# Some Passing Thoughts about Showing ID to Buy Alcohol **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [August 27, 2026, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588 "2026-08-27T03:16:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/141 "2026-09-02T03:25:40Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Having purchased beer in Sweden when I was in my early 20s I can confirm they do not ask for ID, and they certainly wouldn’t once you are visibly much older than 18 How long ago was that? > [@griffin1977](#): > > No in the US they check the ID of people who could be underage **and people who could not possibly be underage**. Nowhere else in the world does that! In my experience they do not do so- except for Target. And I posted a cite that says they do in Sweden. How many states and nations have you been to? I have been to about 25 states but only three nations. > [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > And you also continue to ignore all the responses from people saying that they have rarely ever actually been carded once they are visibly older than 21. Yep, and i agree about the “ausweis”. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/142 "2026-09-02T03:40:32Z")
I remember that one thing that made sting operations really obvious is that the “customer” wouldn’t pushback when the sale was denied. No complaints, arguments, or threats. If it was internal sting (ie corporate testing us) we’d just get a small gift card as soon as we asked for ID, if it was the police or LCB they’d wait until we actually declined the sale. Then we’d get a gift card later from management. Failing a corporate test meant write up and retraining for the first offence, termination for the 2nd within a year. If you failed the police or LCB you were fired on the spot. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/143 "2026-09-02T06:54:51Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Wtf!?! It’s just German for identity card. It predates the Nazis and is still in use today. It’s synonymous with the state demanding an identity card: “ausweis bitte”. > > So its a perfectly reasonable way of describing US culture’s insistence on demanding an identity card to everyday things no other country would demand it for. It’s not in any way impling the US’s stupid ID rules are comparable to the Holocaust. You’re being offensive. Full stop. It’s also been explained to you multiple times that what you think happens in your fevered imagination doesn’t exist. These policies where they exist are not Federal law. What the fuck is your problem? ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/144 "2026-09-02T07:25:12Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > They check the ID of people who _could be underage_! The concept of a clearly middle aged person being asked for their “ausweis” to buy a beer does not exist anywhere else in the world. ID requirements for all are common the UK for nightclubs, also I believe Queensland requires an ID to be scanned on entry for any bar open past midnight, for all patrons. Even when it was a shitty student nightclub and I was visibly old enough that the ticket seller asked me if I really wanted to come in, they still insisted on checking my ID (a friend insisted I had to see it just once). In those cases it’s more in case of fights and other drunken nonsense, admittedly, so they have a record of who was present; if you’re just after a beer you can find an option that doesn’t require ID if you’re old enough. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/145 "2026-09-02T07:31:33Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > if you’re just after a beer you can find an option that doesn’t require ID if you’re old enough. Amazingly that’s exactly like the US ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2026, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/146 "2026-09-02T11:27:56Z")
Moderating: > [@griffin1977](#): > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > You already got called out for the offensive allusion to Nazism and thus downplaying the actual horrors Jewish people (and other targets) went through. Why would you do it again? > > Wtf!?! It’s just German for identity card. It predates the Nazis and is still in use today. It’s synonymous with the state demanding an identity card: “ausweis bitte”. > > So its a perfectly reasonable way of describing US culture’s insistence on demanding an identity card to everyday things no other country would demand it for. It’s not in any way impling the US’s stupid ID rules are comparable to the Holocaust. This is an English-language board. The English phrase is “papers, please”, and even that suggested that a comparison to the Nazis when i was a kid. (Although more to the Nazi control of the generic civilian population than explicitly the Holocaust in my experience.) This is literally the first time I’ve seen the German expression, and… can’t think of any good reason for you to use it, whether or not you are attempting to compare the actions of US bartenders to fascist control of the population. So it’s pretty easy to see why you might have offended other posters. Furthermore, continuing to defend your use of the phrase when you know you have offended posters is leaning towards jerkdom. Please don’t use it or bring it up again in this thread. And everyone else, please drop the argument over the phrase, which adds nothing to the discussion. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/147 "2026-09-03T21:48:43Z")
That’s weird. I was under the impression that New York state was the last holdout regarding photos on licenses. They fixed that a long time ago. I’m stunned NJ was still a piece of paper license. Back in the late 70’s when NY still had the paper license I visited my brother in Florida. He told me to meet him at a bar close to his work. I sat down and ordered a beer. I looked underage back then, and the bartender asked to see my license. He was stunned to see it had no photo. Basically he accused me of manufacturing the ID. I argued for a while and the said something stupid like " my brother is a regular here and when he comes he’ll straighten you out". He laughed and asked who my brother was. I told him. He paused and said “holy sh\*t, you’re Pete’s brother? Here, have your beer.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/148 "2026-09-03T22:34:24Z")
NJ may be one of those states that your license is good for 20 or 30 years. If so there’d be no inconsistency between @minor7flat5 having had a paper no-photo license from e.g. 1990 until post-COVID and NJ itself having last issued such paper no-photo licenses in e.g. 1991. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/149 "2026-09-03T23:40:03Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Up until just before the Pandemic my NJ driver’s license was basically reinforced paper with no photo. I don’t remember when they finally started adding photos and security features, but for most of my life in NJ I had a license that looked almost exactly like my vehicle registration card. Are you absolutely certain - or are NJ licenses valid for an extremely long time? From a previous thread, I thought I remembered NJ adding photos shortly before NY did . I went looking, and found [this](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/17/opinion/photo-licenses-focus-connecticut-new-jersey-more-than-two-dozen-other-states-it.html) which says NJ was issuing photo licenses by 1984. I’m sure everyone didn’t have a photo license by 1984, but it doesn’t make sense to switch to photos and let people renew non-photo licenses for 30+ years. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/150 "2026-09-03T23:40:10Z")
FFS, Alcohol is not a right. Not in the Constitution, not in the states, nowhere. Alcohol is a privilege, and if you are just too full of ennui, freedom, yourself, or whatever it is you’re full of to follow the rules of the place you wish to buy the privilege of an alcoholic drink stay home. No the law doesn’t say anyone has to be carded, but the consequences for selling to someone under age are fucking severe for the cashier/server, and establishment that these policies are made for the protection of all. Don’t like it? Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/151 "2026-09-04T00:02:38Z")
I’m not arguing: as far as valid ID goes a valid official state ID is unequivocally a picture ID issued by the SOS in place of a license if the holder doesn’t drive. Not a hunting license, not a gun permit. Those are not state ID’s. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/152 "2026-09-04T00:12:28Z")
I remember when Ontario, where I got my first license, had paper-no-photo licenses. Since I always looked younger than I actually was, it just saved me a lot of time and trouble if I took my passport and used that to prove my age in bars and liquor stores. Naturally, I was glad when Ontario went to picture licenses, so I could go back to keeping my passport in a safe place, instead of having it handy to grab on my way out the door. In later years, I was employed in Ontario’s Beer Stores. We did not have a “we card everybody” policy, it was more of a “if you look under 25, you’ll get carded” policy. (Note that the drinking age in Ontario was and still is 19.) Most of the IDs that I asked for checked out just fine, but a few were pretty bad fakes, or just plain unacceptable in some way. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/153 "2026-09-04T00:24:56Z")
Rats, I missed the edit window: guess technically I could accept a CCL, but I’d be hesitant; isn’t covered in our training and I’m not familiar with the proper appearance. Corporate and all training I’ve ever had mentions the specific ID I’ve mentioned before, and I’m familiar with them. So that is what I will take. My job isn’t great but I make alright money and would’t make that much if I left. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/154 "2026-09-04T00:27:22Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Not at all. Just a little bit. You know, “Kinda”. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/155 "2026-09-04T00:33:19Z")
I can see why you think that but there is no kinda legally. It is or it isn’t and legally it for sure isn’t. I appreciate that you don’t like it and you think it should be different which is a different discussion ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/156 "2026-09-04T00:35:36Z")
Somebody said it was “kinda” the basis for undercover police work, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/157 "2026-09-04T00:48:07Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Are you absolutely certain - or are NJ licenses valid for an extremely long time? I didn’t say it was the same one. They reissued paper licenses at the same cadence as the photo licenses today. It was a paper license with no photo, but it did have an expiration date. (sorry if it sounded like it was one license for all of those years) ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/158 "2026-09-04T01:17:44Z")
> [@Sylvanz](#): > > the rules of the place you wish to buy the privilege of an alcoholic drink stay home. Yes because it’s _the place_ that really really wants to turn away obviously adult customers. And _only_ in America do places ever do this. It must because American bar owners love freedom so much more than cowardly weak willed bar owners in other countries, that must be it! Not that draconian the state regulations threaten them into doing so. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/159 "2026-09-04T01:33:54Z")
I think you misunderstood me. What I find hard to believe is that NJ kept re-issuing you non-photo licenses for nearly 40 years after they started putting photos on them. ( by 1984) It might make sense if you had a license like Arizona’s , which expires on your 65 birthday, even if you get it at 16 (but even they require a new photo every 10 years or so). Unless you’re wrong about the “until just before the Pandemic” part or there’s something else I misunderstood. My original NY license was paper with no photo , but when it came up for a renewal post-1984 I had to get a new one with a photo. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2026, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588/160 "2026-09-04T02:10:13Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > And _only_ in America do places ever do this. Nope. As has already been said. But you are living in a world made up inside your own mind. And I suspect these places you frequent that are always carding you would be **very happy** to not have your business. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-passing-thoughts-about-showing-id-to-buy-alcohol/1032588.md?page=9)