Audio clip
Jim Striker
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Staff Photo by John Rawlston People use the Cherokee Boulevard location of the Tennessee Driver's Services facility on Wednesday, the first day that a new state law requires a driver's birthdate to be printed in larger type.
The tiny print size of birth dates on Tennessee driver’s licenses is being blamed as the reason some businesses mistakenly serve alcohol to minors.
“I’ve been doing this 23 years and I’ve seen really good doormen, some really good servers and bartenders mess up just because the print is so small,” said Jim Striker, who owns Raw Sushi Bar and Nightclub on Market Street. “It’s not like they wanted to serve the person. They literally looked at the ID and thought they saw a different date of birth.”
Starting Wednesday, the Tennessee Department of Safety began issuing new licenses with dates of birth in larger, red type to comply with a state law.
The 2008 Gus Kampas Act mandates that the date of birth be printed the same size as the driver’s license number. The aim is to help businesses more quickly and accurately determine if a customer is of age, according to the safety department.
People who already have a valid license don’t need to change until they renew or apply for a new license.
Local business owners said the law will benefit them and their employees.
“The bigger the date of birth, the less time we have to spend searching for it,” said Mike Alfano, who owns the Comedy Catch on Brainerd Road. “I would imagine it’s going to help drastically, even though you know where to look.”
Rhythm & Brews manager Mike Dougher said he appreciates anything that makes it easier to spot minors attempting to obtain alcohol. His club on Market Street has a machine that detects fake or altered IDs, he said, but he’d like to see driver’s licenses continue to improve to prevent the use of fakes.
FAST FACTS
* The state’s driver’s license law was enacted in 1937, making Tennessee the 32nd state to require a license to drive.
* The first driver’s licenses were issued by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and cost 50 cents.
* The first driver’s license test was issued on April 19, 1938.
* The first photo driver’s license was issued on March 4, 1984.
Source: Tennessee Department of Safety
“It just seems like there should be some technology out there to make it as foolproof as possible,” he said.
Chattanooga resident James Gamble, 40, was renewing his license Wednesday at the driver services center on Cherokee Boulevard. He said he didn’t know about the new law and isn’t sure he would have noticed the change, but he supports it.
“I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “It will prevent some teenagers from drinking.”
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