US Driver's License (Generic, State-Dependent) Regex for Go
/^[A-Z0-9]{1,2}[0-9]{1,18}$|^[A-Z][0-9]{3,8}[A-Z0-9]{0,3}$/iWhat this pattern does
This page provides a well-structured, multi-part regular expression for matching us driver's license (generic, state-dependent), ported and verified for Go. 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 Go project — whether you're validating in a Gin handler, a gRPC service, or a command-line tool.
Go Implementation
// US Driver's License (Generic, State-Dependent)
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Identity & PII > Driver's License Numbers
package validation
import "regexp"
var usDriversLicenseGenericStatedependentRe = regexp.MustCompile(`^[A-Z0-9]{1,2}[0-9]{1,18}$|^[A-Z][0-9]{3,8}[A-Z0-9]{0,3}$`)
func ValidateUsDriversLicenseGenericStatedependent(s string) bool {
return usDriversLicenseGenericStatedependentRe.MatchString(s)
}
// Example
// fmt.Println(ValidateUsDriversLicenseGenericStatedependent("A12345678")) // trueTest Cases
Matches (Valid) | Rejects (Invalid) |
|---|---|
A12345678 | ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR |
123456789 | !234567 |
A000000000 | — |
D1234567 | — |
A1 | — |
When to use this pattern
This pattern is drawn from the Identity & PII > Driver's License Numbers category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for Go developers because Go's RE2 engine is inherently safe from catastrophic backtracking, but this pattern has been additionally verified for correctness. 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
Without knowing the issuing state, US DL format validation is extremely permissive. Always capture the issuing state alongside the DL number. State DMV formats change over time without notice.
Technical Notes
US driver's license formats vary dramatically by state. California: 1 letter + 7 digits. Texas: 8 digits. New York: 9 digits or 1 letter + 18 digits. Florida: 1 letter + 12 digits. Use a state-specific library (e.g., driver-license-validator) for precise validation.
Have a pattern that belongs in the vault?
Submit it for review — community-verified patterns get credited to your GitHub handle. Free submissions join the queue. Priority review available for $15.
Submit a Pattern