New range rule: give us your DL

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16shells

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Recently my local indoor range implemented the practice of collecting the shooter's drivers license (DL) when they rent a lane. I discovered this when I went to shoot the other day. When I asked "Why?", the employee said a patron had recently damaged something and the owners had difficulty collecting from them. I declined to surrender my DL (I will spare you the rant regarding misuse of DL and privacy issues) and left with the following questions going through my head:

How would having someone's DL make it easier for the owners to collect damages? Would not the individual simply be able to get a replacement DL?

Are the owners taking on a risk by collecting the DLs? What happens if the DL is mishandled ( given back to the wrong person, information lifted,...) or the person leaves without it?

I am also curious if this practice is in place elsewhere? I checked previous threads through the search function and did not come up with much, so I'm guessing this is not common.

Please post your responses to these questions.
 
My local indoor gets your DL # too. I think it's to verify your identy mainly. If someone did intentionally damage something and then take-off, it would help if they filed a police report for vandalism or whatever.
 
Sorry, no way and no good reason. My ID is not just handed to anyone nor do I usually offer my full name.
 
I think the main issue is the idea that they would hold your DL to be returned later.

Now days a DL is one of your most important documents filled with a lot of personal information.
There is no way I would even consider surrendering it to private individuals.
 
In most states, your DL is a legal form of identification. Many stores will ask for it when presenting a CC or writing a check. Most rental places ask for it and will make a copy to keep on file. It's not a new thing. It's to make sure you are who you say you are and give the place of business a pic and your address for authorities if needed. Addresses can change. but your DL # does not and it can always be traced to a current address. It's still your choice to give it to them or not. You can't blame a business that deals with large numbers of folks they don't know personally for asking for it. If you have something to hide that can be found on your DL, you shouldn't be out in public anyway.
 
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I would probably hand over my driver's license that day. But I wouldn't come back. It's their house and they get to make the rules.

So often businesses make poor decisions based on single incidents and alienate their good customers. A diner near my office stopped serving IBC root beer in brown bottles because a constable hassled a teen age kid he thought had been sold a real beer. :what:
 
My indoor range is also my LGS and I have bought several guns there. They already have all of my personal info through the purchases, I so I have no problem giving it to them when I shoot.
 
They already have all of my personal info through the purchases, I so I have no problem giving it to them when I shoot.
Click to expand...

If I understand the OP correctly, he's not concerned about SHOWING someone his license. He doesn't want to hand it over to a stranger to keep for an extended time.
 
@LibShooter, you are correct in that I am referring to KEEPING a DL. This range has always visually verified the DL has the same information you write on the range rental agreement. Since they already visually verify the information, I fail to see how KEEPING the actual DL is of additional help in addressing damage disputes.
 
I can see asking for and copying down information that verifies your identity, but I'd be reluctant to actually hand over my DL. I think it would be fair to explain politely that you're concerned about identity theft, and ask if the business has a written policy protecting your personal identification under those circumstances. If you get attitude, then I'd be very reluctant to do any further business with the place.
 
Local range always asks for DL or ID when on the lane. Since they do not charge up front, the DL/ID is collateral for Range Fee, Target Purchase, Eye/Ear Pro rental, Ammo, Gun Rental, etc. They do this for everyone, including the people they know by name.

Now days a DL is one of your most important documents filled with a lot of personal information.
There is no way I would even consider surrendering it to private individuals.
Click to expand...
There is nothing on my DL that wasn't there 35 years ago.
 
There is nothing on my DL that wasn't there 35 years ago.
Click to expand...

Yes, and so?
I've lived in the same place, had the same phone number, etc. for 40 odd years.
I think one of the big DL changes since then is showing a physical address.
And the new ones have some sort of bar code on them.

I still will not surrender possession of my DL to any private individual for any reason.
 
I'm glad I don't go day to day thinking everyone is out to get me. My ranges only hold your ID if you are renting firearms but I would have no issue giving up my ID to shoot. I think this is part of the older generation not understanding that any info on your ID is easily available online anyway. But if holding on to that license makes you safe, who am I to judge?...
 
If any of you are nervous about surrendering your DL at a gun range, don't even consider traveling in Europe. There's nothing quite like having to hand over your passport in a foreign country just to stay in a hotel.......
 
It's been years since I've traveled abroad, but I do remember having to surrender my passport the first time I checked into a hotel and how nervous that made me at the time.
 
I think the main issue is the idea that they would hold your DL to be returned later.

Now days a DL is one of your most important documents filled with a lot of personal information.
There is no way I would even consider surrendering it to private individuals.
Click to expand...
Exactly!
 
In this day of identify theft it's amazing how easy we hand over to strangers such info as driver's license, social security numbers. etc.


If I had to go to a range that had such rules I guess I'd have to go along with it.
 
It's a cost/benefit issue. Holding a DL when you hand a stranger a gun may be a good idea. It encourages him to bring back the rented firearm.

If your customer is just renting a sliver of real estate for an hour, the alienation may not be worth it. He's not likely to steal a range table. If one guy damaged one lane one time (as the guy at the range said) they should file a claim and chalk it up to the cost of doing business. Don't anger your regular customers. If there's an ongoing problem with vandalism, the solution may be better monitoring.
 
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