Watch out, Tufts Class of 2018 - if Congress's Real ID Act continues to push forward, obtaining alcohol while underage could become more difficult.
The Real ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 with the intention of tightening security on state driver's licenses and identification cards within the coming months.
Contrary to some of the hype surrounding it, the Real ID Act does not propose the creation of a national ID card, but sets national standards for state ID cards.
The requirements under the Act include improving screening methods for those who can obtain state IDs, requiring more documentation to be presented with ID applications, requiring that states materially improve their IDs to protect against forgery, tampering and counterfeiting, and, more controversially, requiring that all states make their IDs universally scannable - a provision that may spell doom to underage drinkers with fake IDs.
Sophomore Laina Rosebrock was unperturbed by the threatened loss of fake IDs. "I'm sure some people would really dislike that," Rosebrock said. "But personally, I don't feel the need to get a fake ID."
Among states, the Act has garnered serious opposition, most vehemently from Montana, Maine and New Hampshire. Because of complaints and noncompliance from a host of states, the original May 2008 deadline for states to adopt ID regulations has been extended to December 2009 - but some states still refuse to participate, regardless of extensions.
These states, along with civil libertarians, find fault with the program, claiming that the standards called for effectively add up to a national ID card and that the improvements are too costly and burdensome to complete. The federal government, in response, has maintained that after its final deadline, it will not accept noncompliant state IDs for federal business.
Rosebrock said she does not believe that the federal government is unnecessarily infringing on states' rights in this case.
"It doesn't seem like [the federal government is] treading past [its] boundaries," she said.
She did, however, feel that the nonacceptance of noncompliant state IDs punished the residents of those states more than states themselves. "It seems a little bit unfair to the residents of the state," she said.
But it is still unclear whether the bill as passed will come to be fully enforced. By placing the target date so far in advance, the Department of Homeland Security, which is enforcing the statute, has guaranteed a passing of the baton along to the next administration, which may have a different idea about enforcement.
Still, as the bill is a main recommendation of the 9/11 Commission Report, the possibility of its enforcement remains, and those in the Tufts community most likely affected by it are yet-to-be-selected members of future classes who want to drink before the legal age of 21.
It has been common for those underaged in the past to use fake state IDs to purchase alcohol, or gain entrance to a bar or club which serves alcohol. If state IDs prove more difficult to counterfeit, underage drinkers will likely be deterred from purchasing alcohol.
Terry of Hillsides Wine and Spirits, who wished only to be identified by his first name due to the sensitive nature of the article, said that changes to IDs like those provided by the Real ID Act will help vendors ward off underage drinkers.
Hillsides Wine and Spirits currently uses an ID scanner that works for IDs in all but five states, but under the Real ID Act's new provisions, it would scan cards from each state.
"Our biggest goal here is to serve only people who are of age," Terry said.
Although ID checking would likely improve in accuracy with improved IDs, some bars and liquor stores do not use ID scanners to check if identification is valid.
The Joshua Tree Bar and Grill, which currently uses bouncers and bartenders instead of scanners to check IDs, is an example of an establishment whose policies would remain unaltered.
Lindsay Whalan, manager at Joshua Tree, said that while she understands the potential benefits that the Real ID Act would provide to alcohol vendors, cost is what keeps most bars from using ID scanners - a fact unlikely to change in the near future.
Luke Burns contributed reporting to this article.
