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.
Driver’s licence verification
Read the licence. Check the identity. Keep moving.
Decode the South African driver’s licence barcode and choose the identity, photo-match and liveness checks your workflow needs.
Every DriverID report begins with the South African PDF417 barcode. Choose ID Basic for identity data assurance, then step up to two or three photo sources when the driver must be tied more closely to the licence.
The 3-Photo Check brings the portrait embedded in the licence, the Real-Time Home Affairs ID photo and a current selfie into one authenticated report.
Employers, fleets and car rental companies can use DriverID for online driver identity verification in South Africa through the dashboard or driver's licence verification API.
Included foundation
Read the protected PDF417 payload, return the encoded driver and licence fields, render the embedded portrait and check key data consistency.
Identity data check
Match the licence data with an SA identity record
Compare the ID number, surname, initials and date of birth decoded from the licence with the returned South African identity record.
Licence barcode data + SA identity data
Photo assurance
Compare the licence portrait with the official ID photo
Match the low-resolution portrait decoded from the licence barcode with the Real-Time Home Affairs ID photo.
Licence portrait + official identity photo
Highest photo assurance
Connect the licence, official ID photo and current selfie
Run licence-to-official-photo and selfie-to-official-photo comparisons. Passive Liveness assesses the current selfie.
Three photo sources + passive liveness
The report
Holder details
Names, identity number and licence-holder fields returned from the barcode.
Categories and portrait
Vehicle categories, expiry and the licence portrait so your team can compare the person in front of them.
Integrity checks
Barcode integrity results you can keep with the hiring, access or rental file.
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.
PDF417 decode and integrity checks
Date:
Time:
Barcode integrity checks passed
Information read from the card barcode
V2 - high confidence
EB
Light vehicle drawing a trailer, up to 3,500 kg combined mass
First issued
2017-11-06
Restriction
None
The expiry label compares the date encoded in the card barcode with the report date.
This report is confidential and intended for authorised use only. By running this report, you confirm that you are authorised to request and receive the information for identity fraud prevention or fraud detection. This report may contain personal information and, depending on the report type, special personal information such as biometric information, Home Affairs photo information, criminal-behaviour information, or risk-screening information. You are responsible for complying with POPIA, including having a lawful basis, using the result only for the stated purpose, limiting access, applying appropriate safeguards, and managing any onward processing, retention, deletion, and data subject requests. VerifyNow delivers the report to you and retains audit metadata for auditability, billing, security, abuse prevention, and dispute handling; it does not store the full report by default after delivery.
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
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 checkFor connected workflows
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 guideStart 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.
Read the PDF417 barcode on the back of the card, check its integrity and return the encoded licence fields and low-resolution portrait.
Read the licence classes (A, A1, B, C, C1, EB, EC, EC1) and any recorded restrictions directly from the barcode.
Return the dates encoded in the card and show whether the encoded expiry date has passed.
Compare the decoded ID number, surname, initials and date of birth with the returned South African identity record.
Compare the low-resolution portrait embedded in the licence barcode with the Real-Time Home Affairs ID photo.
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.
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.
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.
We decode all South African driver's licence categories encoded on the card
Capture the PDF417 barcode on the back of the South African driver's licence card.
Run the barcode report by itself, add an identity record check, or choose a biometric report with the required consent.
Review the licence fields, checks, portrait and selected identity result, then download the authenticated PDF.
Read the vehicle categories encoded on a driver's card before assigning a vehicle.
Capture the licence number, categories and encoded expiry date at the rental desk.
Record driver's licence fields during recruitment for driving and delivery roles.
Use the encoded licence dates and categories during motor-policy and claims reviews.
Read card-encoded fields and restrictions during an authorised roadside process.
Capture a test driver's licence category and encoded expiry date before a test drive.
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.
VerifyNow supports the issued v1 and v2 South African driver's licence PDF417 barcode formats.
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.
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.
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.
A successful dashboard scan includes an Authenticated PDF action with the low-resolution embedded portrait, transaction reference and VerifyNow report authentication code.
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.
VerifyNow DriverID is the product family for South African driver's licence decoding and identity assurance. It includes Licence Decode, ID Basic, a 2-Photo Check and a 3-Photo Check with Passive Liveness.
The 3-Photo Check brings together the portrait embedded in the driver's licence barcode, the Real-Time Home Affairs ID photo and a current selfie. It reports the licence-to-official-photo and selfie-to-official-photo comparisons, then runs Passive Liveness on the selfie.
VerifyNow checks an issued driver's licence card by reading its PDF417 barcode and preparing the selected identity report. Licence-card application and collection status comes from the relevant official licensing service.
Yes. Employers, fleets and car rental companies can use the VerifyNow driver's licence scanner in the dashboard or connect the driver's licence verification API for driver onboarding verification.
Choose the report, scan the back of the card and review the result
