Hair Color (AAMVA Standardized) Regex for Python

What this pattern does

This page provides a well-structured, multi-part regular expression for matching hair color (aamva standardized), ported and verified for Python. Identity and credential patterns need both correctness and safety, since they're frequent targets for adversarial input. The snippet below is ready to drop into your Python project — whether you're validating in a Django view, a FastAPI endpoint, or a standalone data processing script.

Python Implementation

# Hair Color (AAMVA Standardized)
# ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Identity & PII > Biometric & Physical

import re

hair_color_aamva_standardized_pattern = re.compile(r'^(?:BAL|BLK|BLN|BRO|GRY|RED|SDY|WHI|UNK)$')

def validate_hair_color_aamva_standardized(value: str) -> bool:
    return bool(hair_color_aamva_standardized_pattern.fullmatch(value))

# Example
print(validate_hair_color_aamva_standardized("BAL"))  # True

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Identity & PII > Biometric & Physical category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for Python developers because particularly important in Python web servers where CPU-bound regex operations can stall concurrent request handling. RegexVault audits patterns against known backtracking attack vectors, ensuring you have the necessary context before using this regex in a high-stakes production environment.

Common Pitfalls

Technical Notes

AAMVA codes: BAL=bald, BLK=black, BLN=blond/strawberry, BRO=brown, GRY=gray, RED=red/auburn, SDY=sandy, WHI=white, UNK=unknown. Used on US/Canadian driver's licences. Part of physical description data.