Checking Identification and Preventing Sales to Minors

Acceptable identification includes a U.S. state, territory, or District of Columbia driver license, instruction permit, or ID card; a Canadian provincial driver license, instruction permit, or ID card; and a Washington temporary driver license when presented with the expired license.

Other acceptable forms include U.S. Armed Forces ID, Merchant Marine ID, official passport or passport card, NEXUS card, WSLCB-approved tribal enrollment card, Global Entry card, and Permanent Resident Card.

The ID must match the person presenting it. It must include enough information to confirm identity and age, and it must not be expired, altered, borrowed, or unreadable.

Washington identification includes multiple security features, such as microprint, ghost portrait, data overlapping the ghost image, foil tree, UV features, vertical under-21 format, and age-related red dates.

Enhanced Washington credentials include additional markings. Washington credential numbers use a newer random format and avoid certain letters and special characters. Gender may be shown as M, F, or X, and medical or veteran indicators may also appear.

A hole-punched Washington license may be acceptable if it is unexpired and the hole does not obscure required identifying information. If lamination or physical structure appears altered, treat the ID as questionable and follow policy.

Remove the ID from the wallet or holder, or ask the guest to remove it. A scanner may support the process, but it does not replace physical inspection by the server.

Check the photo, date of birth, expiration date, name, height, eye color, signature, card condition, printing, edges, laminate, and whether the person appears to match the ID. Compare the age date to today's date before service.

Ask simple questions if needed: zip code, birth month, middle initial, or address. Keep the tone professional. If the ID is unfamiliar, use the current ID guide, manager support, and house policy.

Exercise 1: A vertical Washington ID says the person turns 21 tomorrow. Do not serve today; the legal age has not been reached.

Exercise 2: A passport is valid and the photo clearly matches the guest. Use the birth date and expiration date to decide; passports can be acceptable.

Exercise 3: A student shows a college ID with a photo. Do not accept it for alcohol service because it is not an acceptable MAST ID.

Exercise 4: A guest presents a temporary Washington driver license without the expired license. Do not accept it as a stand-alone proof of age.

Exercise 5: A guest keeps the ID in a phone case and refuses to remove it. Do not serve until it can be physically inspected.

Exercise 6: The scanner says valid, but the photo and height do not match the guest. Do not rely only on the scanner.

Exercise 7: A military ID appears valid and matches the guest. It can be acceptable when inspected carefully.

Exercise 8: A Canadian provincial driver license is unexpired and matches the guest. It can be acceptable.

Exercise 9: A card has bubbles, peeling laminate, and mismatched fonts. Treat it as questionable and follow refusal procedure.

Exercise 10: A guest under 21 is with older friends who order several drinks. Monitor for attempts to pass alcohol to the minor.

Warning signs include mismatched photo, height or eye color, inconsistent fonts, altered birth date, damaged laminate, misspellings, unusual thickness, rough edges, or a guest who cannot answer basic questions.

Do not confiscate a fake ID. If a guest voluntarily surrenders an ID, follow house policy and contact local law enforcement or LCB as appropriate.

Use calm refusal language: 'I cannot accept this ID for alcohol service,' or 'I am not able to serve alcohol without acceptable identification.' Do not argue or accuse when a simple refusal is enough.

Washington law prohibits furnishing alcohol to minors and prohibits minors from buying, possessing, or consuming alcohol except in limited legal situations not controlled by a server's preference.

House policy may be stricter than the law. Servers must know whether the establishment checks every ID, checks all guests who appear under a certain age, uses manager approval, documents refusals, or applies additional rules.

Selling or serving alcohol to a minor can lead to penalties for the permit holder and the licensee, including citations, fines, suspension risk, employment discipline, and public-safety harm.

WAC 314-11-025 requires acceptable identification used for alcohol service to show the holder's photo, date of birth, and signature, except where a visible signature is not required on federally issued identification. If an ID has an expiration date, it cannot be used to verify age after the expiration date.

The LCB acceptable-ID page and WAC list include driver licenses, instruction permits, and ID cards from U.S. states, U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and Canadian provinces; valid Washington temporary driver licenses; U.S. Armed Forces ID; Merchant Marine ID; official passport or passport card; Global Entry; Permanent Resident Card; NEXUS; and approved Washington tribal enrollment cards.

A school ID, work badge, credit card, social media profile, birth certificate alone, photo of an ID on a phone, or verbal statement from a friend is not acceptable proof for alcohol service. The server's job is to use approved identification, not to improvise.

If the ID category is unfamiliar, pause the transaction. Ask a manager, use the current ID guide, and refuse service until acceptable proof is presented. A delay is better than an illegal sale.

Age math must be exact. A person who turns 21 tomorrow is still under 21 today. A vertical card is a warning cue, but the date controls. Washington credentials may show red age dates that help the server identify when the holder turns 18 or 21.

Do not let the guest rush the calculation. Compare the date of birth to today's date, check expiration, and then compare the person to the credential. A common mistake is checking the photo but missing that the birthday is tomorrow or that the card expired last week.

A group order can hide minor access. Watch for older friends ordering extra drinks, setting drinks near a minor, sharing pitchers, handing off wristbands, or moving alcohol from one table to another. A valid ID for one person does not authorize alcohol possession by the whole group.

Practice: before serving a table with mixed ages, decide where drinks will be placed, how the server will monitor shared products, what phrase will be used if alcohol is passed to a minor, and when a manager should be called.

RCW 66.44.270 makes it unlawful to sell, give, or otherwise supply liquor to a person under 21 or permit a person under 21 to consume liquor on premises under the person's control. The statute includes limited exceptions, but those exceptions do not authorize ordinary service to minors on licensed premises.

For servers, the practical rule is simple: do not serve alcohol to anyone under 21, do not allow under-21 possession or consumption in the licensed service area, and do not allow an adult guest to supply alcohol to a minor at the table.

If a minor tries to buy or possess alcohol, staff should refuse service, remove alcohol access when safe and allowed by policy, notify a manager, document the event, and follow house policy for law-enforcement or LCB contact.

Minors may be allowed in some parts of some licensed premises depending on license type, room designation, time, event, and approved premises plan. Presence in the building is never the same as permission to possess, consume, or be served alcohol.

Scenario: A guest presents a Canadian provincial driver license that is valid but the photo does not match well. The guest becomes impatient and says the server is being unreasonable. The professional response is to pause, get a manager, ask a simple verification question if policy allows, and refuse alcohol if identity cannot be confirmed.

A good refusal does not accuse the guest of a crime. Use neutral language: 'I cannot accept this ID for alcohol service,' 'I need acceptable ID that matches you,' or 'My manager and I cannot serve alcohol with this identification.'

Document the facts: date and time, type of ID shown, why it was not accepted, names of staff involved, whether the guest left, whether threats occurred, and whether law enforcement or LCB was contacted. Do not write insults or guesses about motive.

The same approach applies to a surrendered or questionable ID. The server should not physically struggle for the card. Follow house policy and local law-enforcement guidance, keep the situation calm, and protect staff safety.