National Barcode Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
Barcoding, Inc. says it created National Barcode Day with Datalogic and ScanSource for June 26, commemorating the first retail UPC scan on June 26, 1974.
About National Barcode Day
National Barcode Day is observed on 26 June as an industry-created celebration of barcode technology and automated data capture.
Barcoding, Inc., Datalogic and ScanSource jointly founded the observance in 2021, with the first celebration held on 26 June 2021.
Why National Barcode Day matters
The day highlights the role of barcodes in identification, retail, logistics and supply-chain data capture.
It is an industry-created observance, not a U.S. federal holiday or government technology standard.
History of National Barcode Day
The three sponsoring companies announced the first-ever National Barcode Day for 26 June 2021.
National Day Calendar registered the observance for annual June 26 use.
The founders chose June 26 to commemorate the first retail scan of a Universal Product Code on 26 June 1974.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Barcoding, Inc., Datalogic, and ScanSource
The joint launch announcement and Barcoding’s history identify the three companies as founders/co-sponsors of the first National Barcode Day.
National Day Calendar Registrar
2021 National Day Calendar proclamation and joint founder launch
First documented observance
ScanSource’s launch release explicitly calls 26 June 2021 the first-ever National Barcode Day.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe National Barcode Day
Learn how UPC, GS1 identifiers and newer two-dimensional codes differ.
Look at the barcode on a household product and identify which information is encoded directly versus retrieved from a database.
Read a standards-organization history of the first UPC retail scan.
Use the day to discuss how identification standards support traceability and supply-chain operations.
National Barcode Day Facts
National Barcode Day is observed on 26 June.
Barcoding, Inc., Datalogic and ScanSource founded the observance in 2021.
The first National Barcode Day was 26 June 2021.
June 26 marks the anniversary of the first retail UPC scan on 26 June 1974.
National Day Calendar registered the observance for annual use.
National Barcode Day Messages
Happy National Barcode Day — a good excuse to notice the tiny identification system behind billions of everyday transactions.
Celebrate National Barcode Day by following one barcode through the systems that make modern retail and logistics work.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
GS1 US — 50-year barcode scanniversary (opens in a new tab)
Standards Organization History
Barcoding, Inc. — National Barcode Day history (opens in a new tab)
ScanSource — first-ever National Barcode Day announcement (opens in a new tab)
Barcoding, Inc. — National Barcode Day (opens in a new tab)
Official Industry Founder
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is National Barcode Day?
26 June annually The documented recurrence rule is: 26 June.
Does National Barcode Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is National Barcode Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: AIDC / supply-chain industry observance founded by Barcoding, Inc., Datalogic and ScanSource. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes National Barcode Day?
The reviewed sources identify National Day Calendar Registrar as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Barcoding, Inc., Datalogic, and ScanSource.
Is National Barcode Day international or country-specific?
No single country is assigned to this observance. Its documented scope is: AIDC / supply-chain industry observance founded by Barcoding, Inc., Datalogic and ScanSource. Use that scope rather than assuming worldwide or country-specific status.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-07.
When is National Barcode Day?
It is observed on 26 June.
Who founded National Barcode Day?
Barcoding, Inc., Datalogic and ScanSource jointly founded it in 2021.
Why is it on June 26?
The founders chose the anniversary of the first retail UPC scan, which took place on 26 June 1974.
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A/RES/42/112
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