Abstract: An optical bar code reader includes a recognition system for recognizing a bar code data even when none of a plurality of scanning beams extend over the entire width of a bar code label. A plurality of incomplete data each of which represents a portion of the bar code label are combined with each other by a composition circuit to get an estimated complete bar code data. A determination system is provided for detecting whether the read out data obtained from any scanning beam corresponds to the entire bar code data. If an affirmative answer is obtained by the determination system, such read out data is directly applied to the associated processing system without activating the composition circuit.