Age Verification and Preventing Sales to Minors
This domain tests the mechanics of the 21-year-old minimum and the habits that prevent underage sales. New Hampshire law prohibits sale or service to anyone under 21, and compliance checks are routine. Your job is to verify, not guess.
The verification habit
Check identification for anyone who appears under 30, or under 40 if that is your house policy. Check every person in a group who will drink, not just the person paying. Do the date math yourself: today's date, the birth date, and the 21st birthday. Look at the photo, expiration date, hologram, and the back of the ID. Look for vertical "under 21" formatting. Refuse expired IDs. Watch for handoffs after the check, especially in booths and busy bars.
The sale
Do not accept "my friend left his ID in the car" or "my parent said it was okay." A parent cannot authorize a sale to a minor in a licensed premises. If one person in a group is underage, do not serve alcohol to the group and hope it stays with the of-age members. If you are unsure, refuse and ask for a second form of ID or a manager.
Worked example
A customer presents a vertical license showing a birth date that made them 21 yesterday, but the ID expired last week. The server refuses the sale. Reasoning: the license is no longer valid proof, and the vertical format is a cue to check carefully. The server offers no alcohol, explains the ID is expired, and asks for another acceptable form. If none is available, the sale does not happen.
Traps that cost marks
Accepting an expired ID because the birth date looks correct. Skipping the check for a regular customer. Checking only the buyer in a group. Accepting a photo of an ID on a phone. Believing a parent's permission makes an underage sale lawful. Failing to watch for a pass-back after the ID check.