Every year with the improvement in technology, the IDs get better,” Jan Manglesdorf, owner of Humphrey’s, said. “You used to have to cut and paste fake IDs.”
Computers, scanners and other technology have made fake IDs better and more present at bars.
Manglesdorf noted that many of the IDs are actually legal IDs of friends or family members.
Mark Michael, owner of Laclede Street Bar and Grill, said, “The quality has become better unfortunately for us.”
However, Michael noted that IDs with holograms and swipe strips continue to be difficult to reproduce well.
Sometimes on busy nights, both Humphrey’s and Laclede’s require two forms of identification. Also many times, servers or bartenders will also check IDs before selling alcohol.
City Excise Division and Missouri Liquor Control are responsible for licensing and enforcement of liquor licenses.
City Excise Commissioner Bob Kraiberg explained that his division works various policing agencies in the city to provide enforcement checks of bars, restaurants and other licensed vendors.
In any inspection, Excise Division agents are likely to randomly check those individuals who appear underage.
Punishments to bars for serving underage persons range from warnings to suspension and ultimately revocation of liquor license.
Kraiberg said that both Humphrey’s and Laclede’s have been warned or suspended at some point for underage drinking.
Manglesdorf of Humphrey’s explained that in December, two underage women presented two forms of identifiction that were not suspicious, but upon an inspection of the premises by Missouri Liquor Control, those two were found to be 20-year-olds. The bar received a 4-day suspension for the offense.
“It’s the luck of the draw,” Manglesdorf said. “We use ID books, carding lights and sometimes ask for a second ID, but sometimes it the IDs are just too good.”
She feels that college bars are often held to a higher standard or at least inspected more frequently that most other establishments.
“As a college bar, we’re held to scruples that no other establishment is held to in the city,” said Manglesdorf. “Of the 1,240 liquor licenses in the city, I bet less than one percent has to obey as many rules as I do.”
While they may have “heard it and seen it all,” students’ fake IDs continue to get past even the best.
One student, now a senior, said, “I had a fake when I was 18 years old. I got in with minimal difficulty using a fake ID that I made on my own computer with a scanner and Adobe Photoshop.”
That senior added that Laclede’s is easy to get in by simply entering the bar early before the carding begins and staying late.
A sophomore, wishing to remain anonymous, said friends at the door or early arrivals also got him in.
“If someone had a pretty good fake ID it used to be fairly easy to get into bars,” said another student. He said that with recent security issues, most bars are now requiring two forms of ID.
Another sophomore, who has been able to get into the bars a few times, joked, “I feel that if I frequent the local bars on campus now, I’m going to get bored by the time I’m actually legal.”
