18 Year Old drinking in US ?

SilageIsLove

Well, I'm heading to Chicago for 2 weeks on holiday with a pal after the leaving cert and was wondering how strictly enforced the drinking age is over there ? Will Irish bars serve Irish 18 year olds or small pubs even ? Would it be worth gettin a fake ID ?

eezipc

SilageIsLove wrote: »

Well, I'm heading to Chicago for 2 weeks on holiday with a pal after the leaving cert and was wondering how strictly enforced the drinking age is over there ? Will Irish bars serve Irish 18 year olds or small pubs even ? Would it be worth gettin a fake ID ?

All I can say is that I lived in Vermont for a few months a few years back. I was 23 at the time and I got asked for ID every time. It seemed very strictly enforced.

Dial Hard

Chicago is ridiculously strict on ID, not a hope in hell you'll be served without some serious fake ID. A colleague of mine in her 30s refused to believe me on this when she went over last year, didn't have any ID other than her passport which she said she wouldn't be carrying around with her. She ended up having to go back to the hotel to get it on her first night there cause she couldn't get a drink anywhere.

Edgarfrndly

They are very strict about carding people over there. Pretty much anyone that looks under 25 will be carded.

verycool

Dial Hard wrote: »

Chicago is ridiculously strict on ID, not a hope in hell you'll be served without some serious fake ID. A colleague of mine in her 30s refused to believe me on this when she went over last year, didn't have any ID other than her passport which she said she wouldn't be carrying around with her. She ended up having to go back to the hotel to get it on her first night there cause she couldn't get a drink anywhere.

Not sure if this is a "state by state" thing, but Vegas carded each one of us every time we went up to the bar! Same barman and everything. Thought that was a bit too much.


But if it was me, I wouldn't risk it. Even with a fake ID.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

kirving

In the US last year, they wouldn't accept any ID in one bar. Eventually accepted a photo of my passport I had on my phone. Crazy, I know...

Don't get a fake ID. The bouncers can and will take it off you, and give it to the police. They take it very seriously and will go after you for it.

Not worth getting into trouble with the cops for a few nights out. House parties would be safer, so make some older friends.

SilageIsLove

That's mad altogether. 16 year olds in nightclubs over here. Bit of a joke ya can buy cigarettes at 18 and drive at 16 but can't get a few cans at 18 in America 😂 Different countries, different rules I suppose

the 1nice1

SilageIsLove wrote: »

Well, I'm heading to Chicago for 2 weeks on holiday with a pal after the leaving cert and was wondering how strictly enforced the drinking age is over there ? Will Irish bars serve Irish 18 year olds or small pubs even ? Would it be worth gettin a fake ID ?

Was in Boston and New York
I’m 28 and brother in law 20
And we were asked in 99% of bars we went to for ID and they are strict so he didn’t drink

HDMI

As others have said it's highly unlikely you will get served. My daughter was asked for id repeatedly on two separate trips and she was 23-24 years of age.

khaldrogo

But a 5 year old can use a gun......

I'm 35 with a big beard and they wouldn't sell me two cans in Fred Myars supermarket in Washington state 😂

wexie

BrownFinger wrote: »

I'm 35 with a big beard and they wouldn't sell me two cans in Fred Myars supermarket in Washington state ��

I was in Texas a few years ago, one of my colleagues couldn't buy beer in the supermarket because they wouldn't accept his UK drivers license as ID. He's in his late 50's!!!

But...we never got carded in a single bar or restaurant...

SHOVELLER

I wouldnt completely right off your chances but first and foremost stay away from Irish bars as they will card you. Get in and talk to the locals as the chances are somebody will know a place where they dont card. There's a bar here that is known not to card as an example.

HDMI

khaldrogo wrote: »

But a 5 year old can use a gun......

5 year old can drink a bottle of whisky as well if an adult leaves it in easy reach :rolleyes:

ratracer

Also, the only form of ID they will accept is your passport, and not a copy of it. We were there a couple of years ago, a work group so all aged 35+ and still got asked in almost all bars. Drivers licence wasn’t accepted.

I worked Airport security, and I remember two glum 19 year olds coming to my machine after doing the US Border pre-clearance. They had bought 40 quid’s worth of whiskey to bring home to the US, and the Customs guy marched them over to a sink and made them watch as he poured the lot down.

You’re already under suspicion as a youngster of working age heading across without a working visa in the age of Dumbass Dump’s presidency. Don’t draw more attention to yourself by breaking the law over there, ore you’ll never go back.

It’s a dry holiday for you. Unless you head North to Canada. Vancouver & Whistler are awesome. So’s Calgary & Banff.

wexie

Just out of curiosity, in the states where they've legalised marijuana...is the age 21 for that as well?

Be most bizarre if you could get legally stoned at 18 but not drunk

EDIT : quick Google, 21 in Colorado and California

Jimbob1977

I was refused a beer as a 37 year old at the Chicago White Sox stadium. I didn't have ID with me.... 37 years of age.

It is taken very seriously. Licence can be lost, so they card everyone.

Dial Hard

ratracer wrote:

Also, the only form of ID they will accept is your passport, and not a copy of it. We were there a couple of years ago, a work group so all aged 35+ and still got asked in almost all bars. Drivers licence wasn’t accepted.

They'll accept the newer card licence, I've used it myself.

CeilingFly

Im vermont you can legally have a concealed gun at the age of 16.

Alcohol - not a chance til 21.

America is a very strange country.

You will find plenty of house parties with copious amounts of alcohol

the 1nice1

wexie wrote: »

I was in Texas a few years ago, one of my colleagues couldn't buy beer in the supermarket because they wouldn't accept his UK drivers license as ID. He's in his late 50's!!!

Ah Jesus that’s bad now

wexie

the 1nice1 wrote: »

Ah Jesus that’s bad now

's okay, I went back in and got it for him

Sam Quentin

Nice to hear that the scourge of alcohol on our young people is been taken serious by the Americans.

ClanofLams

What i did years ago was get driving license from older brother, worked in majority of places then. One or two places didn't accept driving licenses but generally worked.

Thats your best method I reckon, find a 21/22 year old brother/cousin who looks relatively like you and pay for them to get replacement license unless they are willing to trust you on bringing it back and take a chance on not needing it for a couple of weeks.

You won't get served anywhere in Chicago without ID

SilageIsLove

If I bought a load of vodka in airport would customs in the US take it off me 100 percent do yee think ?

CeilingFly

ClanofLams wrote: »

What i did years ago was get driving license from older brother, worked in majority of places then. One or two places didn't accept driving licenses but generally worked.

Thats your best method I reckon, find a 21/22 year old brother/cousin who looks relatively like you and pay for them to get replacement license unless they are willing to trust you on bringing it back and take a chance on not needing it for a couple of weeks.

You won't get served anywhere in Chicago without ID

Even better is the passport card.

uck51js9zml2yt

SilageIsLove wrote: »

If I bought a load of vodka in airport would customs in the US take it off me 100 percent do yee think ?

You obviously didn't read the thread!

verycool

Alani Vast Pub wrote: »

You obviously didn't read the thread!

Specifically this helpful post! :pac:

verycool

k . wrote: »

I found this. I don't know how legal it is

:rolleyes:

SpannerMonkey

this might give you an idea . me and my famiy went into a bar over there a few years ago i was nearly 30 at the time and 6ft 5 (so obviously not a child) and my father around 60 we were both asked for ID .

my father was asked for ID when out with my mother later that night on their own he said it was back in the house he was refused service until he went back and got it . (it was close by)

RustyNut

SilageIsLove wrote: »

If I bought a load of vodka in airport would customs in the US take it off me 100 percent do yee think ?

If drinking is an important part of your holiday then don't go to the states. Ah sure will be grand won't wash over there and you really don't want to be dealing with the cops.

Dr Turk Turkelton

SilageIsLove wrote: »

That's mad altogether. 16 year olds in nightclubs over here. Bit of a joke ya can buy cigarettes at 18 and drive at 16 but can't get a few cans at 18 in America 😂 Different countries, different rules I suppose

But when your 18 in America you can legally go to the Middle East and shoot some A-rabs in the name of freedom.
Fcuk yeah.

ratracer

Dial Hard wrote: »

They'll accept the newer card licence, I've used it myself.

Good to know, thanks!
Hadn’t tried it since then, just back from Florida and wasn’t asked once over there. ( I’m past 30 tho....)

naughtysmurf

I was with a US citizen in a liquer store in Massachusetts once & they wouldn't sell to her as her Florida driver's license had expired, obviously it was valid at some stage & she was mid 20's so I'd expect it to be a pretty dry holiday for the OP

RobertKK

If you are underage, you shouldn't put people and their jobs in jeopardy and put the establishment into serious trouble simply because you want an alcoholic drink and you are not old enough. You have to take responsibility for the lives of others by doing the right thing by them.

I was in a hotel in Idaho last year and with a group. They served everyone alcohol, but when I ordered my drink, they wouldn't believe I was over 21, I was 20 years older than that at that stage. But the group around me who were served, convinced the person serving the alcohol I was old enough.
They are strict on drinking age, but remember what you want to do is illegal and can have a very negative effect on others if you deceive them on purpose. Just don't do it.

coolisin

Some places can be kinda lenient. But it is definitely stricter there now then it was a number of years ago.
Really depends on the place you are in. But expect to be turned away alot!

Also point to note Dublin airport once you clear American immigration you won't be allowed beer there either it's a strict 21!

verycool

Enjoy your dry holiday OP (unless you venture north of the border)! :pac:

c6ysaphjvqw41k

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degsie

Checking for ID is not just for age verification alone, it ensures that all patrons have ID just in case anything kicks off and the cops are called.

Dial Hard

coolisin wrote: »

Also point to note Dublin airport once you clear American immigration you won't be allowed beer there either it's a strict 21!

Since when? I was there last year and didn't see anyone being carded, including plenty of giddy-looking J1-ers.

coolisin

Dial Hard wrote: »

Since when? I was there last year and didn't see anyone being carded, including plenty of giddy-looking J1-ers.

Dunno since when.
Noticed the Bar-staff telling people it was over 21's only, and refusing people.
Seen it 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018

Reati

I travel to the US for work a ton. I was refused food in a bar because I didn't have ID on me to prove I was over 21 (I don't look that young). I had to go to the hotel and get it before they would give me a burger because the place was serving beer.

They are very strict on serving underage people

Del2005

Sam Quentin wrote: »

Nice to hear that the scourge of alcohol on our young people is been taken serious by the Americans.

Yes. Strict 21 alcohol enforcement means they don't have any problem with colleges or under age drinking at all over there.

Hazys

naughtysmurf wrote: »

I was with a US citizen in a liquer store in Massachusetts once & they wouldn't sell to her as her Florida driver's license had expired, obviously it was valid at some stage & she was mid 20's so I'd expect it to be a pretty dry holiday for the OP

My Mass Liquor ID expired last year and I couldn't get in anywhere that carded, its not like i suddenly reverted back to 20 years old as soon as my card expired! :pac:

dubrov

They are very strict with requesting IDs in Chicago but most places will accept any sort of ID. They don't care as long as they are covered. The bouncers have no way of identifying a fake Irish driving licence.

I remember hearing of raids in a lot of places though so not sure what would happen if you were caught with just a fake id. I doubt the police would be any better at identifying a fake foreign document though

Overheal

Don’t bother trying. Most everywhere is going to card you. With the exception of college towns and then only some of the times, with a really good fake, could you even give it a good shot. SLED (state law enforcement divisions) goes hardcore on cracking down on underage drinking. Liquor licenses are expensive and fines are verrry steep and widely enforced. Businesses are not incentivized to take the risk for a couple extra dollars.

Peregrinus

SilageIsLove wrote: »

That's mad altogether. 16 year olds in nightclubs over here. Bit of a joke ya can buy cigarettes at 18 and drive at 16 but can't get a few cans at 18 in America �� Different countries, different rules I suppose

These two facts are connected.

You can either restrict young people's drinking, or you can restrict young people's driving (not necessarily by legal restrictions; if it's unaffordably expensive, or if you have towns and cities set up so that people can live an active life without driving, that will work). But if you restrict neither then bad things tend to happen on quite a large scale.

In the US, young people drive a lot, so their drinking is fairly heavily restricted. (The over-21 rule for alcohol was imposed on the states by making it a condition of federal highway funding, which neatly illustrates the trade-off between drinking and motoring.) Historically in Ireland we have allowed yound people to drink, but their driving has been limited by economic considerations.

redcup342

Weirdly enough I never got asked for ID in Miami, Orlando, New York or Chicago ... no idea why, I don't even look that old ... I think anyway

Kolido

How come you never see folk getting ID'd in the movies or tv shows? I suppose it could be seen as a bad advert for international tourism?

DickSwiveller

SilageIsLove wrote: »

Well, I'm heading to Chicago for 2 weeks on holiday with a pal after the leaving cert and was wondering how strictly enforced the drinking age is over there ? Will Irish bars serve Irish 18 year olds or small pubs even ? Would it be worth gettin a fake ID ?

Very strict. I was at a Yankees baseball matchans saw a man with a grey beard being Id'd