License plate recognition API

LPR API

The License Plate Recognition API extracts plate numbers, jurisdiction, country, and location metadata from vehicle images.

It is designed for parking, access control, auction, security, traffic, and inventory workflows that need automated plate capture from still images.

Open Live Demo Read Documentation Get API Access
License Plate Recognition API

Plate Recognition Output

Convert vehicle images into structured plate information.

License Number

Read the plate number from a submitted still image and return it as structured data for downstream workflows.

Jurisdiction

Return the recognized state or province and country where available, supporting US and Canadian plate patterns.

Location Metadata

Provide plate region coordinates so applications can highlight, crop, blur, review, or audit the recognized plate area.

Typical Integration Flow

Use LPR behind a trusted server-side application with secure token handling.

Step 1

Capture Image

Upload a still image containing a visible license plate.

Step 2

Call LPR API

Your backend submits the image with a valid bearer token.

Step 3

Review Plate

Receive license number, region, country, and bounding location.

Step 4

Apply Result

Use the result for parking, access, inventory, traffic, or audit workflows.

Recognition Pipeline

LPR is a multi-stage image recognition process.

Plate Localization

Find and isolate the license plate region within the submitted image.

Character Recognition

Segment and classify individual plate characters while handling close-character ambiguity such as B/8, O/0, and I/1.

Jurisdiction Rules

Use US and Canadian plate-format knowledge to improve recognition quality where regional patterns are available.

Image Guidance

Recognition quality depends heavily on the submitted image.

Best Results

  • Use a clear still image with a visible plate.
  • Avoid heavy blur, glare, obstruction, or extreme angle.
  • Capture enough resolution for characters to be readable.

Operational Review

Plate fonts, state/province designs, stickers, dirt, reflections, and custom backgrounds can affect accuracy. Applications should allow review when confidence or image quality is uncertain.

Common Use Cases

LPR can support multiple vehicle-facing workflows.

Parking and Access

Automate entry and exit workflows for parking lots, secured areas, and controlled sites.

Traffic and Security

Support traffic management, monitoring, and security review scenarios where plate capture is required.

Inventory and Auctions

Assist vehicle inventory, auction listing, review, and automatic plate blurring workflows.

Recognition Examples

Sample image and structured recognition output.

Sample Image

LPR sample input

JSON Data

{
  "license_number": "BVRX578",
  "region": "Ontario",
  "country": "Canada",
  "left": 45,
  "top": 57,
  "width": 305,
  "height": 25
}

XML Data

<LPR>
  <License_Number>BVRX578</License_Number>
  <Region>Ontario</Region>
  <Country>Canada</Country>
  <Left>45</Left>
  <Top>57</Top>
  <Width>305</Width>
  <Height>25</Height>
</LPR>

Sample Image

LPR sample input

JSON Data

{
  "license_number": "800002",
  "region": "Washington DC",
  "country": "USA",
  "left": 336,
  "top": 258,
  "width": 165,
  "height": 27
}

XML Data

<LPR>
  <License_Number>800002</License_Number>
  <Region>Washington DC</Region>
  <Country>USA</Country>
  <Left>336</Left>
  <Top>258</Top>
  <Width>165</Width>
  <Height>27</Height>
</LPR>

Sample Image

LPR sample input

JSON Data

{
  "license_number": "ILUVNY",
  "region": "New York",
  "country": "USA",
  "left": 640,
  "top": 678,
  "width": 198,
  "height": 78
}

XML Data

<LPR>
  <License_Number>ILUVNY</License_Number>
  <Region>New York</Region>
  <Country>USA</Country>
  <Left>640</Left>
  <Top>678</Top>
  <Width>198</Width>
  <Height>78</Height>
</LPR>

Try LPR

Submit a sample image and inspect the recognized plate number, region, country, and location metadata.

Open LPR Demo