No More ID for Grandpa

New provision on Universal Carding bill in Tennessee would remove penalties for not carding a person who “reasonably appears to be over the age of 50.”

Current law in Tennessee requires universal carding for alcohol purchase. That means that even senior citizens must present ID before they are allowed to purchase alcohol. This provision has led to a growing revolt among angry, older beer drinkers.

“There were, apparently, I hope this is politically correct, a lot of much older people who just didn’t like being carded, and they especially didn’t like being carded if it was somewhere where they were a usual customer,” says Emily C. LeRoy, associate director of the Tennessee Oil Marketers Association, which represents many convenience stores.

The current bill is scheduled to expire July 1, and lawmakers expect to extend it, but with one caveat: lawmakers removed penalties for clerks who don’t card a customer who “reasonably appears to be over the age of 50 and who failed to present an acceptable form of identification.”

LeRoy says, if the customer is someone the clerk “clearly knows” or has carded before and knows for sure is over age 50, they do not have to card them.

“It’s been kind of a hassle checking everyone,” said Shannon Hammett, store manager at Riverside Wine and Spirits Warehouse in Chattanooga. “The store clerk has good judgment. People complain (about showing their ID), especially if they are busy, like on Friday when everyone just wants to go have a beer.”

Looks like to get beer in Tennessee, all you have to do is hit up the costume shop before hand, and do your best fake limp.

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