Abstract: The invention relates to a method for identifying wood-based panels, in which at least one comparison image is recorded for a predetermined section of a side edge for a plurality of wood-based panels, in which a comparison data record is determined and stored from the comparison image using the structure, in particular on the basis of the geometry, the topography and/or the distribution of the wood-based elements, in which a test image is recorded at at least one later time for the predetermined section of a side edge of a wood-based panel, in which a test data set is determined from the test image on the basis of the structure, in particular on the basis of the geometry, topography and/or the distribution of the wood material elements in the same way as for the comparison data sets, in which the test data set of the tested wood material panel is compared with the comparison data sets of a plurality of wood material panels, and in which the tested wood material panel is identified as the wood material panel f