Here’s an interesting law that has some privacy implications. In Utah, bars are required to scan the IDs of anyone “who looks 35 years old or younger”, and the penalty for failing to electronically verify licenses is “akin to serving alcohol to a minor,” says the Salt Lake City Tribune.

Police stings have caught bars not scanning and the punishment is pretty severe.

Peggy Bowen, owner of Chuckles Lounge in Salt Lake City, said her bartender asked three young adults, all older than 21, to show their driver licenses, but because the club did not use its electronic device, “we were told we broke the law.”
The club regularly uses an electronic scanning device, she said. But on Feb. 18, the bartender only checked the licenses visually.
“I don’t like it; I think it’s unfair, but I don’t have the money to fight this,” said Bowen. “Now everyone who looks under 60 gets their licenses scanned.”

The reader who sent in this tip is concerned about personal privacy being breached by this law.

Scott asks:

Utah clubs are required to gather this info for 7 days. Who makes sure this info is destroyed and not collected and retained for other purposes? And why just clubs?

It appears that both corporations and governments want the right to collect our private data if we want to buy booze.

Grocery stores and other establishments that sell alcohol (such as restaurants and state-controlled liquor outlets) have no law compelling them to scan IDs.

Anyone from Utah able to shed some light on this?

Clubs busted for selling liquor without scanning licenses [SLC Tribune]

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