What Does This Sign Mean?

DZ's been here a week now and hadn't yet had a pizza. So after a meeting and a look around downtown we stopped at Moose's Tooth to end the pizza drought. We ordered take-out and I sat down to wait while DZ went looking for the men's room. That's when I saw the sign. Down in the lower right of this bulletin board. [I saved the picture as a large file so if you double click it you can see what all the other warning signs say too.]

What exactly does this mean?

I know that kids go into the Moose's Tooth all the time. I'd just sent a 16 year old off by himself to find the bathroom. How does a minor become "in violation of the law"? I had no idea. I asked the cashier who came out to look at the sign. She didn't know either. We guessed at what it might mean, but we had no way of being sure.

It seems to me that if the State wants to prevent something from happening, they should tell us what exactly what we shouldn't do in clear language. I called the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board yesterday, but they haven't called back. There website does have an FAQ page, but on my computer at least, I could only find the questions, but not the answers.

[Update: Someone from the ABC called shortly after I posted this. Here's the story:
1. They use the same sign at lots of different places, including bars where people under 21 are not allowed on the premises. But Moose's Tooth is a restaurant and bar where kids are allowed. So here it would mean that people under 21 aren't allowed to order beer or use false id's.
2. The FAQ page actually does work. On my browser the cursor doesn't turn into a little hand and so I didn't click on the questions. But when you click, they show the answers.]

Legal Age and Identification

What is the legal drinking age in Alaska?

21 years of age.

What is the minimum age for sellers/servers of alcoholic beverages?

21 years of age.

Under what circumstances can an underage person be present on licensed premises?

Persons under the age of 21 may not enter or remain on licensed premises unless accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or spouse over the age of 21 years. Not withstanding this rule licensees may exclude underage persons from licensed premises at any time.

Are there any exceptions to this rule?

Yes, there are four exceptions:

• Persons 18, 19 and 20 years of age may work on the licensed premises of hotels and restaurants but may not sell serve or deliver alcoholic beverages.
• Persons 16 and 17 years of age may be employed on the licensed premises of businesses the board has designated as "bona fide" restaurants with the written consent of their parent or legal guardian and an exemption certificate from the department of labor, but may not sell serve or deliver alcoholic beverages.
• Persons 16 years of age and above may enter licensed premises of businesses the board has designated as bona fide restaurants for the purpose of dining only.
• Persons under the age of 16 may enter licensed premises of businesses the board has designated as "bona fide" restaurants for the purpose of dining only accompanied by a person over the age of 21 years with the consent of the underage persons parent.

May underage persons employed on licensed premises clean tables that have containers with unconsumed portions of alcoholic beverages?

Yes, but the unconsumed alcoholic beverages must be disposed of in waste water or a waste container immediately.

Are there any situations when an underage persons can legally possess and consume alcoholic beverages?

Yes, if the underage persons are not on licensed premises and the alcoholic beverages are provided by their parents, legal guardians or spouse over the age of 21 years.

Can an underage person possess and consume non-alcoholic beer or wine?

Yes, non-alcoholic beer and wine are not alcoholic beverages. Legally non-alcoholic beer and wine are no different than coffee, tea or soft drinks.

When should a licensee or licensee's employee or agent ask to see identification?

Although there are several situations when it may be appropriate to ask to see identification (such as when a customer is paying a bill by check), the only time that the alcoholic beverage laws require that ID be checked is when the licensee or the licensee's agent or employee is not sure that the customer is 21 years of age or older. In that situation the licensee may not serve that person or allow the person to remain on the licensed premises unless valid identification is produced.

What is "valid" identification?

A passport issued by the United States or Foreign Government, an ID card issued by a United States Government agency , a drivers license issued by any of the 50 states or an identification card issued by the same state agency that issues drivers licenses. All "valid" identification must be contain a photograph of the bearer and a statement of the bearer's age or date of birth.

What are the penalties if an under age person attempts to use false id to enter licensed premises and purchase alcoholic beverages?

In the meantime, if anyone knows or a guess, leave a comment.

I'll post an update when they get back to me.