I am a bartender in Maryland, and this is a question that seems to be a back n forth issue at my bar.
2007-12-10 00:33:36 · 10 answers · asked by stacey m 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
i wouldnt, i have been in the biz for 20 yrs, no id, no beer..... the other customers need to see that you are id ing as well.....
2007-12-10 00:38:10 · answer #1 · answered by Miss Rhonda 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is such a gray area and the legality of it will vary from state to state and county to county. What most people don't realize is that there is no Federal law making the drinking age 21 or requiring ID. What the Feds did do was pass a bill that said of you want federal funding for your roads and bridges you as a state must pass a law that has a drinking age of 21. Because of this fact, drinking laws differ greatly in all 50 states. Having gone through training in Ohio for liquor laws I can tell you that if you do serve someone who you "know" is twenty-one+, but don't have proof... you have to be prepared for the consequences if they are aren't. If they are 21 and don't have ID the police will generally take them into custody and give them a limited amount of time to produce verification... 24 hours usually. When I was working if I knew someone and/or had checked their ID previously, I would just serve them. I didn't worry to much or at all for that matter.
2007-12-10 02:10:55 · answer #2 · answered by Mayor Adam West 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The number one reason people carry ID is the only reason...identification.If an agent from your local liquor control board were to come and and demand that everyone show their ID and the bar was serving people who don't have any on them...it can't be shut down immediately...even if the person looks old enough.The other reasons being that should something happen at the bar such as a fire(God forbid) authorities need to be able to identify people.Same goes for being in an accident....police have a hard enough time ID'ing people in accidents when they are too badly hurt so having ID on them makes it easier for them.That'd why morgues all over North America are filled with John and Jane Does..no one knows who they are because they never had ID with them when they died.All places now have signs reading if they look under "25" then ID them.
2007-12-10 00:47:38 · answer #3 · answered by Janell T 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
In Sweden, IDs are checked at the entrance by the guard so the bartender assumes that everyone inside the bar are of legal age.
2007-12-10 00:45:18 · answer #4 · answered by lanisoderberg69 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A bartender can serve anyone they choose to. They and the bar just have to be willing to accept the consequences. If your bar's policy is that you ID everyone, then you have to ID everyone.
Do you ID someone who looks like they are old enough? Do you ID people that are 50?
2007-12-10 00:37:44 · answer #5 · answered by Other Guy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My understainding is that it is against the law to serve someone who is underage, but there is no law requiring anyone to check ID's.
At bars I have been a regular at, I was ID'ed the first few times and not after that.
2007-12-11 19:08:10 · answer #6 · answered by coolrockboy380 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is not a law that you must check id's. You could only get in trouble if you serve someone underage...
2007-12-10 00:39:37 · answer #7 · answered by Jennifer H 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
unless it is my sibling or my cousin, I don't think I would take even their word hat the guest is 21. I will not take that responsibility.
2007-12-10 04:05:34 · answer #8 · answered by marisa tee 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can have first hand knowledge. Eg...what about your regulars?? Do you card them everytime? There is your first hand knowledge.
2007-12-10 02:54:10 · answer #9 · answered by Eric G 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no. simply because that argument will not hold up in court
2007-12-10 00:42:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋