Checking IDs & Spotting Fakes
Preventing service to minors starts at the ID check. Supervisors must train staff to know which documents count, how to examine a card for tampering, and how to handle the young-looking guest and the expired or fake ID. This chapter covers the mechanics of verification.
What counts as valid proof of age
Acceptable proof of age is a current, unexpired, government-issued photo ID with a date of birth — typically a driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID. A photocopy is not the original and can be altered; a student ID is not government-issued proof of age; and a birth certificate carries no photo tying it to the person. An expired ID is not valid proof of age, and most house policies require declining alcohol service until the guest presents a current one.
Examining the card
Spotting a fake or altered ID takes a real look, not a glance. Feel the edges and surface for cuts, bubbles, or re-lamination; compare the photo and the printed physical description (height, eye color) against the person in front of you; do the birth-date math; confirm the card is unexpired; and check for the state's security features. If something is off, ask a question the true holder would answer instantly, such as their address or zip code, or refuse service. Judging by the guest's confidence or the card's color alone is easily fooled.
Conservative carding thresholds
People are hard to age by appearance, and a minor can look years older, so many operations adopt a house rule to card anyone who appears under a set threshold — commonly under 30 or 40. This cushion means young-looking of-age guests are simply asked, and mature-looking minors are not missed. It is a risk-management practice a supervisor enforces uniformly, not a claim that older guests must be carded by law. Consistency across all staff is what makes it effective.