If you sell or serve alcohol, it’s your responsibility to ensure anyone who is drinking is legally allowed to do so. As a bar owner or manager, you need to have a good process in place to make sure those who are under age do not end up drinking in your establishment. So what can you do to prevent underage drinking? From utilizing drivers license card readers to identifying who is able to consume alcoholic beverages, here are a few important steps to take:

Give patrons wristbands: A common practice restaurants, bars, and clubs have in place is giving wristbands to customers. Establishments can either give wristbands to those who are old enough to drink or provide different color bands to those of age and those underage. Similar to wristbands, some businesses may want to stamp their patrons’ hands to show whether or not they’re allowed to drink. This can help all of the staff members know who they can and can’t serve alcohol to.

Train your staff members: One of the most important things businesses should do in order to prevent underage drinking is ensuring their staff members are properly trained. Staff members, whether they’re waiters or bartenders, need to fully understand the regulations regarding drinking age as well as the consequences they may face if they serve someone who is underage. With that in mind, staff members should be trained on how to check IDs and what to do if they catch someone drinking when they aren’t allowed to.

Invest in good ID readers: Card readers have made life easier for business. Especially with seven out of ten Americans using at least one credit card, card readers can make processing payments much quicker. Fortunately, drivers license card readers can do the same. When bars and clubs use ID scanners, they can quickly tell if an ID is fake and whether or not the person is 21 or older. Magnetic ID card readers can allow businesses to ensure the people they are serving alcohol are legally allowed to drink it.

There are a lot of important steps to take to prevent underage drinking. But if you train your staff members, have proper protocols in place, and use a reliable drivers license card reader, you should be able to prevent anyone who is underage from drinking in your establishment.