There has been a surge in the number of fake-IDs confiscated in Manawatu this month but one hospitality manager says it is an age-old problem in the region.

In the past month, bar staff at Manawatu establisments have seized more than 35 IDs or passports, which had been made, altered, or bought.

Bar staff said they were finding more teenagers using IDs they had borrowed off an older friend or sibling, which could create problems for both the borrower and lender.

Ricky Quirk, manager of The Daily, Shooters and Trader McKendry's, said he was unsurprised by the number of people who tried it.

"It's an ongoing problem. [But] we go through phases when we don't get any."

At the start of the year, with the influx of university students, there could also be an increase, he said.

The majority of IDs being confiscated were from The Daily and Shooters, which catered to a younger demographic.

Police said it was an offence to use an ID that belongs to someone else, or supply another with a fake ID or someone else's ID.

The maximum fine for these offences was $2000, however, the majority of offences were dealt with by the way of an infringement notice, with a $250 penalty.

After their IDs are confiscated, they "disappear pretty quickly", Quirk said.

Some bars could also deter teens from using fake IDs by banning them from their premises for a period even after they turn 18.

Quirk said some of his bars had been trialling a new system that took pictures, verified IDs and collated patron's details before they entered the bar.

Bar staff and police wanted to get the message out to young people to "wait until you are actually 18".

Preloading was also identified as a concern for bars throughout the city.

Police, Safe City hosts and licensed premises were working together through the CBD charter to focus on reducing alcohol-related harm, especially in young people.