Police were out in Arlington, Virginia, Friday night checking IDs at bars after seeing an alarming increase in the number of high-quality fake IDs in the area.
Arlington County police said more underage people are using the IDs to buy alcohol and get into bars.
Last weekend police confiscated 25 high-quality fake IDs. Police said the majority of the IDs had North Carolina and South Carolina addresses.
Throughout the summer, officers will be working with businesses in Clarendon to authenticate identification documents and recognize fake IDs, police said.
Young people caught with fake IDs are often unaware of the consequences, police said.
A person caught using another person’s driver’s license, altering their own driver’s license or reproducing a fake ID can be charged with possession of a false identification, which has a punishment of up to six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine or identity theft, which has a punishment of up to 12 months in jail and up to a $2,550 fine, police said.
