Alcohol Server · Checking Identification

Asking a questionable customer a follow-up question (like their zip code or birth year) can help because:

Correct answer

Someone using a fake or borrowed ID may hesitate or answer inconsistently with the ID

  1. A It replaces the ID
  2. B Someone using a fake or borrowed ID may hesitate or answer inconsistently with the ID
  3. C It is rude
  4. D It guarantees a sale

Why this is the answer

Asking a customer with a questionable ID a casual follow-up question — such as their zip code, birth year, or address — can help because a person using a fake or borrowed ID may hesitate, become flustered, or give an answer that does not match the information on the card. This is a supplementary technique, not a replacement for examining the ID itself. If the answers raise further doubt, or the ID still cannot be verified as valid and matching, the server should decline service. Such techniques support careful age verification.
Source: Responsible Beverage Service — Verification Questions

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About this topic: Checking Identification

Checking identification is the single most tested skill: which IDs are acceptable, how to spot a fake, what to do when an ID is expired, and the birthdate arithmetic for today's date. Every answer here should be something you can do in under thirty seconds at the bar. This is one of 13 Seller-Server questions on checking identification, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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