code: public static String getLasFileVersion( File lasFile ) throws IOException {
          FileInputStream fis = null;
          FileChannel fc = null;
          try {
              fis = new FileInputStream(lasFile);
              fc = fis.getChannel();
              // Version Major
              fis.skip(24);
              int versionMajor = fis.read();
              // Version Minor
              int versionMinor = fis.read();
              String version = versionMajor + "." + versionMinor; //$NON-NLS-1$
              return version;
          } finally {
              fc.close();
              fis.close();
          }
      }
docs: Read just the version bytes from a las file.
  
  <p>This can be handy is one needs to choose version reader.
  
  @param lasFile the las file to check.
  @return the version string as "major.minor" .
  @throws IOException