Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Graphic displayed on screen: "R U Old Enough OR R U Not?"
Two teens put a six pack of beer and a pack of cigarettes on the counter.
Narrator: In the mind of this clerk…
Close-up of beer and cigarettes
Narrator: The questions are, what am I looking at?
Two teens standing in front of counter.
Narrator: And how do I verify they're old enough?
Graphic displayed on screen: "Ask 4 ID", "Ask How old R U?", "Ask R U 21? for alcohol", "Ask R U 18? for tobacco" beside photo of two, vertically designed Virginia DMV ID cards.
Narrator: Simply stated, the letter R spells it all out, Request AGE and Request ID.
A bartender serves a beer to an underage drinker.
Narrator: This is an industry where mistakes concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages can have devastating consequences.
A teen, carrying beer, leaves the store and is stopped by two ABC officers who check the teen's ID. After learning the teen is underage, they take the beer.
Narrator: Now a new more tamper-proof ID has been designed and implemented in Virginia, and properly read, will ensure that alcoholic beverages or tobacco do not carelessly get into the hands of underage persons not old enough to drink or smoke or both.
A teen places a bottle of alcohol on the check-out counter. The clerk asks for the teen's ID.
Narrator: This makes it simple for checking ID's and knowing within seconds if the person in front of you is old enough or not.
Clerk looks at the photo on the ID and the information indicating when the person turns 18 and 21.
Graphic showing the proper places to look on the ID: Vertical ID - Near the top of Virginia Driver's license - has wording "Under 21", photo on left near the middle of ID, and at the bottom of the ID - dates showing "Under 18 Until", "Under 21 Until."
Narrator: All you have to do is know what to look for and where to look.
Teen takes bottle of alcohol off the store shelf, looks at the bottle, shrugs and takes the bottle to the clerk at the counter.
Narrator: Now you'll know when not to sell because it's written on the card indicating when the person turns 18 for tobacco and 21 for alcohol.
A clerk looks at the ID of the teen and refuses to sell.
Scene shows a clerk adding on his fingers.
Narrator: So you don't have to add.
Scene shows a clerk using a calculator to add.
Narrator: Or add it the old fashioned way.
Another clerk shrugs his shoulders and sells the alcohol to the teen.
Narrator: Or just plain guess.
Shot of DMV sign at 813 Greenbriar Parkway
Scene shows DMV customer service representative speaking with a customer, both sitting at a desk.
Narrator: And there's a connection between Virginia's old ID's and the new one. And both are vertical.
Graphic of Side by side comparison of Virginia's old and new ID's. Old ID does not have wording "Under 21" near top of ID, has photo on bottom left, and Under 21/Under 18 dates beside photo in red lettering. New ID has the wording Under 21 near the top of Virginia Driver's license, photo on left near the middle of ID, and at the bottom of the ID - dates showing "Under 18 Until", "Under 21 Until."
Customer hands a foreign ID to the clerk.
Narrator: But sometimes you're presented with an ID you're not familiar with.
Clerk continues to look at the ID
Narrator: These are acceptable forms of ID you can take.
Image of Driver's license from another state.
Narrator: A valid driver's license issued by any state or the District of Columbia.
Image of Special ID by the Virginia DMV
Narrator: A valid special identification card issued by the Virginia DMV.
Image of Armed forces identification card.
Narrator: A valid armed forces identification card.
Image of U.S. passport.
Narrator: A valid U.S. passport or foreign government visa.
Graphic displayed on screen: Valid ID card issued by federal of state government agency - Photograph and signature, Height, Weight, Date of birth
Narrator: A valid identification card issued by any other federal or state government agency, containing the following items: a photograph and signature of the person, along with the height, weight, and date of birth.
Graphic displayed on screen: A student ID is not valid. An Expired ID is NOT acceptable.
Narrator: A student ID is not valid. Nor is any expired id.
Clerk compares the teen's ID to the acceptable ID's in the guide book.
Narrator: If you're not sure, always compare the ID to a current ID checking guide.
Teen picks up a bottle of alcohol from a shelf in the store.
Car crash footage
Narrator: Your vigilance may result in the one denial that will prevent a tragedy as a result of a sale made with a bad ID.
Clerk looks at teen's ID and realizes it's been tampered with.
Narrator: So always check and look for anything unusual. Make a reasonable effort to scrutinize the ID card provided.
Teen tries to buy alcohol and the clerk asks for an ID
Once you have it, it's so simple. Two questions and two requests.
Graphic displayed on screen: "Ask 4 ID", "Ask How old R U?", "Ask R U 21? for alcohol", "Ask R U 18? for tobacco" beside photo of two, vertically designed Virginia DMV ID cards.
Narrator: Ask for ID and ask how old are you?
Montage of previous scenes in this video.
Two teens speaking together: Read Virginia's new ID. You don't have to guess. Did they reach legal age, or are they less? If the date on the card makes them less, then you know what to do. Don't sell. Don't guess.
Graphic: R U Old Enough OR R U Not?
Logos - VA ABC, NABC, VA DMV. Special Thanks to: Logos - Sine Irish Pub & Restaurant, Fas mart, Getty Images.