How to Identify a Code 39 Barcode

All Code 39 barcodes begin and end with an asterisk ( * ). The asterisk is both the Code 39 start bar and stop bar.

This means that the first 5 bars and the last 5 bars of all Code 39 bar codes are the same. Locate the start bar/stop bar pattern and you can identify a Code 39 barcode.

This short video illustrates this: