Jones Beach theater, other concert venues to see crackdown on fake ID use to prevent underage drinking
State officials are cracking down this summer on the use of fake IDs to buy alcohol at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh and other venues statewide. Credit: Bruce Gilbert
The state is renewing its annual effort to combat fake IDs at concert venues this summer, a crackdown that led to dozens of seizures on Long Island alone last year.
The statewide crackdown is a collaboration between the DMV, the State Liquor Authority, the State Police and other agencies. The efforts are focused at venues such as the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, according to the DMV.
If a person under 21 attempts to use a fake ID or use someone else's driver's license to buy alcohol, they can face fines and the state can suspend or revoke their driver's license for anywhere from 90 days to one year, DMV officials said.
"Fraudulent identity documents have become more advanced in the past decade," Tim O'Brien, a DMV spokesperson, said in an email on Wednesday. "However, the DMV staff participating in this initiative are highly trained to spot fakes and look for security features that are not always visible to the naked eye."
Last year, state officials cited 307 people statewide and seized 349 fake IDs. That includes 60 citations and 62 IDs seized on Long Island.
In 2023, officials on Long Island seized 42 IDs and wrote 41 citations.
In 2022, officials seized more than 580 IDs statewide, including 92 on Long Island. Officials also wrote 83 citations on Long Island in 2022, according to the DMV.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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