Age Verification and Acceptable Forms of Identification
The Legal Age and the Duty to Verify
Arizona's minimum legal drinking age is 21. A server must not sell, serve, or furnish alcohol to anyone under 21, and must not allow an underage person to consume alcohol on the premises. Because appearance is unreliable, the practical standard is to check identification whenever the customer appears young, and to refuse service if you cannot verify age. Many licensees adopt a house rule of checking anyone who looks under 30 or 40; that is a policy choice, but questions often reward the cautious answer.
Acceptable Forms of ID
Generally acceptable are a valid state-issued driver's license or identification card, a U.S. passport or passport card, a military identification card, and certain foreign passports. A candidate must understand what makes an ID acceptable: it must be current, unexpired, contain a photograph, and show date of birth. Traps include accepting an expired license, a paper temporary without photo, a student ID, or a photocopy. If an ID looks altered, the photo does not match, or the birth date is inconsistent, refuse service and involve a manager.
How to Check
Hold the ID, compare the photo to the face, read the date of birth and calculate the age rather than trusting a printed "21" marker, check expiration, and feel for tampering. Do not accept an ID handed over by another customer. Do not rely on a friend's assurance.
Worked Example
A customer presents a license showing a birth date of March 15, three years before the current year's date minus 21. Today is March 10. The customer turns 21 on March 15, so on March 10 the customer is still 20. Refuse service; the birthday has not yet occurred.