Age verifiers are tools that determine age by scanning the digital information on most identification cards, for example: State ID, Driver's Licenses, or Military ID. They are most often used in bars, restaurants, clubs, and convenience stores to avoid underage alcohol purchases. Because the date of birth is present in a digital format, the scanner can automatically calculate the ID owner's age. While the age verifier alarms the user to invalid barcodes or underage patrons, the user must still visually verify that the ID belongs to the patron, as well as check for physical tampering or holograms.
There are a few different ways that digital information is present on a card; magnetic stripes, 1D barcodes and 2D barcodes. Sometimes two or three types of data storage are present on the same card depending on how much space is necessary to store the digital information. Not all age verifiers read all formats so be sure to check your local ID requirements before purchasing. Beyond making it easier to spot underage minors, age verifiers provide many added benefits, including increased productivity, reduced checkout times, lower chance for human error and more efficient collection of customer data (except TX). Depending on the age verifier model they can even function as a magnetic stripe reader (MSR) for processing credit card transactions, thus reducing the need for excess point-of-sale (POS) system hardware.
When choosing an age verifier, it is a good idea to select one that will work for more than one state, especially if you live near a border or have a large portion of customers coming in from out of state. The Code CR3500 age verifier and the ViAge CAV-3500 have the ability to read all Drivers License, Military ID or State ID with magnetic stripes, 1D barcodes, or 2D barcodes on the back. This includes Canadian jurisdictions as well as the United States.
Please contact us for any questions or concerns about age verifiers, we will be happy to help.
Age Verifier Requirements by State
U.S. Jurisdictions |
Magstripe |
2D Barcode |
Notes |
Alabama |
X |
X |
No zip code |
Alaska |
|
X |
|
Arizona |
X |
X |
|
Arkansas |
|
X |
|
California |
X |
X |
|
Colorado |
X |
X |
|
Connecticut |
|
X |
|
DC |
|
X |
|
Delaware |
|
X |
|
Florida |
|
X |
|
Georgia |
|
X |
|
Hawaii |
|
X |
|
Idaho |
|
X |
|
Ilinois |
|
X |
No Address Info |
Indiana |
|
X |
|
Iowa |
|
X |
|
Kansas |
|
X |
|
Kentucky |
|
X |
|
Louisiana |
X |
X |
|
Maine |
|
X |
|
Maryland |
|
X |
|
Massachusetts |
|
X |
|
Mississippi |
|
X |
|
Missouri |
|
X |
|
Michigan |
X |
X |
No Address Info |
Minnesota |
X |
X |
|
Montana |
|
X |
|
Nebraska |
|
X |
|
Nevada |
|
X |
|
New Hampshire |
|
X |
|
New Jersey |
|
X |
|
New Mexico |
X |
X |
|
New York |
|
X |
|
North Carolina |
|
X |
|
North Dakota |
|
X |
|
Ohio |
X |
X |
|
Oklahoma |
|
X |
|
Oregon |
|
X |
|
Pennsylvania |
|
X |
|
Rhode Island |
|
X |
|
South Carolina |
|
X |
|
South Dakota |
|
X |
|
Tennessee |
|
X |
|
Texas |
X |
X |
|
Utah |
|
X |
|
Vermont |
|
X |
|
Virginia |
|
X |
|
Washington |
|
X |
|
West Virginia |
|
X |
|
Wisconsin |
|
X |
|
Wyoming |
|
X |
|
Canadian Jurisdictions |
|
|
|
Alberta |
|
X |
|
British Columbia |
X |
X |
|
Manitoba |
|
X |
|
New Brunswick |
|
X |
|
Newfoundland |
|
X |
|
Nova Scotia |
|
X |
|
Ontario |
|
X |
|
Quebec |
|
X |
|
Saskatchewan |
|
X |
|
* In the state of Texas it is illegal to store data scanned from an ID or drivers license. The CR3500 features a model specifically for the citizens of Texas seeking accurate, legal age verification.
State ID data collected October 2000 through May 2005. ID technology is always updating and improving so please see your state licensing website to verify required technology.