As previously reported, licensed premises such as shops, pubs and restaurants now have a secure, additional method to verify customers are over 18 under new rules for alcohol sales which begin today (15 September), the Government has announced.
Businesses can now adopt existing digital identification technology, alongside their usual processes for physical ID - making age-checks “quicker, easier and more secure for customers and staff,” it said.
Customers can now choose to use a certified app on their phone to prove they’re over 18 when buying alcohol, without showing physical ID.
Convenient alternative
For customers, while it will take businesses time to widely adopt and accept digital proof-of-age, it will provide a convenient alternative to carrying physical ID.
Instead of handing over ID containing personal information such as their name or home address, customers can simply provide confirmation that they’re 18 or over, helping to better protect their privacy and personal safety.
For businesses, digital proof of age offers a way to verify a customer’s age with greater confidence than checking a physical document alone. Certified digital services check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it, which can help reduce the risk of fake or borrowed identification going undetected.
It could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, the Government explained.
Clear confirmation
Staff receive a clear confirmation on their devices that the customer has passed the age check, providing an alternative to examining physical documents. This can make it easier to verify age during busy periods and help businesses provide a quicker, more convenient experience to customers, while reducing the risk of accepting fraudulent identification.
Digital ID services are already being used in the UK to help people verify who they’re securely online and access services. These new rules build on existing certified technology, allowing digital proof of age to be used for alcohol sales from certified third-party providers.
“It will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt it.”
Stephanie Peacock, Digital Government Minister, said: “Licensed businesses carry out millions of age checks every year. It will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt it, and physical ID will remain a valid way for customers to prove their age.
“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you don’t need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age - allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out.
Trusted method
Julian David OBE, CEO of techUK, added: “We welcome the coming into force of digital identity as a trusted way to prove your age when buying alcohol. This is a practical, everyday example of the value that robust digital identity services can bring to consumers, cutting friction and making lives easier, while maintaining high standards of security and privacy.”
The change follows a 2024 Government consultation, in which 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.
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