NIU students under the legal drinking age and intent on getting into DeKalb bars use a variety of techniques to enter drinking establishments and purchase alcohol without getting caught.

Most common methods include falsifying driver’s licenses, using fake identification cards, using someone else’s driver’s license or identification and knowing the bouncers. Although all these methods are illegal and may result in arrests and fines, the lure of the bar scene proves an irresistible temptation for many, and it is surprisingly simple to break the law.

“Right now there are a very convincing number of fake IDs out there,” said DeKalb City Attorney Ronald Matekaitis. “It is difficult to legitimately keep 19- and 20-year-olds out of these places.”

Bouncers who resemble burly wrestlers stand by entrances to bars in pressed pants and crisp, white shirts with suspenders. They check IDs in accordance with business policy, especially if a student looks younger than 21.

But a lot of students enter bars during weekends, and bouncers do not have much time to scrutinize the IDs. Also, some fake IDs are professionally made. So, underaged students routinely slip undetected into DeKalb bars.

One Friday night in October, an 18-year-old NIU student was seen drinking beer with friends at two, popular local bars. She said she had been carded at the door. Apparently her falsified driver’s license was realistic.

Falsifying driver’s licenses is not difficult.

Jay, an 18-year-old NIU student who asked The Northern Star not to use his last name, said he knows a foolproof way to falsify a driver’s license.

“An older friend or brother is best,” Jay said. “Take that person’s original receipt from his driver’s license and tell the driver’s license examining station you want a duplicate license. They will take that information and match it with your picture.”

He said using a falsified original driver’s license is more effective than using a fake duplicate license because bouncers often require additional photo-identification if an original is not used.

“If you use a duplicate, a lot of bars will ask for another form of picture ID,” Jay said.

Another NIU student, Jesse, 19, said he purchased a fake ID from a friend for $20. An artistic person can easily slice open the driver’s license, change around numbers representing the birthdate and use an iron to melt the plastic card back together, Jesse said.

Some fraternities and sororities have false identification cards shared by house members, said Anne (not her real name), who lives in a sorority. Underage residents select the photo ID that most nearly resembles their appearance.

One fraternity has about 10 reproduced driver’s licenses of the same blond-haired, blue-eyed man, Anne said.

Even if minors do not lie or forge identification to get into bars, opportunities abound for students under age 21 to drink, illegally, at private parties and fraternity and sorority gatherings.