chilean-plate-validator

🇨🇱 Description

A lightweight, zero-dependency utility for Chilean license plate (PPU) validation and identification. Optimized for LPR/OCR systems and compliant with Ley 21.601 (2024-2026 regulations).

Features

• OCR-tolerant (Fuzzy Mode): Automatically corrects common character substitutions from image recognition pipelines (e.g., 8 → B, 0 → O).
• Complete PPU Coverage: Supports cars, motorcycles, trailers (remolques), and special governmental plates.
• Dual Build: Native support for ESM (import) and CommonJS (require).
• TypeScript Ready: Full type definitions and PlateType enums for robust development.
• Zero Dependencies: Extremely small footprint for edge computing or browser use.

Supported Formats

| Type | Format | Example | Description | |-------------|-----------------|----------|----------------------------| | New Vehicle | AAAA11 | BCDF12 | Post-2007 standard | | Old Vehicle | AA1111 | AA1234 | Pre-2007 standard | | Special | AA1111 | CD1234 | Diplomatic, Judicial, etc. | | Motorcycles | AA111/AAA11 | AB123 | Small format plates | | Police | Z1111 | Z1234 | Carabineros de Chile |

🚀 Installation

npm install chilean-plate-validator

🛠 Usage

Using functions

import { normalize, plateValid, plateType, specialPlateInfo } from 'chilean-plate-validator'

// Strict validation — input must be pre-normalized
plateValid('BCDF12') // true
plateValid('BC-DF12') // false

// Normalize first if the input may contain separators
plateValid(normalize('BC-DF12')) // true

// Get plate category
plateType('BCDF12') // 'new_vehicle_plate'
plateType('AA1234') // 'old_plate'
plateType('Z1234')  // 'police'

// Get special plate metadata (old format only)
specialPlateInfo('CD1234') // { prefix: 'CD', label: 'Cuerpo diplomático', authority: 'governmental', ... }
specialPlateInfo('AA1234') // null

Fuzzy validation (OCR input)

When the plate string comes from an image recognition pipeline, use fuzzy mode to correct common character substitutions (0→O, 1→I, 8→B, 5→S, 2→Z) before validating:

import { plateValid, fuzzyPlateValid } from 'chilean-plate-validator'

// Strict mode — fails on OCR errors
plateValid('8CDF12') // false

// Option 1 — config flag
plateValid('8CDF12', { fuzzy: true }) // true — '8' corrected to 'B'

// Option 2 — shorthand
fuzzyPlateValid('8CDF12') // true

import { plateValid, fuzzyPlateValid, fuzzyCorrect } from 'chilean-plate-validator'

// Validate only
plateValid('8CDF12', { fuzzy: true }) // true
fuzzyPlateValid('8CDF12')             // true

// Get the corrected plate(s)
fuzzyCorrect('8CDF12') // ['BCDF12']
fuzzyCorrect('BCDF12') // ['BCDF12'] — already valid
fuzzyCorrect('XXXX99') // []

Using the PlateType object

Avoid hardcoding type strings — use PlateType for comparisons:

import { plateType, PlateType } from 'chilean-plate-validator'

if (plateType('BCDF12') === PlateType.NewVehicle) {
  // ...
}

Using the CLPlate class

The class normalizes input automatically and exposes memoized results for convenience:

import { CLPlate } from 'chilean-plate-validator'

const plate = new CLPlate('bc-df12')

plate.clean       // 'BCDF12'
plate.isValid     // true
plate.type        // 'new_vehicle_plate'
plate.formatted   // 'BCDF-12'
plate.specialInfo // null

const special = new CLPlate('CD-1234')

special.isValid     // true
special.type        // 'old_plate'
special.formatted   // 'CD-1234'
special.specialInfo // { prefix: 'CD', label: 'Cuerpo diplomático', authority: 'governmental', ... }

For OCR input, use the fuzzy getters on the instance or the static helpers:

// Instance — three distinct states
const plate = new CLPlate('8CDF12')

plate.isValid        // false — strict validation fails
plate.isFuzzyValid   // true  — recoverable via OCR correction
plate.fuzzyCorrections // ['BCDF12']

// Already valid plates return [] from fuzzyCorrections
new CLPlate('BCDF12').isFuzzyValid    // false — already strictly valid
new CLPlate('BCDF12').fuzzyCorrections // []

// Unrecoverable input
new CLPlate('XXXX99').isFuzzyValid    // false
new CLPlate('XXXX99').fuzzyCorrections // []

// Static helpers — no instantiation needed
CLPlate.normalize('BC-DF 12')   // 'BCDF12'
CLPlate.fuzzyCorrect('8CDF12')  // ['BCDF12']
CLPlate.isValidFuzzy('8CDF12')  // true

// toString() — coercion-friendly
String(new CLPlate('BCDF12'))     // 'BCDF-12'
`Plate: ${new CLPlate('AA1234')}` // 'Plate: AA-1234'

📚 Legal basis & documentation

This module follows the official specifications from the Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación de Chile.

• Official Manual (Online)
• Local Backup (Historical Reference)

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

👤 Author

Gabriel Galilea

• GitHub: @gabo2151
• LinkedIn: Gabriel Galilea