ICAO MRZ Line 2 (Passport Data Line) Regex for PHP

What this pattern does

This page provides a comprehensive, battle-tested regular expression for matching icao mrz line 2 (passport data line), ported and verified for PHP. 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 PHP project — whether you're validating in a Laravel validator, a WordPress plugin, or a standalone PHP script.

Php Implementation

<?php
// ICAO MRZ Line 2 (Passport Data Line)
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Identity & PII > Passport Numbers

define('ICAO_MRZ_LINE_2_PASSPORT_DATA_LINE_PATTERN', '/^([A-Z0-9<]{9})([0-9<])([A-Z]{3})(\d{6})([0-9<])([MFX<])(\d{6})([0-9<])([A-Z0-9<]{14})([0-9<])([0-9<])$/');

function validate_icao_mrz_line_2_passport_data_line(string $input): bool {
    return (bool) preg_match(ICAO_MRZ_LINE_2_PASSPORT_DATA_LINE_PATTERN, $input);
}

// Example
var_dump(validate_icao_mrz_line_2_passport_data_line("L898902C36UTO7408122F1204159ZE184226B<<<<<11")); // bool(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 PHP developers because especially relevant in PHP where PCRE backtracking limits can trigger silent failures on malicious input. 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 2: 9-char passport number + check digit + 3-char nationality + 6-char DOB (YYMMDD) + check digit + gender (M/F/X/< ) + 6-char expiry + check digit + 14-char optional data + check digit + overall check digit. Capture groups: 1=passport number, 3=nationality, 4=DOB, 6=gender, 7=expiry.