Senate Approves Fake ID Confiscation

February 8, 2012 This press release is from PA State Senator Don White.  It details a change to the laws in PA which would allow confiscation of fake IDs.  Amazingly in PA if a merchant thinks an ID is fake, he must give it back to the card holder.  This proposed law would change that.

The Senate approved a bill that now goes to the House of Representatives which would allow bar owners and venues that sever alcohol to take an ID if there is a reasonable belief that it is fake.  This law would apply to all people authorized to sell alcohol including state stores employees, beer distributors, restaurants servers, and bar staff who would be allowed to confiscate an drivers license or ID card when they have a reasonable belief that the card has not be issued by the state authorities.

Here is a link to the Fake ID Confiscation bill Senate Bill 117

The proposed legislation requires the seller to verify the card holders age with an electronic scanner or ID Scanner.   It also stipulates that a confiscated ID card must be given to the police within 48 hours for validation.

The Senator who introduced this bill has been trying since 2006 to get it approved.    Senator White should be congratulated for not giving up.  The next step is for the House of Representatives to consider the bill and if approved, then it would go to the Governor for signature into law.

This law is certainly a step in the right direction.  Many states make it too easy for underage customers to carry and use Fake IDs.  With this law, kids will think twice about presenting a Fake ID with the risk of having it turned over to the police (who may just give their parents a phone call).   Check out other posts we have about Fake IDs