TABC Minors and Age Verification 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum age to purchase or consume alcohol in Texas?
- 18
- 19
- 21 (Correct answer)
- 16 with parental consent
Correct answer: 21
Texas law requires a person to be at least 21 years old to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages.
Question 2: Which forms of ID are acceptable for age verification in Texas under TABC rules?
- School ID and birth certificate only
- Any document with a photo
- Texas driver's license, state ID, US passport, or military ID (Correct answer)
- Any government-issued document regardless of photo
Correct answer: Texas driver's license, state ID, US passport, or military ID
TABC accepts Texas driver's licenses, state-issued IDs, US passports, and military IDs as valid forms of age verification.
Question 3: A customer presents a driver's license that appears altered. What should a TABC-certified server do?
- Accept it since it still shows a date of birth
- Refuse service and confiscate the ID
- Refuse service but return the ID and document the incident (Correct answer)
- Call the police immediately in all cases
Correct answer: Refuse service but return the ID and document the incident
Servers should refuse service when an ID appears altered and may retain the ID only in limited circumstances; generally they should refuse service and note the incident.
Question 4: What does 'carding' mean in the context of alcohol service?
- Giving customers a drink menu card
- Checking a customer's identification to verify they are of legal drinking age (Correct answer)
- Recording the number of drinks per customer
- Handing out promotional cards for discounts
Correct answer: Checking a customer's identification to verify they are of legal drinking age
Carding refers to requesting and checking a customer's ID to verify they have reached the legal drinking age of 21.
Question 5: Under Texas law, a minor is defined as a person who is:
- Under 18 years old
- Under 19 years old
- Under 21 years old (Correct answer)
- Under 25 years old
Correct answer: Under 21 years old
In Texas, any person under 21 years of age is considered a minor for alcohol purchase and consumption purposes.
Question 6: If a customer looks young but claims they are 21, what is the best practice for a TABC-certified server?
- Take their word for it since lying is their responsibility
- Ask for valid ID before serving alcohol (Correct answer)
- Serve them but note their appearance in a log
- Ask a coworker to make the judgment call
Correct answer: Ask for valid ID before serving alcohol
Best practice is always to request valid ID when there is any doubt about a customer's age, regardless of their claim.
TABC Minors and Age Verification 1
What is the minimum age to purchase or consume alcohol in Texas?