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Capitol Briefs: Missouri releases ID verification app for alcohol sales

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control released an app allowing retailers to verify the authenticity of IDs for alcohol purchases Friday.

Show-Me ID allows retail employees to scan and verify IDs on a phone or tablet before selling alcohol. Dottie Taylor, state supervisor of the division, said the app would help Missouri crackdown on underage drinking and fake IDs. 

“Underage drinking is a danger to Missouri’s young people and others on the road, and the new Show-Me ID app makes it easier than ever for all those who sell alcohol to verify the authenticity of any state-issued identification to aid in the prevention of alcohol being sold to minors,” said Taylor. “While this is in no way a replacement for the physical checking of an ID and comparison to the person providing it, it is certainly another powerful tool to aid retail employees. While there are other apps available and none that are fool-proof, this is the best that we have used.”

  • Show-Me ID signals users when an ID is fraudulent and provides a verification guide. It does not store the information it scans, according to the division. 
  • The app was developed in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Highway Safety and Traffic Division.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive underage drinking is responsible for more than 3,500 deaths annually and is the most commonly used substance among youths.