Vehicle Number Plate OCR

Endpoint Overview

POST /api/v1/ocr/vehicle-number-plate

Description

This API endpoint extracts and recognizes vehicle number plates from images. It uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to automatically detect and read license plate information from vehicle images. The service supports multiple input formats including direct image upload, base64 encoded images, and image URLs.

Key Benefits

Automated extraction of vehicle registration numbers without manual intervention

Support for multiple image input formats (file upload, base64, URL)

Fast and accurate number plate recognition for Indian vehicles

Seamless integration with vehicle verification workflows

Use Cases

Automotive

Law Enforcement

Insurance

Automating vehicle entry/exit in parking facilities and toll booths

Streamlining vehicle registration verification during service appointments

Enhancing security in gated communities by validating authorized vehicles

Technical Implementation

Authentication

All API requests require authentication using a JWT Bearer token. Authentication follows these steps:

Obtain API Credentials: Register with Surepass to receive your API key.

Generate JWT Token: Use your API key to generate a JWT token.

Include in Requests: Add the token to the Authorization header as Bearer TOKEN.

Different authentication tokens are used for sandbox and production environments:

Sandbox: https://sandbox.surepass.io

Production: https://kyc-api.surepass.io

Request Parameters

Request Headers

Header	Required	Description
Authorization	Yes	Bearer token for authentication (JWT format)
Content-Type	Yes	`application/json` for JSON payloads or `multipart/form-data` for file uploads

Request Body

The API supports three different methods to provide the vehicle image:

Option 1: File Upload

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
file	File	Yes	Vehicle image showing the number plate
use_pdf	Boolean	No	Set to `true` if the file type is PDF

Option 2: Base64 Encoded Image

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
base_64	String	Yes	Vehicle image encoded in Base64 format

Option 3: Image URL/Link

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
link	String	Yes	URL pointing to the vehicle image

Example Request (URL/Link method)

{
  "link": "https://example.com/vehicle-images/car-with-plate.jpg"
}

Process Response

Response Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
data	Object	Contains the extracted information
data.client_id	String	Unique identifier for the request
data.vehicle_number_plate	String	Extracted vehicle registration number
status_code	Integer	HTTP status code of the response
success	Boolean	Indicates if the request was successful
message	String	Human-readable status message
message_code	String	Machine-readable status code

Example Successful Response

{
    "data": {
        "client_id": "ocr_vehicle_number_plate_EhxpIfsTnSoklvimkucl",
        "vehicle_number_plate": "DL1MB0585"
    },
    "status_code": 200,
    "success": true,
    "message": "Success",
    "message_code": "success"
}

Possible Error Responses

Authentication Error

Invalid Image

Invalid File Format

Server Error

{
    "error": null,
    "message": "Your token is invalid. Please ensure that correct token is being used.",
    "status_code": 401,
    "success": false,
    "message_code": "invalid_token"
}

Occurs when the JWT token is missing, invalid, or expired.

Integration Best Practices

Security Recommendations

Store API keys securely and never expose them in client-side code

Implement proper error handling to manage failed OCR attempts gracefully

Use HTTPS for all API communications to ensure data security

Implement rate limiting on your end to prevent accidental API abuse

User Experience Guidelines

Provide clear instructions to users about optimal image capture for number plates

Implement a preview feature to help users capture clear images of vehicle plates

Include a manual override option in case OCR fails to correctly identify the plate

Display a loading indicator during API processing to improve perceived performance

Code Samples

cURL

Python

Node.js

Related APIs

OCR PAN Card: Extracts information from PAN card images

OCR Driving License: Extracts information from driving license images

OCR Vehicle RC: Extracts information from vehicle registration certificate images

Vehicle Verification: Validates vehicle information against government databases

Compliance and Legal Considerations

When implementing this API, ensure you have proper consent from vehicle owners before capturing and processing their vehicle information. Usage of this API for surveillance purposes may be subject to local privacy laws and regulations. Ensure compliance with data protection regulations when storing extracted vehicle information.

Provide your bearer token in the

Authorization

header when making requests to protected resources.

Example:

Authorization: Bearer ********************

{ "data": { "client_id": "ocr_vehicle_number_plate_EhxpIfsTnSoklvimkucl", "vehicle_number_plate": "DL1MB0585" }, "status_code": 200, "success": true, "message": "Success", "message_code": "success" }

Vehicle Number Plate

Vehicle Number Plate OCR#

Description#

Use Cases#

Technical Implementation#

Request Headers#

Request Body#

Option 1: File Upload#

Option 2: Base64 Encoded Image#

Option 3: Image URL/Link#

Example Request (URL/Link method)#

Response Parameters#

Example Successful Response#

Possible Error Responses#

Integration Best Practices#

Code Samples#

Request

Responses