Out-of-State Licenses Cause Confusion at Bar

Over the weekend on Hayden Rowe Street caused several Hopkinton Patch business

"This place has staff that are prejudice. If you are not from this area, you will get stared at. We had an after party there and many of us were from out of town," one reviewer said.

owner Rob Cornell said the person was attempting to use an out-of-state license to purchase alcohol and the bartender that was working used her discretion to not serve the patron.

"It's the bartender's job to make sure they are serving people appropriately," Cornell said. "She decided not to serve that person based on the license they provided."

The Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission website lists four forms of ID on its website that are always acceptable forms of identification.

1. A valid Massachusetts driver license,
2. A valid Massachusetts Liquor Identification card,
3. A valid Passport issued by the United States government, or by the government, recognized by the United States government, of a foreign country,
4. A valid United States issued active duty Military Identification Card.

"While a licensee may choose to rely upon any form of identification to obtain proof of age, only these four (4) forms of identification provide a defense to a charge of service, delivery, or possession of alcoholic beverages by a person under 21 years of age," the ABCC website says.

Cornell's, along with other local establishments, often choses to serve people with out-of-state licenses. But they have the right to refuse service to anyone based in the bartenders discretion on the validity of the license provided.

Bartenders are also permitted to refuse service for other reasons including the bartender's detemination that the person is intoxicated.