HIBC LIC Code 39 Generator

What is an HIBC LIC Code 39 barcode?

HIBC LIC Code 39 is a Health Industry Bar Code (HIBC) primary data message, encoded in the Code 39 symbology, that identifies who made a healthcare product and what the product is. "LIC" stands for Labeler Identification Code — the core identifier assigned to each manufacturer or labeler by HIBCC (the Health Industry Business Communications Council), the nonprofit standards body that maintains the HIBC specification. Every HIBC message begins with a "+" flag character so scanning software can immediately recognize it as HIBC data rather than plain text, followed by the labeler code, the product or catalog number, a unit-of-measure digit, and a check character.

Code 39 was HIBC's original symbology choice because HIBC data itself only needs the character set Code 39 supports — digits, uppercase letters, and a handful of symbols — making it a natural, simple fit for healthcare labeling long before denser symbologies became standard.

LIC vs. PAS: the two HIBC message types

HIBC defines two categories of data message, and it matters which one you're generating. The LIC (primary) message answers "who made this and what is it" — it's the fixed identity of the product, tied to the manufacturer's assigned labeler code and their own product numbering system. The PAS (secondary/supplemental) message, by contrast, answers "which specific unit is this" — lot number, expiration date, serial number, and quantity, data that changes from batch to batch even though the underlying product is the same. A PAS message is typically printed alongside a LIC message and linked to it with a link character, so a scanner reading both messages together gets the complete picture: what the product is, plus which specific lot or unit is in hand. This page covers the LIC (primary) message only, encoded in Code 39.

Where HIBC LIC Code 39 is used

HIBC LIC Code 39 labels appear throughout hospital and medical supply chains: on surgical instrument packaging, diagnostic reagent bottles, medical device unit cartons, and dental or laboratory supply items where a hospital's materials management system needs to identify the exact product and manufacturer at receiving, point of use, or reorder. Many healthcare providers built their inventory and procurement systems around HIBC identifiers well before UDI (Unique Device Identification) requirements existed, and legacy systems in hospital supply chains, group purchasing organizations, and some device manufacturers continue to print HIBC LIC labels today, often alongside newer UDI-compliant barcodes required by the FDA.

How to create an HIBC LIC Code 39 barcode in Barcode Mint

Select HIBC LIC Code 39 from the Linear Barcode list, then enter your HIBC-formatted data string, beginning with the "+" flag character followed by your assigned labeler identification code and product number, for example +A99912345/$. Barcode Mint encodes the check character automatically per the HIBC specification. From there you can:

• Adjust bar width, height, and quiet zone to fit small medical packaging or carton labels
• Set foreground and background colors while keeping strong contrast for handheld hospital scanners
• Export as PNG, SVG, or PDF, or copy the barcode for use in label design software
• Bulk-generate HIBC LIC labels from a CSV of labeler codes and product numbers as a ZIP or print-ready PDF
• Call the REST API — /barcode?type=hibccode39&data=+A99912345/$ — to generate labels programmatically from your labeling system

Print and scan best practices

Because HIBC LIC Code 39 often appears on small medical device packaging, keep module width as narrow as your printer and scanner combination reliably supports while maintaining Code 39's required quiet zone on both sides of the symbol — insufficient quiet zone is one of the most common causes of failed scans on compact healthcare labels. Verify your labeler identification code is the one actually assigned to you by HIBCC before printing at scale, since an incorrect LIC will cause downstream hospital inventory systems to misidentify the product. If the same label also carries a PAS (lot/expiration) message, make sure both messages print clearly separated with their own quiet zones so a scanner doesn't accidentally read across both symbols as one.

HIBC alongside FDA UDI requirements

Many device manufacturers today print HIBC LIC data alongside, rather than instead of, a UDI (Unique Device Identification) barcode required by FDA regulation for most medical devices sold in the United States. UDI compliance doesn't require HIBC specifically — manufacturers can meet it using GS1 or HIBCC as their accredited issuing agency — but hospitals that built decades of inventory and procurement infrastructure around HIBC identifiers often ask suppliers to keep printing HIBC LIC Code 39 even after adding a separate UDI barcode, simply because ripping out an established materials management workflow is expensive and risky. That's why it's common to see two or three barcodes on the same piece of packaging: an HIBC LIC message for legacy hospital systems, a UDI barcode (often GS1 Data Matrix) for regulatory compliance, and sometimes an HIBC PAS message carrying lot and expiration data alongside both.

If you're setting up labeling for a new product line, it's worth checking with your major hospital customers directly about which identifier scheme their receiving and materials systems actually expect, rather than assuming UDI compliance alone covers every downstream requirement.

Common uses

• Medical device and surgical instrument packaging identification
• Diagnostic reagent and laboratory supply labeling
• Hospital materials management and procurement systems
• Legacy healthcare supply chain systems built around HIBC identifiers
• Dental and specialty medical supply product labeling

Frequently asked questions

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