My fellow Americans. (Especially those in the commonwealth) I hear the drinking laws for Alcohol are really strict in MA to the point Happy Hour is banned and all that. Well I have a question.
Years ago my brother in law told me that even if youre over 21 but are under 25 with an out of state ID you can’t order alcohol in MA. Well years ago I was with them in Boston a few years back, over 21 but under 25, and ordered a beer and was carded and was given said beer no questions asked.
So is my Bro-in-Law bullshitting? (Like he often does) or was I an accomplice in a Felony and now wanted in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?
22 comments
Do you believe every bit of hearsay you come across?
>Years ago my brother in law told me that even if youre over 21 but are under 25 with an out of state ID you can’t order alcohol in MA.
Nope, not true. Happy hour *is* banned, though.
No happy hour, but normal drinking age requirement
There is no law in any state that bans the sale of alcohol to anyone older than 21.
The happy hour thing is true I think. That is more just a ban on price incentivizing drinking more in a compressed period of time. It is more of a drunk driving thing I’m sure if it is true.
It’s common for under age drinkers to use out of state ID’s because they’re harder to check due to the person being less familiar w/ them. So it also happens that a person checking an ID will reject it as a fake not being familiar enough w/ it, or just to error on the side of caution because it’s better to reject a legitimate customer than accidently let a minor get caught drinking in your establishment. Sometimes it’s easier to just lie to somebody instead of accusing them of having a fake ID.
I’ve ordered a beer with an out of state ID (I was over 21 but under 25). They did not give me trouble (but asked why I’m in MA lol).
We do not have happy hour.
It’s sort of true. Lots of places don’t – liability is too great and we have LOTS of tourists and colleges.
“Since Massachusetts law only accepts in-state licenses or liquor identification cards, passports, passport cards, and military identification cards as valid proof of age, the safest course of action is to refuse service to any customer presenting an out-of-state identification.Boston Globe Jul 14, 2017”
My understanding is that Mass gives businesses a level of immunity if they accidentally sell to someone underage if they present a valid in-state ID but that immunity goes away with out of state. I think the hack for out of staters is to apply for a liquor control board card or some such.
In practice what actually happens in my experience is almost no restaurant checks ID at all lol.
Last time I was in Mass, every package liquor store I went into had paper signs stating “no out of state ID”. Which for a state that has a ton of universities, and that metro Boston reaches into two different states outside of Mass, is really, really dumb.
Some places in MA do get really picky about out of state IDs.
I think it is similar to Maine. Near college towns they get really strict because the fines are steep.
In Maine if you sell to a person with an out of state fake ID who is underage you can be fined, both the store and the person that made the sale. If it’s an in state fake ID you don’t get the fine. So in college towns they usually require two forms of ID if you are young and have an out of state ID. When I lived in Brunswick they did that at the local grocery because there was a college right next to it.
Happy hour is banned in MA and RI because you aren’t allowed to discount liquor.
In RI places would do “appy hours” where they had dirt cheap appetizers to get people in the door but they couldn’t discount the drinks.
Under Mass state law, bars can still be held liable if they serve someone that presents a fake, non-resident ID. So a lot of places where college kids congregate have a 25-years-old policy, with some not accepting any out-of-state ID. My cousin’s in-laws bring their passports out with them when they’re down from Canada for this reason, their Ontario drivers licenses aren’t accepted at a few bars in my home town.
I was denied buying beer at Fenway, age 23 with out of state ID.
>Years ago my brother in law told me that even if youre over 21 but are under 25 with an out of state ID you can’t order alcohol in MA
Some grocery stores like Shaws have that rule but it’s not a law. It’s definitely a real rule in Shaws and Star Market though.
The ID thing depends where you go. I live in MA and I’ve never seen a bar or restaurant refuse to serve someone 21-25 with an out of state ID. I have seen grocery stores strictly enforce this though. If you’re under 25 and have out of state ID, you can still buy alcohol at these stores but you have to show a passport instead.
I know nothing about MA alcohol laws, but in Indiana happy hour is also illegal. All alcohol drinks have to be the same price all day for every customer, unless they have joined a private club membership. Also, no free drinks containing alcohol, if a bar gives a drink to a customer then legally someone (bartender, manager, owner, waitstaff) has to pay for it and it’s sale needs to be recorded.
You can’t buy alcohol in some grocery stores with out of state IDs under 25. A good example is Star Market in Back Bay.
I went to law school in Boston in the early 2000’s (aged 22-24) and had a New York id and never had a problem with my id.
It seems to vary. I have had my fair share of drinks at establishments in MA showing my NY driver’s license.
Happy hours still *sort of* exist, it’s just not a two for one – you just get better prices on promoted alcoholic beverages, often paired with appetizers.
>Years ago my brother in law told me that even if youre over 21 but are under 25 with an out of state ID you can’t order alcohol in MA. Well years ago I was with them in Boston a few years back, over 21 but under 25, and ordered a beer and was carded and was given said beer no questions asked.
What probably happened is that your brother in law tried to order a drink or buy alcohol in a small local bar or small packie in a high-traffic area that just didn’t take out of state cards on principle. It’s not as common anymore because state IDs have become more standardized and there are machines to screen for fakies, but I definitely saw places years ago that would not accept out of state IDs from young-looking people because most fake IDs were out of state.
Interesting!! Utah doesn’t have happy hour either. And we have lower percentage beer. Also I have to drive to the liquor store if I want to buy wine lol.
I’ve only ever run into this issue at package stores. I had a NY drivers license and was 24 at the time. It was pretty common to be denied alcohol because of this rule. Never had an issue at bars or restaurants though
Notifications: Commonwealth of Massachusetts wants to know your location
I have never had an issue drinking in MA with an out of state license. Have traveled there a bit for work. And for work, I sell alcohol and travel with suppliers.