Pretty much always still am.
Cashiers used to be able to use their judgement and not ask for ID if the customer appeared to be older than 27. But I guess there was some abuse of that, so now they card you even if you’re clearly 100. The ABC (alcoholic beverage commission) will even sometimes do stings to see if the cashier asks for ID, and stores can even lose their license to sell alcoholic beverages if they get caught.
When I worked in retail locations that sold alcohol and tobacco, the official policy was that you didn’t have to ask for ID if the customer appeared to be older than 40. That was 20+ years ago, though, and it’s possibly a regional or company-specific thing.
These days, it seems like most cashiers at most places that I shop have a blanket policy to check ID and enter it into the register regardless of the customer’s age. So, I’m thinking that their training is leaning heavily towards scaring them into IDing everyone. It’s a legit concern, though. The alcohol enforcement stuff is serious and some of the people doing that job will try to trick cashiers.
Your experience reminds me of my own: When I was younger, I rarely got carded. Now that I’m well above the legal age, my ID is checked much more consistently and frequently.
A lot of places ask anyone and everyone to provide ID which I don’t think was the case in years past. My wife and I are 40 and we still get carded frequently and I don’t think it’s because we look underage.
They never really started :(
Cashiers still ask me, but restaurants and bars have not asked me, even when I was just 22.
