In this study, a novel identification method of the pointer instrument is proposed, which is implemented by using two-dimensional code matching information. Firstly, a high quality instrument state image and a two dimensional code image are acquired together. And the two-dimensional code location points and the type of instrument are obtained by matching the two dimensional code. Secondly, the instrument image is quickly corrected by the two-dimensional code location information. Then, using the geometric position relationship between the two-dimensional code and the instrument, the region of the dial plate in the instrument image is extracted quickly. Finally, according to the information of the instrument type, the corresponding instrument identification algorithm is selected to recognize the instrument readings quickly and accurately. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively improve the accuracy of the recognition of the pointer meter reading, especially for the instrument images of the complex background, which can provide an effective way for the pointer instrument identification in the power system.