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False Identification for Obtaining Alcohol
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This policy topic is included in the APIS Highlight on Underage Drinking section. The Highlight's overview of underage drinking policy in the United States provides additional context that may be helpful in understanding this policy topic. State-by-State summaries of the APIS underage drinking policy topics are available in the State Profiles of Underage Drinking Laws section. Maps and charts for all of these policy topics are collected on a single page to provide a more comprehensive graphical overview of underage policies.
(Policies covered: 1/1/1998 through 1/1/2009)
Policy Description
Retailers are responsible for insuring that sales of alcoholic beverages are made only to persons who are legally permitted to purchase alcohol. Inspecting government-issued identification (driver's license, non-driver identification card, passport, military identification) is one major mechanism for insuring that buyers meet minimum age requirements. In attempting to circumvent these safeguards, minors may obtain and use apparently valid identification that falsely states their age as 21 or over. Age may be falsified by altering the birthdate on a valid identification, obtaining an invalid identification card that appears to be valid, or using someone else's identification.
Compliance check studies suggest that underage drinkers may have little need to use false identification because retailers often make sales without any inspection of identification . However, concerns about false identification remain high among educators, law enforcement officials, retailers, and government officials. Current technology, including high quality color copiers and printers, has made false identification easier to fabricate, and the Internet provides ready access to a large number of false identification vendors.
All States prohibit use of false identification by minors to obtain alcohol. In addition to the basic prohibitions, States have adopted a variety of legal provisions pertaining to false identification for obtaining alcohol. These provisions can be divided into three basic categories:
- Provisions that target minors who possess and use false identification to obtain alcohol
- Provisions that target those who supply minors with false identification, either through lending of a valid ID or the production of invalid ("fake") IDs
- Provisions that assist retailers in avoiding sales to potential buyers who present false identification
Government-issued IDs are used for a number of age-related purposes other than the purchase of alcohol: registering to vote, enlisting in the military, entering certain entertainment venues, etc. APIS confines its analysis to statutes and regulations relating to the use of false identification for the purpose of obtaining alcohol.
To view the comparison tables and additional
information about this policy topic, click
on the links on the right side of this page.
Email a link to this page: http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/FalseID |
Policy Description