Barcode Type Guide
Code 39 Barcode Generator — Free
Generate Code 39 barcodes for government, automotive, and legacy inventory systems. One of the oldest and most widely supported linear barcode formats.
Code 39 — Technical Specification
Barcode TypeLinear (1D)
Character Set26 uppercase letters (A–Z), digits 0–9, and 7 special characters (- . $ / + % SPACE)
LengthVariable
Check DigitOptional (not required)
Common UsesUS government, automotive, military, healthcare (legacy)
LimitationWider than Code 128 for the same data — use Code 128 for space-constrained labels
Output in Barcode CanvasVector SVG
Where Code 39 Is Used
US Department of Defense (DoD) labelling
MIL-STD-129 requires Code 39 on military packaging and property.
Automotive parts tracking (AIAG)
The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) standard uses Code 39 for parts identification.
Healthcare (legacy systems)
Older hospital and lab systems built before Code 128 adoption may still require Code 39.
Internal inventory (legacy)
Many older WMS and ERP systems were built on Code 39 and haven't been updated.
When to Use Code 39
- ✓ Your industry or government standard explicitly requires Code 39
- ✓ You're integrating with a legacy scanner or system that only reads Code 39
- ✓ You only need to encode uppercase letters and numbers
When NOT to Use Code 39
- ✗ New systems — Code 128 encodes more data in less space. Use Code 128 unless Code 39 is required
- ✗ Lowercase letters or full ASCII — Code 39 only supports uppercase
- ✗ Retail POS — use EAN-13 or UPC-A
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