The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control has partnered with the Missouri Department of Transportation Highway Safety and Traffic Division to launch a free app to aid retail employees and other users in verifying the authenticity of IDs.
The "Show-Me ID" app works by scanning the ID with the camera on a mobile phone or tablet.
"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 Dottie Taylor, state supervisor of the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. "This is in no way a replacement for the physical checking of an ID and comparison to the person providing it. While there are other apps available and none that are fool-proof, this is the best that we have used."
The app can be found in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Users search for it by typing "Show-Me ID" in their search once they have opened their app store.
Taylor said Show-Me ID automatically signals the user when a scanned ID is fraudulent. The app includes a calendar feature to alert whether the bearer of a legitimate ID is of legal age to purchase alcohol or tobacco products. There is also a guide on the app that reminds the user of the proper steps for checking whether the ID is valid and the prospective purchaser is of legal age. The Show-Me ID app does not store the information from IDs it has scanned.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, excessive drinking is responsible for more than 3,500 deaths among people under age 21 and more than 100,000 emergency room visits by persons ages 12-21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.