Today, it’s a relatively simple and quick process for college students or any minors to purchase fake IDs on the internet. For business owners or employees that are required to frequently check IDs, including military ID cards, the fallout of accepting fake IDs can lead to harsh ramifications.

Every business is required by law to check the ID of anyone purchasing alcohol or entering an age-restricted venue. This responsibility doesn’t just weigh over the business owners, but also the employees, such as bartenders, servers, bouncers, store clerks, etc. If a business is found to have not checked an ID and served alcohol to a minor, an investigation may take place to determine if the establishment took necessary steps to avoid the sale.

Depending on your state, the consequences could lead to hefty fines. After multiple offenses, the establishment can lose its liquor license, and employees that don’t properly check IDs may be subject to felony charges. For many businesses, determining how to spot a fake ID is an ongoing struggle.

Fortunately, with the right technology in place, it doesn’t have to be difficult to pinpoint fake IDs.

How to Spot a Fake IDs

Some bouncers and store clerks may feel they can easily tell a fake ID just from looking at the patron, but even the most seasoned bouncer or store clerk can make mistakes at identifying a fake identification card.

Acceptable forms of ID required to purchase alcohol typically include a state driver’s license, a military ID card, or a passport. No matter the type of ID a business is dealing with, ID checkers must always look for several key identifiers. The first and most common identifier to check on an ID is the patron’s date of birth. It’s also important to check the expiration date, issue date, height and weight, and the photograph.

The feel of the ID can also be an indication of fake IDs. Most states require tactile security features when creating IDs, which means the ID must be taken out of the wallet. Patrons may request that their ID be checked while it’s still in their wallet, which can prevent the person checking IDs from finding discrepancies in the quality of the ID. Once you can feel it, you may notice the quality is below state-issued identification cards.

State-by-State Understanding of Fake IDs

Your business should not only be knowledgeable about acceptable identification cards within your own state but also with out-of-state cards. Minors with fake IDs will not always obtain an identification card that is from your business’s state, so it’s important to be familiar with what a legal identification card should look like from all 50 states.

Each state has unique IDs with their own specific characteristics. ID checkers should be able to cross-reference the patron’s identification card with the characteristics of a legal identification card. Some characteristics to look out for may include the colors used for important dates, raised embossing, the amount of digits in the license number, and what holograms are used and where they are located on the ID.

Asking Questions & Observing Non-Verbal Cues

Once an ID checker has successfully felt the ID and looked at the patron’s information, it’s time to ask questions about it. The simple act of asking the patron what their date of birth is can potentially determine if their identification card is real or not. Another possible question to ask is their legal street address or their zip code.

The goal is to catch a minor off guard, and their answers to your questions may do just that. Additionally, the patron’s body language can be a telling sign of fake IDs. While asking questions, consider the patron’s facial expressions and look out for their delivery in responding to questions. If they are stuttering or appear to not have answers for your questions, it may reveal a fraudulent identification card.

IDScan.net’s Technology & Solutions for Fake IDs

Keeping track of each identifier on each state’s ID, along with a military ID and passport, is nearly impossible. To truly ensure IDs are valid, technology is needed.

If your business is wondering how to spot a fake ID, the technology and solutions offered by IDScan.net can give you the extra peace of mind you have been searching for. IDScan.net’s authentication solutions only require one simple step to scan and catch a fake ID. During an ID scan, our technology will conduct multiple layers of checks for authenticity.

Here are some of IDScan.net’s solutions and products used to authenticate IDs:

IDWare Age

With the mobile and touch-free IDWare Age solution, businesses can identify and stop underage or problem patrons from purchasing alcohol and other age-restricted products. This product works either during the point-of-purchase or the patron’s point-of-entry through our powerful and affordable age verification and ID validation. IDScan.net offers three types of products within our IDWare Age solution:

• Desktop IDWare Age
• Mobile Standalone Age Verification Bundle with IDWare 9000 ID and Passport Scanner
• VeriScan Comprehensive ID Authentication

There are three main processes to age verification with IDWare Age’s technology, which includes:

1. Scan the ID upon arrival
2. Verification of age, expiration status, and validity
3. ID records are stored for easy access

Whether you are looking to scan a government-issued ID or passport, IDWare Age can immediately provide the authenticity you rely on with one simple scan. IDWare Age is built for a variety of businesses, such as bars & nightclubs, retailers, dispensaries, and other industries that sell or provide age-restricted products.

Authentication Solutions

IDScan.net also offers various levels of Authentication Solutions for the varying needs your unique business may have. For instance, our Front-Back solution matches and checks UV light with infrared security features. The Front-Back solution will first scan the 2D barcode on the back of an ID and then will confirm that this information matches the front. IDScan.net’s Authentication Solutions will also run external database checks on ID’s, which includes DMV checks, watchlist screening, and identity validation.

Off-The-Shelf Authentication

Authentication features have already been built into IDScan.net’s existing solutions, which includes our VeriScan Online Enterprise and our WizzForms Global. With VeriScan ONline Enterprise, your business can manage visitor management and age verification while still checking for ID authenticity. The Wizz Forms Global software allows you to scan licenses and passports from around the world. Even with your existing applications, IDScan.net can integrate our authentication solutions.

Our solutions take the guesswork out of checking IDs.