Affirmative Defense for Alcohol Sales in NY to a Minor when using an ID Scanner.

NY state Alcohol Beverage Control law providing affirmative defense protection to merchants using an ID Scanner when selling to a minor.

In the section of NY ABC law provided below, section 7 provides merchants with an affirmative defense when properly using an ID Scanner during the sale of alcohol to a minor.  An ID Scanner reads the data stored on the magnetic stripe and/or 2D barcode of an ID, calculates the age, warns if under age and then records transaction data which is how a merchant can prove an ID Scanner was used during the sale of alcohol.  The most common form of ID in the hands of a minor is a borrowed ID.   If a merchant inadvertently sells to a minor who provides his/her older sibling’s/friend’s drivers license and the photo looks like the person presenting the ID, then with the transaction record stored in an ID Scanner, a merchant would be able to claim an Affirmative Defense.  Without an ID Scanner, the merchant would probably be found guilty of serving a minor and risk losing their liquor license.   So in states like NY which offer the affirmative defense protection, it really makes sense to invest in the protection an ID Scanner provides.

Its important to note that using a transaction scan device or ID Scanner shall not excuse any licensee under this chapter, or agent or employee of such licensee, from the exercise of reasonable diligence otherwise required by this section.  This means a merchant must still ensure the name printed on the license matches the name displayed on the ID Checker, the photo on the ID matches the person presenting the ID and the drivers licenses has not be obviously tampered.

Below is the NY state ABC law related to ID Scanners.   Note: The state defines an ID Scanner or ID Checker in section 65-b(a) as “A device capable of deciphering any electronically readable format” or “device”  shall mean any commercial device or combination of devices used at a point of sale or entry that is capable of reading the information encoded on the magnetic strip or bar code of a driver’s license or non-driver identification card issued by the commissioner of motor vehicles;”

    §  65-b.  Offense for one under age of twenty-one years to purchase or    attempt to purchase an alcoholic beverage through fraudulent  means.  1.    As  used  in  this  section:  (a)  "A  device capable of deciphering any    electronically readable format" or "device" shall  mean  any  commercial    device  or  combination of devices used at a point of sale or entry that    is capable of reading the information encoded on the magnetic  strip  or    bar  code of a driver's license or non-driver identification card issued    by the commissioner of motor vehicles;      (b) "Card holder" means any person presenting a  driver's  license  or    non-driver  identification  card  to  a  licensee,  or  to  the agent or    employee of such licensee under this chapter; and      (c) "Transaction scan" means the process involving a device capable of    deciphering any electronically readable format by which a  licensee,  or    agent  or  employee  of a licensee under this chapter reviews a driver's    license or non-driver identification card presented  as  a  precondition    for the purchase of an alcoholic beverage as required by subdivision two    of  this  section or as a precondition for admission to an establishment    licensed for the on-premises sale of alcoholic beverages where admission    is restricted to persons twenty-one years or older.      2. (a) No person under the age of twenty-one years  shall  present  or    offer to any licensee under this chapter, or to the agent or employee of    such licensee, any written evidence of age which is false, fraudulent or    not  actually  his  own,  for the purpose of purchasing or attempting to    purchase any alcoholic beverage.      (b) No licensee, or agent or employee of such licensee shall accept as    written evidence of age by any such  person  for  the  purchase  of  any    alcoholic  beverage,  any documentation other than: (i) a valid driver's    license or non-driver identification card issued by the commissioner  of    motor  vehicles,  the  federal  government, any United States territory,    commonwealth or possession, the District of Columbia, a state government    within the United States or a provincial government of the  dominion  of    Canada,  or (ii) a valid passport issued by the United States government    or any other country, or (iii) an  identification  card  issued  by  the    armed  forces  of  the  United  States.  Upon  the  presentation of such    driver's  license  or  non-driver  identification  card  issued   by   a    governmental  entity,  such  licensee  or  agent or employee thereof may    perform a transaction  scan  as  a  precondition  to  the  sale  of  any    alcoholic beverage. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a licensee or    agent  or employee from performing such a transaction scan on any of the    other documents listed in this subdivision if such documents  include  a    bar  code or magnetic strip that that may be scanned by a device capable    of deciphering any electronically readable format.      (c) In instances where the information deciphered by  the  transaction    scan  fails  to match the information printed on the driver's license or    non-driver identification card presented by the card holder, or  if  the    transaction  scan indicates that the information is false or fraudulent,    the attempted purchase of the alcoholic beverage shall be denied.      3. A person violating the provisions of paragraph (a)  of  subdivision    two  of  this  section  shall  be  guilty  of  a  violation and shall be    sentenced in accordance with the following:      (a) For a first violation, the court shall order payment of a fine  of    not  more  than  one  hundred  dollars  and/or  an appropriate amount of    community service not to exceed thirty hours. In addition, the court may    order completion of an alcohol awareness program established pursuant to    section 19.25 of the mental hygiene law.      (b) For a second violation, the court shall order payment of a fine of    not less than fifty dollars nor more than three  hundred  fifty  dollars    and/or  an  appropriate amount of community service not to exceed thirty
  hours. The court also shall order completion  of  an  alcohol  awareness    program  as  referenced  in  paragraph  (a)  of this subdivision if such    program has not previously been completed by the  offender,  unless  the    court  determines that attendance at such program is not feasible due to    the lack of availability of  such  program  within  a  reasonably  close    proximity to the locality in which the offender resides or matriculates,    as appropriate.      (c) For third and subsequent violations, the court shall order payment    of  a  fine  of  not less than fifty dollars nor more than seven hundred    fifty dollars and/or an appropriate amount of community service  not  to    exceed  thirty hours. The court also shall order that such person submit    to an evaluation by an appropriate agency certified or licensed  by  the    office  of  alcoholism and substance abuse services to determine whether    the person suffers from the disease  of  alcoholism  or  alcohol  abuse,    unless  the court determines that under the circumstances presented such    an evaluation is not necessary, in which case the court shall  state  on    the record the basis for such determination. Payment for such evaluation    shall  be  made by such person. If, based on such evaluation, a need for    treatment is indicated, such person  may  choose  to  participate  in  a    treatment  plan  developed  by  an  agency  certified or licensed by the    office of alcoholism and substance abuse services. If such person elects    to participate in recommended treatment,  the  court  shall  order  that    payment  of  such  fine  and  community service be suspended pending the    completion of such treatment.      (d) Evaluation procedures.  For  purposes  of  this  subdivision,  the    following shall apply:      (i)  The  contents  of an evaluation pursuant to paragraph (c) of this    subdivision shall be used for the sole purpose of  determining  if  such    person suffers from the disease of alcoholism or alcohol abuse.      (ii)  The  agency  designated  by the court to perform such evaluation    shall conduct the evaluation and return the results to the court  within    thirty  days,  subject to any state or federal confidentiality law, rule    or regulation governing the confidentiality  of  alcohol  and  substance    abuse treatment records.      (iii) The office of alcoholism and substance abuse services shall make    available  to  each  supreme  court law library in this state, or, if no    supreme court law library is available  in  a  certain  county,  to  the    county court law library of such county, a list of agencies certified to    perform  evaluations  as required by subdivision (f) of section 19.07 of    the mental hygiene law.      (iv) All evaluations required  under  this  subdivision  shall  be  in    writing  and the person so evaluated or his or her counsel shall receive    a copy of such evaluation prior to its use by the court.      (v) A minor evaluated under this subdivision shall have, and shall  be    informed by the court of, the right to obtain a second opinion regarding    his or her need for alcoholism treatment.      4.  A  person violating the provisions of paragraph (b) of subdivision    two of this section shall be guilty of a violation punishable by a  fine    of  not  more  than one hundred dollars, and/or an appropriate amount of    community service not to exceed thirty hours. In addition, the court may    order completion of an alcohol training  awareness  program  established    pursuant  to  subdivision  twelve  of  section seventeen of this chapter    where such program is located within a reasonably close proximity to the    locality in which the offender is employed or resides.      5. No determination of guilt pursuant to this section shall operate as    a disqualification of  any  such  person  subsequently  to  hold  public    office,  public employment, or as a forfeiture of any right or privilege
  or to receive any license granted  by  public  authority;  and  no  such    person shall be denominated a criminal by reason of such determination.      6.  In  addition  to  the  penalties otherwise provided in subdivision    three of this section, if a determination is made sustaining a charge of    illegally purchasing or attempting to illegally  purchase  an  alcoholic    beverage,  the  court may suspend such person's license to drive a motor    vehicle and the privilege of an  unlicensed  person  of  obtaining  such    license, in accordance with the following and for the following periods,    if  it is found that a driver's license was used for the purpose of such    illegal purchase or attempt to illegally  purchase;  provided,  however,    that  where  a  person  is sentenced pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of    subdivision three of this section, the court shall impose  such  license    suspension  if  it  is  found  that  a driver's license was used for the    purpose of such illegal purchase or attempt to illegally purchase:      (a) For a first violation of paragraph (a) of subdivision two of  this    section, a three month suspension.      (b) For a second violation of paragraph (a) of subdivision two of this    section, a six month suspension.      (c)   For  a  third  or  subsequent  violation  of  paragraph  (a)  of    subdivision two of this section, a suspension for one year or until  the    holder reaches the age of twenty-one, whichever is the greater period of    time.      Such  person  may  thereafter apply for and be issued a restricted use    license in accordance with the provisions of section five hundred thirty    of the vehicle and traffic law.      7. (a) In any  proceeding  pursuant  to  subdivision  one  of  section    sixty-five of this article, it shall be an affirmative defense that such    person had produced a driver's license or non-driver identification card    apparently  issued  by a governmental entity, successfully completed the    transaction scan,  and  that  the  alcoholic  beverage  had  been  sold,    delivered  or  given  to  such  person  in reasonable reliance upon such    identification and transaction scan. In evaluating the applicability  of    such   affirmative   defense,  the  liquor  authority  shall  take  into    consideration any written policy adopted and implemented by  the  seller    to  carry  out the provisions of this chapter. Use of a transaction scan    shall not excuse any licensee under this chapter, or agent  or  employee    of  such  licensee,  from the exercise of reasonable diligence otherwise    required by this section. Notwithstanding the above provisions, any such    affirmative defense shall not  be  applicable  in  any  other  civil  or    criminal proceeding, or in any other forum.      (b)  A  licensee or agent or employee of a licensee may electronically    or  mechanically  record  and  maintain  only  the  information  from  a    transaction  scan  necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.    Such information shall be limited to the following: (i) name, (ii)  date    of  birth,  (iii)  driver's license or non-driver identification number,    and  (iv)  expiration  date.  The  liquor  authority   and   the   state    commissioner  of  motor vehicles shall jointly promulgate any regulation    necessary to govern the recording and maintenance of these records by  a    licensee  under  this chapter. The liquor authority and the commissioner    of health shall jointly promulgate any regulations necessary  to  ensure    quality control in the use of transaction scan devices.      8. A licensee or agent or employee of such licensee shall only use the    information  recorded and maintained through the use of such devices for    the purposes contained in paragraph (a) of  subdivision  seven  of  this    section,  and  shall only use such devices for the purposes contained in    subdivision two of this section. No licensee or agent or employee  of  a    licensee  shall  resell  or  disseminate the information recorded during    such scan to any third person. Such prohibited resale  or  dissemination
  includes,   but  is  not  limited  to,  any  advertising,  marketing  or    promotional activities. Notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by this    subdivision, such records may be released pursuant to  a  court  ordered    subpoena  or  pursuant to any other statute that specifically authorizes    the release of such information.  Each  violation  of  this  subdivision    shall  be  punishable  by  a civil penalty of not more than one thousand    dollars.
(a) In any  proceeding  pursuant  to  subdivision  one  of  section    sixty-five of this article, it shall be an affirmative defense that such    person had produced a driver's license or non-driver identification card    apparently  issued  by a governmental entity, successfully completed the    transaction scan,  and  that  the  alcoholic  beverage  had  been  sold,    delivered  or  given  to  such  person  in reasonable reliance upon such    identification and transaction scan. In evaluating the applicability  of    such   affirmative   defense,  the  liquor  authority  shall  take  into    consideration any written policy adopted and implemented by  the  seller    to  carry  out the provisions of this chapter. Use of a transaction scan    shall not excuse any licensee under this chapter, or agent  or  employee    of  such  licensee,  from the exercise of reasonable diligence otherwise    required by this section. Notwithstanding the above provisions, any such    affirmative defense shall not  be  applicable  in  any  other  civil  or    criminal proceeding, or in any other forum.

Note: The state defines an ID Scanner or ID Checker as “A device capable of deciphering any electronically readable format” or “device”  shall mean any commercial device or combination of devices used at a point of sale or entry that is capable of reading the information encoded on the magnetic strip or bar code of a driver’s license or non-driver identification card issued by the commissioner of motor vehicles;”

So if your a merchant, don’t wait for a ticket to invest in an ID Scanner!

?>
Shopping cart0
There are no products in the cart!
Continue shopping
0