Blog

Do you need to capture images of driver's licenses? Or do you also need to capture the license data?

When selecting a driver's license scanner for your kiosk, it's crucial to understand the difference between simply capturing an image of the license and reading the data embedded within it. Both options have their advantages, but your choice depends on the specific needs of your application.

Photo: Plustek

August 27, 2024

When selecting a driver's license scanner for your kiosk, it's crucial to understand the difference between simply capturing an image of the license and reading the data embedded within it. Both options have their advantages, but your choice depends on the specific needs of your application.

Image Capture Only: Capturing an image of the driver's license is a straightforward approach. This method can be sufficient if your kiosk only needs to visually verify the identity of a person, such as for check-ins, where a human operator will later review the image. It’s also useful for situations where data extraction isn't necessary, or where you want to store the image for future reference or manual processing.

Data Extraction: Reading data directly from the driver's license provides a more robust solution. Modern driver's licenses contain machine-readable zones, barcodes, or even RFID chips that store important information like name, date of birth, address, and license number. A scanner that reads this data ensures the information is accurately captured, eliminating human error associated with manual entry or OCR.

This approach is particularly valuable for applications requiring quick, accurate, and secure data processing, such as age verification, automatic form filling, or regulatory compliance.

Conclusion: If your kiosk needs to automate tasks, ensure accuracy, or process data quickly, opting for a scanner that reads the embedded data from driver's licenses is the better choice. On the other hand, if you only need a visual record, then an image capture might suffice. Carefully consider your kiosk’s purpose and user experience to make the best decision.

Plustek has you covered!

Whether your solution requires image capture only or data extraction, we have a solution for you!  With our flexible hardware and SDK, you can get exactly what you need.  You can provide images, data, or images plus data. You choose.

Plustek offers a complete portfolio of image scanners/readers for driver's licenses, IDs, passports, and documents.  We also offer a comprehensive SDK that includes device control, image processing, and data extraction.  Customized hardware and software solutions are also available.

Visit the Plustek Kiosk Marketplace Showcase to learn more about Plustek and our products.

Included In This Story

---

Plustek Technology

Drawing on 36 years of expertise in scanner and imaging solution development, Plustek offers proven, commercial-grade ID, passport, and document scanning and data extraction technologies to the kiosk market. Customers select Plustek for its extensive range of scanners, readers, and integration options.

Request Info

Learn More