Set to buy a fake id, just have some questions, and is it worth the risk?
Posted by Anonymous_J08@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 29 comments
I’m 16, but always told I pass for 18. Over the next year I’m gonna be travelling over the country to Watch the football team I support play football. As a result of this, I want to buy a fake id to get served at: stadiums, pubs, and small shops like boots at train stations. I just wanted to ask if anyone has any experience of using fake ids in these places, and has any trouble came as a result of this? For example do they have those scanning machines? Thanks
Fun_Championship_642@reddit
I wouldnt bother. Yes the legal age to drink is 18 but pubs, bars and anywhere else serving booze operate using the challenge 25 policy. Meaning that if you dont look at least 25 you are getting asked for id. I understand the temptation but you arent going to get away with it.
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
I still go by challenge 21 when I’m working. I do not have time for challenge 25
evenstevens280@reddit
Poor girl in the queue at the Co-op ahead of me got denied a can of Red Bull because she didn't have ID. She looked well over 20, but I think Co-op just apply "Challenge 25" to any age restricted item.
Tbh I think the guy at the till was having a bit of a power trip.
Best thing about it was that she got in her car and drove off when she left...
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
Yeah happened to me at the sainsburys in Glasgow near the central station. I’m SIA trained (so I’m a bouncer) but I was trying to get a red bull and told I needed I’d. I had my armband on and my security jacket and just asked again and she said no so I walked out. I was clearly around 19-20 but the girl that asked me was the same age as me and that made me even more annoyed haha.
I really wanted to explain that challenge 25 is an alcohol and tobacco scheme, and all stores that have an energy drink policy simply state to id if they look under 16 and don’t mention a challenge 25 policy.
So yeah definitely a power trip and I’ll fight harder next time… you just forget in the moment because you’re tired or you’re hungry or whatever else that day.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
Really? Challenge 21 is pretty useless. A 17 year old could very easily pass as 21, but not 25.
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
Then I’d ID them.
I learned the ropes from an old man, and he always answered when I challenged him saying “can a 17 year old grow a full beard like that?” After that I never questioned him and have been operating this way ever since.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
Relying on things like beards or vibes rather than strict ID checks isn't really sound. The old guy who taught you that was likely working his prime years back when Trading Standards basically served anyone who was tall enough to reach the bar.
Some 16 or 17 year-olds absolutely can grow full facial hair. I've seen it myself. I knew a fella who had one at 16 thanks to precocious puberty. Looked like he could be one of the teachers.
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
I’ve done my entire SIA training. I’ve been working for 3 years, I’ve never seen a white person with a full beard that’s under 18. That being said, other cues are present in someone’s face to let you know. I think challenge 21 is fine, challenge 25 is only minimally better and I don’t think it’s worth all the hassle.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
Fair enough, I just prefer to err on the side of caution with this. I'd sooner deal with an irate legal age customer than make an underage sale. Generally people in their early twenties are pretty solid in having proper ID at this point.
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
I hate arguments about this because it’s all BS. Unless we ID everybody with grey hair both think 21 and challenge 25 are both stupid because teens that look older look OLDER a lot of the time beyond the 25 criterion.
I remember a girl with a fake id. She tried to claim she was 29 and nearly got away with it, she was 13.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
I remember in the US it's actually Challenge 40 in a lot of venues. And some places just ID literally everyone regardless of how old they look. Relying on subjective assessments of how old someone looks is always going to have holes.
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
Oh yeah, and especially with young girls. It would scare you if you knew how many underage people actually get through security, it happens to every pub and club in every city in the UK and it will never go away.
chartupdate@reddit
The double standards of Reddit are marvellous to behold.
Poster: "I think it should be easier and legal for me to consume narcotics".
Sub: Yeah! Right with you Buffalo Soldier, the Man has been suppressing our rights to get mashed for too long. Freedom to party!
Poster: "I'd like to consume alcohol before I'm entitled, anyone any tips on how I go about this?"
Sub: NO. This is ILLEGAL and must not be contemplated under any circumstances. Think twice before you ruin your life forever you disgusting addict. I'm having palpitations that anyone would even suggest such a thing.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
Bizarre comment. Yes, I think adults should have more choice on what they put in their bodies. No, I do not encourage helping children break laws that are designed to protect them. I'm not seeing the logical contradiction here?
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
As someone that’s both bought a fake id and have training on how to detect and deter fake ids here is my advice:
The police don’t care if somebody under 18 possesses a fake id. It’s actually not illegal, and it’s only considered a false id if you intent or admit to intending to use it.
They focus more on taking down the online retailers and people that supply it, so you’re generally in the clear.
If it’s a bad fake and it’s confiscated (again uncommon but can happen) they will almost never inform the police if they do, it just brings unwanted heat to the business. Most bars and clubs aren’t the most legal places on planet earth.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
This is dangerously misleading advice. Yes, law enforcement tends to focus more on fake ID suppliers than individual underage users, but that doesn't mean you're "in the clear".
It's a criminal offence to possess or use a fake identity document with intent. If you use it to enter a pub/club, buy alcohol or age-restricted goods, or deceive staff at stadiums and events, then you are committing an offence. It doesn't matter if you don't "admit" intent - if you use it (which is what OP intends to do), the intent is assumed.
It's highly irresponsible to advise OP to do anything other than just not go through with it.
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
This isn’t about what OP should or shouldn’t do but about what actually happens.
I stand by my previous comment.
It’s not illegal to posses. Businesses will generally not inform the police if confiscated. Police will never prosecute someone under the age of 18 for using one, they will only confiscate.
If you have an issue with my advice you should get out more and experience what the UK is like in practice and how we handle these things.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
Come on - we've got a 16 year-old asking if it's worth breaking the law, and your answer is basically "g'wed, you'll probably be fine". Just because people usually get away with it doesn’t mean it's safe or a good idea.
You're downplaying the risks and ignoring the fact that using a fake ID doesn't just affect the person holding it. It puts legal liability on innocent people, like bar staff, shop workers, and venue security. These people can be fined, lose their job, or face criminal charges for accidentally serving someone who deliberately misled them. All for what - a couple of pints before a football match?
Saying "it's not enforced much" doesn't change the fact that it's still fraud. Minimising that risk, especially in front of someone who's clearly young and looking for justification, isn't helping them. It's giving them a false sense of safety and encouraging them to dump the consequences on someone else.
Pristine-Coffee-9324@reddit
I’m not here to sugar-coat reality or scare a teenager into behaving, I’m just giving an accurate picture of how this stuff plays out in the real world. I agree that enforcement should be stricter, not just for deterrence but to protect the staff who get put in bad positions. But pretending the system is harsher than it is doesn’t help either. That’s not honesty, that’s propaganda. If the law is real, it should be enforced. Until then, I’ll keep telling people the truth and letting them make informed choices.
hdhxuxufxufufiffif@reddit
You're correct that owning a fake ID isn't by itself an offence. But possessing one with the intent to produce it when challenged whilst buying booze, which is what the OP explicitly wants to do, is an offence.
SugarP48@reddit
Aside from the advice already given, you may also find that you are banned from venues- such as football stadiums. If you are travelling the country this year to watch your team play, I imagine you have a season ticket. The club might revoke that too, if you're found attempting to buy beer with a fake ID.
It's not worth it. Wait the less than two years you have to turn 18 and make legally silly decisions.
AskUK-ModTeam@reddit
AskUK is a "catch-all" subreddit for questions about the UK life and culture, but this does not mean we accept any and all questions or answers. We are liable to remove posts or comments which are best discussed in more specialised subreddits, or are simply not desired here because of the problems they bring.
We explicitly do not allow questions or answers on or including:
politics (r/askukpolitics, r/unitedkingdom, r/ukpolitics)
legal advice (r/LegalAdviceUK)
financial advice (r/UKPersonalFinance)
technology (r/techsupport, r/technology)
relationships (r/relationships, r/relationship_advice)
DIY (r/diyuk)
university/education (r/sixthform, r/uniuk)
visas/citizenship (r/ukvisa)
medical advice (including mental health) (r/mentalhealthuk)
ranting/venting (r/britishproblems)
surveys (r/samplesize)
advertising/solicitation (including the mention of brands which could be perceived as marketing)
repetitive/seen-often (just search the sub)
"does anybody else" type vent posts (as yes, someone does, be more specific or use r/britishproblems).
questions based on protected characteristics, such as race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, etc. subject to moderator discretion.
...and we may remove others if we believe they are liable to introduce problems for the subreddit.
In some circumstances, a more appropriate subreddit may be available. Check the sidebar for other subreddits to have these discussions. Also see r/unitedkingdom's extensive list of subreddits; https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedkingdom/wiki/british_subreddits
1Pawners@reddit
Make sure the name isn’t Bret Clement
Equivalent-Pea8907@reddit
Meh, Will work sometimes, wont others.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
I used to work in a pub. Please don't do this. You would be committing fraud, and you would also be placing huge legal liabilities on the people serving you. If you get caught, you can get a criminal record.
Places like stadiums and big chain pubs do often use ID scanners now (Wetherspoons definitely does), and smaller shops are getting stricter too. Staff can get in serious trouble for serving underage customers, so they're more careful than you might think.
Also, a lot of fake ID websites are sketchy as hell. Some take your money and never send anything, others harvest your info for scams or blackmail. You're literally giving your personal details to criminals.
You can still travel, go to matches, hang out with fans, and enjoy the whole experience without needing to drink. You can legally do 95% of what you want to do. Not really worth the risk just to get a few drinks in before you're 18.
BeardedBaldMan@reddit
The problem you have is that having a fake passport or driving licence is a crime with a far more severe punishment than getting caught with some alcohol underage.
A fake passport is particularly serious under the Identity Documents Act 2010.
If it's taken off you, which is a reasonable outcome if a shopkeeper doesn't believe it, then it could be handed over to the police.
evenstevens280@reddit
If you're caught trying to buy alcohol with a fake ID in a shop you might get in more trouble than you think. It's technically a criminal offense.
Don't ruin your life mate
jimicus@reddit
“Hi, I’d like to break the law. Does anyone have any tips for me?”
Yeah, I’ve got a tip.
Don’t do it.
You get told to bugger off because you’ve got no ID, no harm done. You hand over a fake and now you’ve given evidence complete with your photo on it to someone who has every reason to hand it in to the police.
iolaus79@reddit
Can you pass for 25 if so you'll be fine, if not you'll be, likely, asked for ID