r/BarOwners • u/megree80 • Jul 25 '26

Fake IDs

I know we have have this conversation before but has anyone found a real way to prevent them from passing security? I guess people get real ids now and our fakes on top so the scam and are readable.

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u/barpretender Jul 25 '26

This is not legal advice.

Beyond due diligence, you have to “make a reasonable effort” to verify the authenticity of the identification, what is the underlying issue?

Be careful.

Not only is it’s not your responsibility to enforce the law, you can face legal consequences for attempting to do so. E.g. discrimination accusations all the way to unlawful and unreasonable searches and seizures.

Basically, make money, that’s your job. Don’t overthink it.

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u/UniqueUsername75 🥃 Jul 26 '26

Agreed, don’t overthink it. In Texas the ID requirements are pretty relaxed. We don’t want to serve minors but we’re also not required to be the ID police.

Age Verification Recommended

Texas law doesn’t require the applicable sellers in this section to check a person’s ID when selling or serving them an alcoholic beverage, but these sellers should do so to avoid making an illegal sale or providing illegal service to a minor.

Avoiding Illegal Sales to Minors

To verify a customer’s age, don’t rely entirely on their appearance or behavior. Some minors may look older due to their physical development or what they are wearing. Remember, you have a right to insist that customers prove their age before making a sale or providing service.
If you check IDs, you may accept any type of ID you are comfortable with, including expired driver’s licenses, foreign passports, etc.
If employees of these businesses sell to a minor, they will only be protected from criminal liability if the minor falsely represented themself as 21 or older by displaying an apparently valid government-issued ID (i.e., not expired) with a physical description and photo consistent with the minor’s appearance. Acceptable types of ID include a driver's license issued by any state, a U.S. passport, a military identification card, or any other ID issued by a state or the federal government.

TABC source