The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) continued to see a slight downward trend in citations for attempting to buy alcoholic beverages with fake IDs during summer concerts.
The annual enforcement drive, conducted with the State Liquor Authority and local law enforcement, seeks to prevent underage drinking and driving by checking for fake IDs at summer concert venues and other places young people gather across New York State. The drive concluded September 29.
This year, 307 people were cited and 349 fake IDs were seized. A year ago, 312 concertgoers received citations and 389 fake licenses were recovered. In 2022, more than 550 people were charged.
“We are happy to say that these numbers have been declining in recent years,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder, who also serves as Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. “We hope the message is being heard that summer concerts should be enjoyed without putting health and safety at risk.”
DMV works with the concert venues to check for fake identifications. Members of DMV’s Division of Field Investigations are well-versed in how to spot a fake ID. While most of the enforcement is at concert venues, DMV investigators also focus on bars and restaurants where underage patrons may attempt to buy alcoholic beverages.
Citations and fake ID seizures by region include:
|
Region |
Citations |
Fake ID Seizures |
|
Capital Region |
55 |
79 |
|
Central New York |
91 |
96 |
|
Finger Lakes |
95 |
106 |
|
Long Island |
60 |
62 |
|
Mid-Hudson |
6 |
6 |
|
Total |
307 |
349 |
State Liquor Authority Chair Lily Fan said, "Ensuring that alcohol stays out of the hands of our underage youth is in the New York State Liquor Authority's mission and doing so effectively, requires constant collaborative effort between the state, local law enforcement, and our licensed retailers. The State Liquor Authority, as always, is proud to join our partners at the DMV to celebrate another successful year in helping keep our summer concerts a place of fun."
For more information about DMV, visit dmv.ny.gov, or follow the DMV conversation online at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.