“Be who you want, anyone you want, anywhere in the world!” claims the internet-based Novelty ID Shop.

Yet, if the state House of Representatives passes a bill next week, manufacturers of novelty identification cards will face felony charges for producing or distributing in Georgia.

“There will not be a fakeids.com in Georgia,” said state Sen. Doug Haines (D-Athens).

Haines said the bill targets primarily identity theft and will “crack down” on manufacturers, distributors and users of fake IDs — including college students who make them for friends.

“They better get the word that, while they’re trying to help their buddies get beer, they’re helping themselves get into the state penitentiary,” he said.

The bill, passed unanimously by the Senate Tuesday, is now in the House Judiciary Committee.

“We realized that there are a lot of these operations around, and they’re really producing documents of very high quality,” said David Sutton, press secretary for Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor.

“The purpose is to start to target the operations that operate in Georgia, producing documents that are fake in authenticity,” he said.

The punishment for a first offense is imprisonment for one to 10 years and can carry a fine up to $100,000 and increases after subsequent violations.

“If (the fake ID) has the seal of the state of Georgia, we’re talking felony,” Haines said.

Danny Tran, a sophomore from Augusta, said a friend made his fake ID using a computer, a scanner and a good printer.

“It’s just a piece of paper really, but I have a card behind it so it feels real,” Tran said. “The color is a little off, and there’s no hologram either, but most places don’t care.”

If passed, the bill also would make it a misdemeanor for a person to “lend his or her driver’s license or identification card” or “display or represent” an ID not one’s own, according to the bill.

Sandi Turner, public information officer for Athens-Clarke County, said the county has a fairly strict alcohol policy and the police department works to ensure “anyone with a liquor license” is compliant with the law.

To check for compliance, Turner said an undercover agent will be sent in to buy alcohol.

If the store does sell to the minor, the store will be found non-compliant.

Yet, she said it would be “overstepping bounds” to force a bar or package shop to check for IDs when selling alcohol.

“It’s their decision … a bar doesn’t have to check your ID,” Turner said.

Sutton said the bill has “plenty of time” to be passed before the session ends in mid-April and will most likely be signed by the governor, as it was introduced as part of his original legislation.