ICAO Machine-Readable Zone Line 1 (MRZ) Regex for JavaScript

What this pattern does

This page provides a well-structured, multi-part regular expression for matching icao machine-readable zone line 1 (mrz), ported and verified for JavaScript. 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 JavaScript project — whether you're validating in an Express middleware, a Next.js API route, or a client-side form.

Javascript Implementation

// ICAO Machine-Readable Zone Line 1 (MRZ)
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Identity & PII > Passport Numbers

const icaoMachinereadableZoneLine1MrzRegex = /^P[A-Z<]([A-Z]{3})([A-Z0-9<]{39})$/;

function validateIcaoMachinereadableZoneLine1Mrz(input: string): boolean {
  return icaoMachinereadableZoneLine1MrzRegex.test(input);
}

// Example
console.log(validateIcaoMachinereadableZoneLine1Mrz("P<UTOERIKSSON<<ANNA<MARIA<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<")); // true

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Identity & PII > Passport Numbers category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for JavaScript developers because especially critical in long-running Node.js event loops where a ReDoS vulnerability can block the entire process. 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

MRZ Line 1 for passports: document type (P) + subtype + 3-char issuing country + surname<<given names, padded with < to 44 chars total. Line 2 contains the passport number, nationality, DOB, sex, expiry, and check digits.