lifestyles

Using a fake ID for liquor or cigarettes seems so minor it can hardly be called a crime. Almost nobody gets caught, and the worst that happens is you get thrown out of the store or bar. Right?

Wrong.

True this isn't the biggest crime that can be committed. It's certainly not a violent crime. It's not the same as dealing drugs or smuggling guns. However, it is a misdemeanor offense. In the U.S., penalties vary from state to state, but can include jail time, fines, community service, and suspension of your (real) driver's license. Bar and store owners often confiscate suspected IDs, and may display them publicly. There's your face hanging out there for public humiliation.

In some states, the use of a fake driver's license has been made into a felony. A felony is more serious than a misdemeanor. In the short term, it means more jail time, higher fines, and years-long suspension of driving privileges. In the long term, a felony means you now have a criminal record. That will make it much harder for you to find a job, it can mean difficulties getting into school, and you may never be allowed to own a gun or vote.

Perhaps the consequences are meaningless if you can't get caught. There's certainly no way to know how many get caught, but don't doubt for a second that it happens. Bar owners and employees get very good at spotting fake IDs. They have to. Their business depends on it (more about that later). The same applies to stores selling tobacco. They might just chase you out, but they may post your fake for public consumption, and they may even turn it over to the police. Police confiscate the things on a regular basis, and once they have it, prosecution is sure to follow. You could be looking at months in jail, and hundreds of dollars in fines, especially for a repeat offense. You might think the police have other things to worry about, and in some places that may be true. However, in areas with large amounts of underage drinking, like near college campuses, underage drinking and ID laws is often a focus of law enforcement.

Also be aware the having the fake ID is just one offense. You open yourself to other charges like possession of alcohol and providing alcohol to other minors. Going to jail could set back your schooling and cost you your job (what do you expect when you can't get to class or to work?). Losing your license may mean court costs when you get your license reinstated, plus the suspension on your driving record will drive up your insurance costs for years to come. This is on top of fines.

Making an ID is tougher than people who tell you how make it sound. The equipment to make something good is very expensive. Holograms and magnetic strips are very difficult to produce passably. Those that sell IDs always swear they're very good quality, hard to catch, and maybe even come with guarantees and testimonials. However, they're probably not any better. What's more, since these are people who have little respect for the law, don't be surprised when they take your money and give you crap or nothing at all. They can get away with it because you can't exactly complain to the police. Your money is just gone.

Be aware that the law doesn't apply only to fake IDs. It includes real IDs borrowed from someone old enough who looks somewhat like you, real IDs that have been altered, or real IDs obtained with fake documents, like using a fake birth certificate to get a driver's license.

If you're unconcerned about the trouble you might make for yourself, consider the trouble you make for others. The maker of the fake ID has committed a felony, and you can bet that the law will want to know where your fake came from. The person who lends their ID to you will suffer all the legal problems you do. Even if they don't know what you plan to do, just letting someone else use an ID is illegal. The bar owner who lets you in, unless a court or the police decide the fake was so good there's no way the owner could know the difference, also faces fines, suspension (being forced to close temporarily, which means losing business, which will put a business under if it happens enough), and outright revocation of the liquor license. That means the bar is out of business. It has happened to bars with chronic problems with underage drinkers. Even if the business doesn't go under, employees who sell liquor and cigarettes can be fined and even fired for failing to spot a minor.