Procedures for Checking IDs: How to Tell if an ID is Fake

If you work at a restaurant, bar, grocery store, or any other venue where alcohol is sold, you must know how to check if an ID is fake. State liquor commissions often hold businesses – or even individual servers – responsible for verifying the validity of customers’ identification before making a sale.

Below, we’ll talk about how to check if a state ID is fake, including the security measures common to many IDs, tricks for spotting borrowed IDs, and the potential consequences of letting a fake ID slip by you.

What Is a Fake ID vs a Real ID?

A real and valid ID is an official document – often a driver’s license – issued by a government agency to the person who is presenting it.

While we often think of a “fake ID” as a document that is forged or counterfeit, there are a few types of illegal IDs that fall under the common usage of the term. That includes:

• A stolen or borrowed ID, which is legitimate but being used by someone else
• An altered ID, which is legitimate but changed, especially in the image or birthdate
• A forged ID, which has been fabricated by someone other than a government agency

This is why regulating agencies often use the term “invalid ID” instead of fake ID. It covers all unacceptable IDs rather than being limited to counterfeit documents.

Why Are Some Forms of ID Not Acceptable?

Sometimes, a genuine and unaltered form of identification can get turned away not because it’s suspected to be borrowed or faked but because it’s the “wrong” form of ID. Why does this happen?

Often, any form of ID that doesn’t include a photo won’t be accepted for purchasing alcohol or other age-restricted products since it’s harder to determine if the ID holder is the right individual.

Other forms of photo ID may be turned away because they’re too obscure or difficult to reliably authenticate. It’s one thing to teach bartenders how to check if a state ID is fake because they can go down a short checklist of fake ID detection techniques. It’s another to ask someone to authenticate an ID that’s completely unfamiliar.

That’s why limiting acceptable forms of ID is an important counterfeit ID prevention strategy. While regulations limiting acceptable IDs are almost universal, different states and local jurisdictions have different requirements about what’s accepted and what’s not.

What Does a Fake ID Look Like?

Every form of ID has specific security features to tip people off to counterfeits and alterations, which is why state-specific training is needed in how to check if a driver’s license is fake.

However, even without this information, there are a few universal problems you can look for when trying to spot a fake ID.

ID Quality

One of the simplest fake ID detection techniques is checking the quality of the identification. A fake ID is often of lower quality than a real ID. It may have printing errors, incorrect font, or blurry images.

It may be made of flimsier material, which is why it’s often a good idea to take the ID into your hands. You can test the quality of an ID’s laminate by gently bending it into a “U” shape. Cheaper laminates will form bubbles when bent.

A real ID is usually sturdy and high quality, with crisp text and pictures. The laminate will be of a professional quality that stands up to rough handling because it’s designed to preserve the card’s security features and integrity.

Inaccurate Information

If an ID is borrowed or faked, the information may not match the person providing it. The data may also have typos or non-standard formatting.

On a real ID, the information is likely to be accurate.

Consistency

Altered or forged IDs may have internal inconsistencies that can tip you off. For example, the surface of the ID should be smooth and uniform, aside from its security features. The font for similar pieces of information should be the same.

Security Features

This is where the specific characteristics of a state ID start to matter, but most states use similar security features for counterfeit ID prevention, including holograms, UV imagery, microprinting, laser perforation, or embossing.

Anyone selling alcohol or age-restricted products should become familiar with the specific security features and patterns that appear on official state IDs. But even if you’re unfamiliar with another state’s security measures, an ID without any of the common security features below should make you suspicious.

Holograms

Most government-issued IDs now include holograms – these are shiny, sparkly, or three-dimensional pictures that become obvious when tilted back and forth under a light.

Holograms can be seen with the naked eye, but there are also products that authenticate a hologram’s qualities for an extra layer of certainty.

UV Images or Marks

Many states have some kind of image, text, or feature on their IDs that can only be seen under ultraviolet (UV) light. The nature of the UV image is unique to the state, so people who authenticate IDs should know what to expect.

This security feature is not visible to the naked eye.

Microprinting

Many states now have very small text or unique patterns embedded in the ID – often in the background pattern.

This security feature typically requires some kind of magnifier to distinguish properly.

Laser Perforation

Real IDs often contain small, perforated holes that can only be seen when the ID is held up against direct light. These perforations typically create images that are unique to the state.

Like a hologram, this security feature doesn’t require any special equipment.

Tactile Features

Some states integrate raised lettering, expiration dates, or other tactile features into their cards. In a real ID, the feature will often be present on the front of the card but absent from the back.

Tactile features can be felt without any special equipment.

How To Tell if an ID Is Fake

Many jobs require you to be able to check if a driver’s license is fake. If you sell products or services that are age-restricted by law, you’ll be expected to be familiar with fake ID detection techniques.

Checking the characteristics of the ID, as described above, is an important way to determine if a state or federal ID is fake. However, there are a few more tricks you can use for different types of fake IDs.

Ways to Identify a Stolen or Borrowed ID

Fraud professionals say that stolen or borrowed IDs make up 95% of identification fraud. It’s certainly a popular choice for underage people trying to gain access to restricted items like alcohol.

If you’re suspicious that an ID is stolen or borrowed, you can:

• Check the expiration date. It’s popular for older cousins or siblings to pass an ID to a minor when they get a new license.
• Verify physical characteristics. Even if the person presenting the ID looks like the photo, pay attention to whether description details like height, weight, and eye color match the individual.
• Ask questions. A person will be familiar with the details of their own ID, like birthdate and address. Someone with a stolen or borrowed ID may panic.
• Look for a duplicate stamp. Some states use a duplicate stamp to indicate when a card is a copy. Although a duplicate license does not necessarily indicate a borrowed one, it is a warning sign similar to an expired ID.

Ways to Identify an Altered ID

The most commonly altered parts of an ID are the birthdate or photo. Minors may try to age themselves up by altering their birth year, while someone with a borrowed or stolen ID may replace the photo.

If you’re suspicious that an ID is altered:

• Pay attention to security features. Always a good idea, but altering an ID may change or obscure its security features in some places.
• Look for physical defects. Altering an ID may result in bumps, wrinkles, air pockets, ragged edges, or peeling laminate.

Ways to Identify a Forged ID

The security features we discussed above are all designed for counterfeit ID prevention, so they’re an important place to start.

But another option – if your circumstances allow it – is using the barcode on the back to access additional information. If an ID has a forged front but a legitimate back, you may be able to identify it with ID parsing. This means using a basic ID scanner on the back barcode to see if encoded information is available and matches the data on the ID. Forged-front IDs may also display peeling or ragged edges since they’re a type of altered ID.

Legal Implications of Accepting a Fake ID

So, why is spotting a fake ID such an important matter? Because individuals and businesses can face legal consequences for accepting a fake. This is true for many age-restricted products and services, but it’s especially problematic for selling alcohol.

First, there’s the question of your livelihood. Businesses can lose their liquor license for selling to minors, and because of this, illegal sales are also a firing offense for alcohol sellers and servers.

Second, violating liquor law comes with consequences. Although the exact penalties vary by jurisdiction, consequences often include fines, probation, and even jail time.

Third, there’s the problem of Dram Shop liability. In many states and local jurisdictions, if an illegal alcohol sale is made – including through the use of a fake ID – then any third party harmed as a result of the sale can sue not just the perpetrator but also whoever sold them the alcohol!

That means bars don’t just face sanctions; they can face bankruptcy. Bartenders don’t just face a criminal record; they’re at risk of a civil lawsuit!

That’s why, even in states where responsible server training isn’t mandatory, many parties – from business owners to insurance companies – want to ensure that every employee is trained in fake ID detection techniques.

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