Anyone here going to college in the Midwest?
Yeah, I’m out here in Illinois too—central part, college town. Honestly, most of the bars and liquor stores around here are pretty chill. They’ll run the scan, glance at the picture, and just hand it back. Unless you’re acting nervous or trying to push your luck with something obviously off, you’re fine. I’ve seen people get turned away more for being sketchy than for the ID itself, tbh.
Honestly, I’d second the advice to stick with an in-state or at least a neighboring state. There’s just something about a familiar state that makes bouncers and cashiers less likely to do a double take. Plus, if you’re in the Midwest, you’ve got like five or six states within a couple hours drive, so having one from a nearby state still feels legit if you ever road trip for a game or a concert.
My Illinois one from KingForge has honestly been solid everywhere I’ve tried—campus bars, the big chain liquor stores, even a few nicer places downtown. The scan always goes through, and the holos look right under the light. Honestly, I think the key is just not being the guy who’s obviously underage and acts like it. Wear a hoodie inside? That’s fine. Stumble over your words? You’re done.
The Midwest is great for this stuff because people are generally friendly and not super suspicious. As long as you’re not causing a scene or trying to use something that looks like it was printed on a home printer, you’re golden. Just my two cents from being out here a while.