Fake IDs

Fake IDs are very popular on college campuses these days. They will get you into places that you are otherwise not entitled to visit. They assist you in purchasing items that you are not entitled to buy. Yes, you might think they are cool to have.

Everyone knows that they are illegal to use and/or possess. Yet, if you ask around, you'll find that many of your friends or acquaintances have one or two. So, what's the big deal? There is a BIG deal.

Under Georgia law, it is illegal to use or possess a counterfeit license, a legitimate license that has been altered, or to possess more than one valid license at a time, whether they are both yours or one belongs to a friend. In addition to a possible sentence of 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine, the offender's own license will be suspended for six months for the FIRST offense. And, guess what! It is a separate offense to use someone else's legitimate ID, or any false ID, to buy alcoholic beverages. AND, further, it is a separate offense to manufacture or sell a false government document. This includes a State driver's license, military ID, etc. The first offense is classified as a misdemeanor, and the second offense is a FELONY crime. Altering or manufacturing a State drivers license requires that your case be heard before a State Judge in State of Georgia Court.

Of course, we're all invincible...we'll never get caught, at least that's the prevailing thought. But, it's a fact...the Georgia State Court located here in Athens is filled with unlikely subjects just like you and me. There are many students who have paid the fines, are on probation, or done some time in jail, and are performing community service in and around Athens simply for doing something they thought was no BIG deal. Remember: Fake IDs are a BIG deal. That's a serious conviction you don't want on your record for the rest of your life!

If you want proof, visit our local Georgia State Court here in Athens one morning at 8:00 AM, and watch as the invincible parade themselves through the system, one by one.