# Checking ID in BC > BC’s ID rules for serving liquor: when to ask, the two pieces of ID you need, what counts as primary and secondary ID, expired and foreign ID, and fakes. Canonical: https://servingitrighttest.ca/checking-id-bc Last updated: 2026-10-26 In BC, the legal drinking age is 19 and the rule is two pieces of ID. Here’s what the LCRB’s licence terms and the Serving It Right manual say about checking it. A customer is old enough if they turned 19 on or before today’s date: subtract 19 years from today, and their birth date must be on or before that day. ## When to ask for ID If there is **any doubt** that a customer is 19 or older, ask for two pieces of ID, examine both and act on whether they’re authentic. If you can’t show you did this, you could be held responsible for serving a minor. You don’t need ID from someone who is clearly of age, like a senior, and an establishment can choose a stricter policy, such as checking everyone. *From the LCRB’s Liquor Primary and Food Primary Terms and Conditions handbooks (May 2026). Any primary ID can also be the second piece.* | | Primary ID | Secondary ID | | --- | --- | --- | | Must show | Name, date of birth and photo | Name, and signature or photo | | Issued by | A government agency (federal, provincial, territorial, First Nations or foreign) | Anyone | | Examples | Driver’s licence (any province or state), passport, Photo BC Services Card, citizenship card, First Nations status card, firearms licence (PAL) | Credit card, bank card, student card, ICBC interim licence, BC Transit ProPASS, Canadian Blood Services donor card, Pleasure Craft Operator Card | ## Rules that catch people out - **The combined BC Driver’s Licence and Services Card counts as one piece**, not two. - **Expired and foreign ID is fine** if it’s readable and you can recognize the person from the photo. - **Photos of ID on a phone aren’t acceptable**, says the LCRB: they’re hard to authenticate. - **Only one piece of ID?** Refuse service. - **Buying for a minor** is illegal too. If an adult gives a drink to a minor, refuse service to the whole group and take the alcohol away. ## Spotting fake or borrowed ID 1. **Hold it yourself.** Don’t let the customer flash it. Take it out of any wallet or sleeve. 2. **Feel and look for tampering.** Bubbling, peeling, raised edges, an unusually thick card or uneven type, especially around the photo and birth date. 3. **Check the back.** Fakes often have a decent front and a photocopied back. 4. **Compare the face.** Look at cheekbones and the spacing of the eyes; hair and eye colour are easy to change. 5. **Check the second piece just as hard.** The name and signature should match the first piece. 6. **Ask questions.** A middle name, a postal code. The real owner answers without hesitating. 7. **Still unsure?.** Ask for a third piece, or have them sign and date a piece of paper to compare. If you still doubt it, refuse. BC L and N licences print the date the holder turns 19 to make checks quick. The LCRB also runs a Minors as Agents Program: minors working for the branch, supervised by inspectors, try to buy liquor to see whether staff check ID. ## Why it matters The minimum penalty for a licensed establishment that serves a minor is a 7-day licence suspension or a $7,000 fine. An individual who isn’t a licensee can be fined up to $10,000 or jailed up to 6 months. Under the Act, the defence is having required the prescribed ID, examined it and had reason to believe it was real. Practise with our [checking ID drill](https://servingitrighttest.ca/practice/checking-id). ## Questions people ask ### How many pieces of ID do you need to buy alcohol in BC? Two, when the server has any doubt you’re 19. One must be government-issued with your name, birth date and photo; the second must show your name and your signature or photo. ### Can you use an expired driver’s licence as ID in BC? Yes, as long as it’s readable and staff can recognize you from the photo. You still need a second piece. ### Does the BC Services Card count as two pieces of ID? No. The combined BC Driver’s Licence and Services Card counts as only one piece. ### Can I show a photo of my ID? No. The LCRB says pictures of ID aren’t acceptable. ### What age do you have to be to drink in BC? 19. Anyone under 19 is a minor under BC liquor law. ## Sources - [Liquor Primary Licence Terms and Conditions handbook, May 2026 (LCRB, PDF)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/liquor-regulation-licensing/guides-and-manuals/liquorprimary-handbook.pdf) (checked 2026-10-26) - [Food Primary Licence Terms and Conditions handbook, May 2026 (LCRB, PDF)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/employment-business-and-economic-development/business-management/liquor-regulation-licensing/guides-and-manuals/foodprimary-handbook.pdf) (checked 2026-10-26) - [Preventing contraventions (Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, gov.bc.ca)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/liquor-regulation-licensing/inspections-and-enforcement/preventing-contraventions) (checked 2026-10-26) - [Minors as Agents Program (Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, gov.bc.ca)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/liquor-regulation-licensing/inspections-and-enforcement/minors-as-agents-program) (checked 2026-10-26) - [Serving It Right program manual, July 2026 (Province of British Columbia, PDF)](https://www.responsibleservicebc.gov.bc.ca/files/4309-BC_SIR_FINAL-JULY-29-2026-pdf) (checked 2026-10-26) - [Liquor Control and Licensing Act, SBC 2015, c. 19 (BC Laws)](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/15019) (checked 2026-10-26) - [Liquor Control and Licensing Regulation, B.C. Reg. 241/2016 (BC Laws)](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/241_2016) (checked 2026-10-26) Not affiliated with the Government of British Columbia, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch or the Serving It Right program. ## Related - [Checking ID and minors: practice quiz](https://servingitrighttest.ca/practice/checking-id) - [Serving It Right practice test](https://servingitrighttest.ca/serving-it-right-practice-test) - [Serving It Right for security and door staff](https://servingitrighttest.ca/for/security-staff) - [Serving It Right for servers](https://servingitrighttest.ca/for/servers)