Fake IDs

THE TRUTH ABOUT USING FALSE IDENTIFICATION TO BUY ALCOHOL

Turning 21 doesn't happen fast enough for some people. For those who can't wait to be of legal age, using false identification is the forbidden fruit: tempting, but illegal.

Download Fake IDs Brochure (PDF file size 598 KB) - Help with Downloads

Order the Fake IDs brochure in bulk from ABC's Education section. Foreign Language Editions are also available.

Help promote Virginia's Zero Tolerance policy for underage consumption and possession. Report a crime relating to ABC laws anonymously by using our Violation Complaint Form or call the Bureau of Law Enforcement CRIMELINE at (866) 437-3155.

Virginia's Zero Tolerance Law

All states and the District of Columbia now have laws stating age 21 as the minimum age to purchase or drink alcohol. Virginia's Zero Tolerance law makes driving under the influence of any amount of alcohol a serious criminal offense for drivers under age 21.
It may seem fun to have a fake ID until you get caught with it. Severe penalties apply to the possession, manufacture, use or sale of altered/false driver's license and military or university identification. You could pay a fine and/or go to jail.
It is also illegal to loan your driver's license or identification card to another person. In fact, there are more serious consequences for loaning your license or identification card to someone else.

Laying down the Law

If you are carrying a fake ID or have someone else's identification and are involved in an accident, your medical attention could be delayed. In case of death or serious injury, the police could notify the wrong family because they don't know your true identity.
A conviction of possessing, manufacturing, using or selling fake IDs will appear on your permanent criminal record. A police record can limit you in job hunting or impact your admission to college or graduate school.
State law makers have made penalties harsher for underage individuals using false identification. Young adults (ages 18-20) who use a fake ID to buy, possess or drink alcohol can lose their driver's license for up to a year, be fined up to $2,500 and face up to 12 months in jail.

Fraudulent Use of a Driver's License, Identification Card, or other Identification Materials:

It is illegal to use another's identification as one's own.
It is illegal to possess or sell an ID for the purpose of establishing a false identification.
Persons who possess, use or distribute fake IDs are charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor, Code of Virginia 18.2-204.1

Fraudulent identifications seized during just one month by ABC special agents at popular night spots in Richmond.
Seized fraudulent IDs.

Underage Purchase, Possession or Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages:

It is illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase, possess or consume any alcoholic beverage.
No one under 21 may use an altered or fake ID such as a driver's license, birth certificate or student identification card to establish a false identification or false age to purchase an alcoholic beverage.
Violators of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and, upon conviction, can lose their driver's license for up to one year and face a minimum fine of $500 or a mandatory minimum of 50 hours of community service and a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine. Code of Virginia 4.1-305

Download Fake IDs Brochure (PDF file size 598 KB).

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If you have any questions about false identification or this brochure, please contact the ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement at (804) 213-4565 or e-mail enforcement@abc.virginia.gov

This brochure was developed and produced by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (VA ABC) with assistance from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (VA DMV). Production was funded through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.