DESPITE NEW LAW ENDING MANDATORY ID CHECKS FOR ALCOHOL SALES, ABLE COMMISSION SAYS BUSINESS STILL LIABLE IF MINORS ARE SERVED

After a bill which would remove the requirement for businesses to check IDs before serving alcohol was signed into law, a state organization says business owners will still be held accountable if minors are served.

The law said it allows businesses to decide whether or not they want to check an ID, but the Oklahoma ABLE Commission said those businesses are still held to the same standards regarding those under the age of 21.

Lori Carter with the ABLE Commission said they are not worried about the new law, and the commission has never written a ticket for failure to check an ID, but will only write tickets when minors are served.

Carter said this puts the responsibility in business owners’ hands to enforce their own policies.

“That’s their prerogative,” Carter said. “They have a business to protect and liability to consider, and certainly I know they want to keep the public safe as well.”

Now, the ABLE Commission said they still encourage checking IDs, as undercover checks will still be done throughout the state.

The new law goes into effect on November 1st.