4.3 Counterfeit, Altered, and Borrowed Credentials

Understand the three problems

Counterfeit identification is fabricated evidence made to look like a legitimate credential. Altered identification starts with a document whose information or appearance is changed. Borrowed or stolen identification may be a genuine unaltered document presented by someone other than its owner.

The distinctions matter because one inspection method cannot solve every problem. A genuine card can pass a material or security-feature check while still belonging to another person. A fabricated barcode can encode a plausible adult birth date. A valid date does not prove that the document is accepted for this transaction.

Counterfeits: compare with the correct reference

Possible warning signs include inconsistent printing, unexplained mismatches between fields, unusual material or edges, and security features that do not match the issuer's reference. Sophisticated counterfeits may look convincing. Avoid teaching that counterfeiters always use cheap material or that every fake fails ultraviolet inspection.

Use a current source for the specific issuing jurisdiction and card generation. Legitimate older designs may remain in circulation until expiration. Do not reject a genuine card simply because it differs from the newest image you remember. If you cannot verify an unfamiliar design, pause the sale and use the manager's escalation process.

Alterations: inspect information and consistency

Look for possible changes around the birth date, photograph, or expiration field. A localized ridge, unusual typeface, or mismatch between printed and electronically read information may justify further examination. It does not prove exactly how the card was altered. Ordinary damage and issuer-specific tactile elements can sometimes look unusual too.

Do not scrape or peel the surface to investigate. The goal is to decide whether evidence is adequate for service, not to conduct a destructive forensic examination. If uncertainty cannot be resolved, decline the transaction calmly. You do not need to prove a crime beyond doubt before refusing to accept inadequate evidence under lawful policy.

Borrowed credentials: inspect the presenter

A borrowed adult license may contain valid printing and a barcode that reports an adult birth date. The key issue is ownership. Compare the photograph and relevant descriptors with the person and ask appropriate questions about the evidence. Consider normal changes in appearance and communicate respectfully.

Do not rely on hairstyle, confidence, clothing, or a single hesitation. A younger sibling may resemble the owner, and a legitimate owner may be nervous. Combine the evidence and seek help when needed. No scanner's green light removes the need for the presenter check.

Understand the tools

A barcode reader may decode printed data and calculate age. Some systems perform additional checks; capabilities differ. Know what your system actually does. A basic successful read is not a direct confirmation from the issuing agency that a card is genuine, current, and being used by its owner.

Compare displayed information with the physical credential when the system permits. If the screen and card disagree, stop and investigate through the approved process. If the reader is unavailable, follow the actual legal and venue requirements for that transaction. Do not assume technology is optional where a jurisdiction requires it, or universally required where it does not.

Ultraviolet lights and magnifiers can assist a trained inspection of the right feature. They do not supply a universal pass/fail test. Protect customer information collected by any system and use only authorized data-handling procedures. Do not copy whole IDs to a personal phone for convenience.

Refusal and card handling

Use neutral language: “I cannot accept this identification for alcohol service.” Avoid publicly calling someone a criminal. Notify management and relevant stations so the guest does not obtain a sale elsewhere while the same issue remains unresolved.

Retention powers and reporting duties differ by jurisdiction. Follow a lawful, trained procedure if one applies. Do not invent a universal 24-hour or 48-hour handover deadline, keep a document as payment security, or use force to retain it. If the person becomes threatening, prioritize safety and obtain appropriate assistance.

Worked example

A scanner reports age 24, but the photo clearly differs from the presenter. A coworker proposes serving because the scanner approved it. Explain that the reader processed the card's data, not the presenter's identity. Decline service, involve the manager, and follow the lawful card-handling process.

In another case, a ridge appears near the birth date. Do not declare that a digit was certainly glued on. Compare the exact card design, record the actual observation if an incident report is needed, and decline if adequate evidence remains unavailable. A factual description is more useful than an unsupported story about manufacture.

Sources checked October 16, 2026: California ABC ID inspection and false-ID guidance and TABC transaction-specific age verification.