Buying Beer, Grandpa? You Will Be Carded

(AP)  Tennessee is set to become the first state in the nation to require carding of anyone, without exception, who buys beer for off-premises consumption.

The Tennessee Responsible Vendor Act, designed to curb underage drinking, takes effect July 1. It will expire after one year to give lawmakers and vendors a chance to review its effectiveness. The legislation does not apply to the sale of wine and liquor purchases or to beer sales at restaurants and bars.

Jarron Springer, president of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association, has embraced the new law, saying it will make Tennessee a national leader on the issue of underage drinking. Although older customers who are obviously of legal age to buy beer could be put out by the requirement, Springer hopes they will cooperate with clerks.

Many stores have already begun carding everyone who buys beer.

John Kelly, chief operating officer for Roadrunner Markets, implemented the policy last year. Carding everyone makes it less likely that a clerk mistakenly sells beer to someone who is underage, he said, and regular customers quickly got used to having to show an ID. Most now arrive at the counter with their identification in hand.

"The universal carding law means that all retailers are on the same page," said Kelly. "There will be consistent training of clerks. Customers can expect to have their ID checked at any store in Tennessee that sells beer."

Along with mandatory carding, the new law also establishes a voluntary Responsible Vendor Program in which retailers who have their clerks undergo a training course will face lesser penalties for underage sales than nonparticipating vendors.

Responsible Vendors face fines of up to $1,000 for each underage sale. They lose Responsible Vendor status if they commit two violations in a 12-month period. If there is a further violation, the vendor could have its license suspended or revoked or be fined up to $2,500. Non-certified vendors can face those penalties on a first offense.

[effallah]

This is simply to force people to acquire a government issued ID card. No ID from the state, no booze/wine/beer for you. Other states, such as Delaware, have already gotten merchants to begin asking for this even without a "law" being enacted.

When you ask them if it's their requirement or a state one, if they even bothered to ask their management, they just smile and say they think it's their company's policy.

[toldyouso21]

The product is displayed with other liquor mixers so I guess ID's are required based on the product they are mixed with in addition to being alchololic beverages themselves. This actually happened to my wife at a Schnucks store last week in Germantown, TN ... she was so pissed she left her groceries on the checkout and walked out of the store!
Posted by g2memphis at 10:21 PM : Jun 24, 2007


Uhmmmm....in TN she probably has nothing to worry about....unless the coconut milk is ever mixed with beer. Apparently TN has no concern over the hard liquor (which mixers are used with) and only will be going overboard for beer. Still....expect a few glitches for the first year.

[toldyouso21]

Resolve the clerks of legal liability otherwise the ID law is a good thing. Why should a clerk go to court because an underage bum tries to buy some booze?
Posted by salty1954 at 03:02 PM : Jun 23, 2007


FYI--The word is not "resolve"--which means to bring to completion. The word is "absolve" which means to release from implication.

Normally ,I try not to correct grammar or typos--but definitions left unchecked--could mean embarrassment when it really matters--like out in an interview or when givng a speech.

[toldyouso21]

"The legislation does not apply to the sale of wine and liquor purchases or to beer sales at restaurants and bars. "


The town I live in outside Chicago has had mandatory carding for over five years now. Relax - you get use to it.
Posted by soxperk at 10:02 AM : Jun 25, 2007

We don't need anymore stupid laws. they should tighten the penalties for procuring or providing beer, and any other liquor for minors--because most don't buy it themselves anyway.

What is the point of this law? To drive kids and others to harder liquor? Since people are not carded the same for wine and gin, scotch, tequila and rum....guess its time for the lil kids to buy Mad dog 20/20, Night Train....or how about some Bacardi or Seagrams Gin?

This is a stupid law--most underage drinking is from kids raiding their parents liquor stash OR from kids have legal adults buy it for them. So this stops who? THINKING....not just for breakfast anymore.

[soxperk]

The town I live in outside Chicago has had mandatory carding for over five years now. Relax - you get use to it.

[uceslady]

Ever heard they have the barbwire camps ready for the resisters when they announce martial law? Will the training of the clerks be to tell if the immigrants IDs are legit or a fake? Pops could have a carload of teenagers sitting and waiting on their suds. This is so stupid...typical of people who have too much time on their hands. And, how much are the high ranking officials paid a year for this kinda ***? They need to be at home hoeing the garden or shelling peas.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by themartyred at 10:18 PM : Jun 24, 2007

Silly person, the Dems want control of your life just like the Repubs, unless they have total control they feel vulnerable. If you think Interpol, MI5, and other agencies will let the CIA, FBI or NSA have total control you have another thik coming. When its all said and done most of those outfits will join hand in unholy matrimony and wipe out all that resist. After that Orwell, and the apocryptic books will look very familliar to the survivors.

[g2memphis]

As a 62 y.o., I think the ID'ing is a little overboard, but I do see the benefits. I only hope the store computer systems are kept up to date so my wife will not be asked for her ID when she buys coconut milk for a cake recipe just because the computer system asks for it. The product is displayed with other liquor mixers so I guess ID's are required based on the product they are mixed with in addition to being alchololic beverages themselves. This actually happened to my wife at a Schnucks store last week in Germantown, TN ... she was so pissed she left her groceries on the checkout and walked out of the store!

[themartyred]

Sieg Hiel!

PREPARE FOR THE NATIONAL ID CARD ALSO - BUSH & CHENEY ARE GETTING THEIR WISHES - TOTAL BIG BROTHER CONTROL OVER ALL OF YOU!

VOTE Democratic now before they pass so many laws that the CHIP will be in your hand before you know it. God knows I won't do it, but it's heading that way - A national ID card? Next, we're gonna get stopped crossing state boundaries and asked for our papers!

ENOUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[jsmythe01]

It's communism people. Oh yeah, communists hard at work. This is what our schools and colleges preach today. How to run the world and get rich doing it. One day we will all be locked up!