Clubs and pubs with age restrictions use ID scanners at the door. If they let underage people in, they risk losing their licence, getting fined, and — in serious cases — prosecution.
The stakes are high enough that most decent venues have invested in proper scanning hardware. Here's what those scanners actually do.
How an ID scanner works
Modern scanners perform several functions, often simultaneously:
Building an attendance audit trail
Where scanning is mandatory, the system compiles a database of verified names and photographs. If an incident such as violence or assault occurs, this database can be cross-referenced with CCTV footage and door-staff observations to identify suspects.
Distinguishing genuine documents from fakes
The scanner compares the presented card against a reference template stored in its database. It analyses the positioning of graphic elements, text layout and other measurable characteristics. Any discrepancy beyond a set tolerance threshold causes the card to fail verification.
Every card will physically "scan" — the device will read and display whatever data is on it — but any fake or novelty ID will be flagged as non-genuine.
Scanner accuracy has improved considerably in recent years.
These devices check for details that are beyond the capability of any typical fake ID producer to replicate.
ID Scanner Suppliers
If you run a venue and need to verify ID at the door, here are some of the main scanner providers used across the UK and internationally:
- Scannet — UK nightclub and venue ID scanning
- IDWare — ID document verification hardware
- The ID Co — Digital identity verification
- Idenfy — AI-powered ID verification
- Jumio — Identity verification and eKYC
- Onfido — Document and biometric verification
- Yoti — Digital identity and age verification
- AU10TIX — Identity verification technology
- Regula — Document authentication devices
- Innovia Security — Security features and authentication