Is it just us or is being turned away at your neighbourhood bar for having an expired ID the norm these days? HRM Police say it's not required that ID be accepted if it is expired, but agree that for all intents and purposes, a piece of ID means simply photo, birth date and address.
The expiry date seems overly picky, as the purpose of checking ID at bars is to ensure that the patron-to-be is 19 years old and over, is it not? Or is current identification required before you can put a beer in your hand at any age in this province?
At the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission, a helpful staff member concurs, before transferring me to the Alcohol and Gaming Authority. "My sister was turned away and she's 62. It seems to be the bars lately. This is not the first call we've had."
Darlene Hancock, senior compliance officer at Alcohol and Gaming for over 20 years says, "Yes, we are cracking down on underage drinking. There are a lot of fakes. If you and your friends are looking very young, you should go to Access Nova Scotia and get a current ID card. Your ID expires like any card, like a VISA."
But what if you and your friends aren't looking very young? Tough cookies, grandma. Mark Henderson, who coordinates security guards at Source Security, says, "It's kind of a standard at the clubs. There wasn't a memo, but we always have to check. An expired ID is illegal."