• 14
  • March
    2011

With spring break just around the corner for most schools in Pennsylvania, many students are busy planning spring break vacations or road trips. Although most students arrive at college when they're 18 or 19 years old, many hotels require people to be at least 21 in order to reserve a room, and you need to be at 21 years old to drink legally. However, that doesn't stop underage students from partying.

It used to be that obtaining a fake ID required having an older sibling or friend with a driver's license that he or she no longer used. Now, there are online companies that sell IDs to anyone with a mug shot and $200. In some states it may not be illegal to own a fake ID, but students who are arrested for underage drunk driving or underage consumption face serious charges.

According to an article in Philadelphia Daily News, one of the most popular online companies sells IDs that look remarkably similar to legitimate licenses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. At a glance, police officers, government agencies and bar owners have a hard time discerning the fake IDs from real ones.

However, a spokesperson for the Motor Vehicle Commission said investigators already know about the fake IDs sold through popular online companies. He was not concerned and said online companies do not know about the covert features that are built into each license, making them impossible to copy.

Although the laws differ by state, in Pennsylvania, an individual who purchases a fake ID with the intention of purchasing alcohol can face fines, license suspension and even jail time. One online company boasts that "anyone can have [a fake ID], and there are no problems." That is followed by the disclaimer that what you do with the ID is up to you.

Fake IDs are becoming increasingly popular and more easily accessible, but students are warned against spending money on such products. While you may be able to fool a naïve bartender or two, it is likely only a matter of time before the police catch up with you and your fake ID.

Source: Philadelphia Daily News, "Fake driver's licenses tougher and tougher to ID," Jason Nark, 14 March 2011