The fake ID has been a staple of the American college experience for years, tempting many who grow frustrated after getting turned away at bars where their older friends get to drink to their heart's content. The U.S. is one of only four countries that have advanced "21 or older" laws for purchasing alcohol. In most of the world, the legal drinking age is 18, and in some European countries, it's as low as 16 years old.

If you're a college student in the U.S., then the legal restriction can be especially frustrating. By the time you turn 21, you are just about in the middle of your undergraduate years, and by then, you have already been binge drinking at enough frat parties to make the prospect of legal drinking an afterthought. I mean, sure it's cool to get a beer at dinner once you are finally of age, but going out and drinking with friends seems more alluring during those earlier years in school.

HOW DOES SOMEONE GET A FAKE ID NOWADAYS?

So if you really care about drinking before you are 21 years old, just go out to the store and pick up a fake, right? Of course it's not that simple. In fact, the process of obtaining a fake ID has become simultaneously more complex and simple. It is more complex because the fake ID market has shifted dramatically in the past decade. You used to have to know a guy, who knew a guy, who could hook you up, but now there are sophisticated online markets available for people to get high-quality, fake duplicates.

There's the deep web, for example, where those under 21 can use digital currency to anonymously purchase fake IDs from willing vendors—there are plenty to choose from—as a quick visit to Reddit's "FakeID" subreddit will demonstrate.

Reddit

In fact, there are several threads on the website that provide information about how to go about using the encrypted web service to get a good fake ID.

Word of mouth is still an effective way to get fakes in college, of course. They still operate online, for the most part, but if you are really interested in getting a fake before your 21st birthday, it is usually as easy as simply asking around. A friend of mine went this route, got some contact information from a friend, and all she had to do was send an email to a service provider, who required a cashier's check (or cash) for payment, as well as a driver's license-style headshot. Less than two weeks later, she had a fake in her mailbox.

Flickr/Adam Cohn

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF GETTING CAUGHT WITH A FAKE ID?

Getting caught with a fake ID can mean trouble—let's not understate that. You can be arrested, you can get charged with a misdemeanor, and in some states you can even be charged with a felony. If you are a first time offender, then you probably won't go to jail, but you can still lose your license for a year or more. Andas MTV reported, there are harsher consequences when you try to use a passport or an older friend's ID (both of you can get in trouble in that case).

Getting caught with a fake ID can mean jail time in some states. Reuters

"Fakes aren’t as casual as your friends and even the media play them off to be," MTV wrote. "They come with big risks and even bigger legal consequences if you’re caught. Know your state’s specific laws governing the use of fake IDs. You might need that info someday—though we hope you don’t."