Curbside Mystery Shopper

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

For the past six years, more than half of the alcohol retail businesses in Montgomery County have failed to ask for an identification or have not read the offered identification correctly during the sale and service of alcohol. Due to the pandemic and to help struggling bars and restaurants, several jurisdictions including Montgomery County, have allowed temporary off-premise sales of alcohol for certain on-premise establishments (alcohol to-go). To determine whether these businesses were regularly asking for identification and reading it correctly, Alcohol Beverage Services Division of Licensure, Regulation, and Education (LRE) conducted 20 “Curbside Mystery Shops” in the fall of 2020.