

Compare the low-resolution portrait embedded in the licence barcode with the Real-Time Home Affairs ID photo.

Full Verification + Passive Liveness

See whether the licence portrait, official Home Affairs photo and current selfie appear to show the same person. Passive Liveness checks the selfie for signs of a live person.

Authenticated Report

Download a report with the barcode result, portrait, transaction reference and VerifyNow authentication code.

Building an automated driver onboarding flow? Read the driver's licence verification API guide.

Fraud signals

Why scan the driver's licence barcode?

The PDF417 barcode carries the card-sourced identity, licence, category, restriction and date fields. Altered printed text can disagree with this machine-readable record, giving the reviewer another source to inspect.

VerifyNow checks the payload structure, SA ID checksum, birth-date agreement and encoded expiry. These checks help flag damaged, incomplete or inconsistent barcode data.

A copied genuine barcode or stolen card can still be presented. Choose an identity or face comparison when you need stronger evidence about the person presenting the licence.

Categories

South African licence categories

We decode all South African driver's licence categories encoded on the card

AMotorcycles (unlimited)
A1Motorcycles (up to 125cc)
BLight motor vehicles (up to 3,500kg)
CHeavy motor vehicles (up to 16,000kg)
C1Heavy motor vehicles (up to 16,000kg with restrictions)
EBLight motor vehicle with trailer
ECHeavy motor vehicle with trailer (articulated)
EC1Heavy motor vehicle with trailer (rigid)
Workflow

How driver's licence verification works

1

Scan the Back of the Card

Capture the PDF417 barcode on the back of the South African driver's licence card.

2

Choose the Report

Run the barcode report by itself, add an identity record check, or choose a biometric report with the required consent.

3

Review the Authenticated Result

Review the licence fields, checks, portrait and selected identity result, then download the authenticated PDF.

Decoded licence
What we return on every scan
  • Surname and initialsExactly as encoded on the card
  • South African ID number13-digit format, checksum and birth date checked
  • Licence number & PRDPLicence number and encoded PRDP fields
  • Vehicle categoriesB, EB, C1, EC, A, A1 etc. as encoded
  • First issue dateWhen the licence was originally issued
  • Card date fieldsEncoded valid-from and expiry dates
  • RestrictionsCorrective lenses / auto-only / other flags
  • Gender, date of birth, ID countryAs encoded on the card
  • Embedded portrait dataLow-resolution portrait shown onscreen and in the PDF
Read from the card's PDF417 barcode within VerifyNow's hosted verification service
Industries

Who needs licence verification?

Fleet & Logistics

Read the vehicle categories encoded on a driver's card before assigning a vehicle.

Car Rental Companies

Capture the licence number, categories and encoded expiry date at the rental desk.

Hiring & HR

Record driver's licence fields during recruitment for driving and delivery roles.

Insurance Underwriting

Use the encoded licence dates and categories during motor-policy and claims reviews.

Law Enforcement

Read card-encoded fields and restrictions during an authorised roadside process.

Dealerships

Capture a test driver's licence category and encoded expiry date before a test drive.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do I verify a South African driver's licence?

Upload or photograph the back of the card in VerifyNow. Choose Barcode Verification, Barcode plus ID Verification, or Barcode plus Face Match. The scanner reads the PDF417 barcode and prepares the selected report.

Which South African driver's licences are supported?

VerifyNow supports the issued v1 and v2 South African driver's licence PDF417 barcode formats.

What does the driver's licence barcode report verify?

The barcode report checks the complete PDF417 payload, ID format, ID checksum, birth-date agreement and encoded expiry date. The expiry label compares that date with the report date.

Can a South African driver's licence barcode be faked?

The PDF417 barcode is issuer-generated and carries a protected copy of the card-sourced fields. VerifyNow checks its structure and the consistency of key identity and date fields. A copied authentic barcode or stolen card may still be presented, so higher-risk workflows can add ID Verification, Home Affairs Face Match and Passive Liveness.

Is this VerifyNow's proprietary driver's licence verification service?

Yes. VerifyNow owns and operates the hosted verification workflow and authenticated reports. Barcode reading runs within VerifyNow's service. Higher-assurance reports add the identity and biometric evidence described for the selected check.

Can I download an authenticated PDF report?

A successful dashboard scan includes an Authenticated PDF action with the low-resolution embedded portrait, transaction reference and VerifyNow report authentication code.

Is there a driver's licence verification API?

Yes. The VerifyNow external API accepts a base64 image of the back of a South African driver's licence or the complete 720-byte PDF417 payload. It returns the decoded licence, identity, category, validation and embedded portrait fields.

Start verifying SA driver's licences today

Choose the report, scan the back of the card and review the result