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New York - An age-verification bar code in new driver's licenses in New York is tripping up scanners designed to catch fake IDs.

Store owners say a scanner supplied to 16,000 retailers is unable to read the new bar code design to verify the ages of customers trying to buy alcohol, cigarettes and lottery tickets.

While clerks can still check a date of birth by looking at the license, they're having to turn away some younger looking customers out of fear of breaking the law by selling restricted products to minors using fake IDs.

The higher-security driver's licenses issued since mid-September can be used instead of a passport to cross into Canada. State officials say the scanning problem likely won't be fixed until January.