Convenience retailers could soon offer shoppers a new way to prove their age, after the Home Office on Tuesday (June 30) laid regulations enabling licensed premises in England and Wales to accept digital age checks from registered digital verification service (DVS) providers alongside traditional physical ID.
In practice, that means customers will be able to prove they are old enough to buy alcohol in pubs, clubs, restaurants and shops using a registered digital verification service, rather than always carrying a passport or driving licence.
At the moment, the Mandatory Licensing Conditions (MLCs) under the Licensing Act 2003 require proof of age to include a physical security feature, such as a hologram or ultraviolet mark. That rules out digital forms of ID.
The new legislation removes that barrier and sets out how digital age checks can be used safely as an additional option.
What the legislation does
Once in force, the legislation will allow licensed premises in England and Wales to rely on digital age verification checks.
The responsible person must meet this condition by being covered by an agreement with a registered DVS provider to support the premises’ digital age verification requirements. This agreement will usually be arranged by the premises licence holder or club premises certificate holder, and will require the following:
- It will only deliver digital identification verified by a registered DVS provider to a medium level of confidence, as defined in the relevant versions of the UK DVS trust framework set out in the legislation; and
- The DVS provider must be able to confirm whether or not the customer has met the required age threshold, and that the identity information relates to the person presenting it (i.e. they are who they say they are).
This validation needs to happen through secure technological means, rather than someone simply looking at a digital proof of age on a screen.
What it means in practice
As mentioned by the government, this change is about choice implying licensed premises won’t be required to accept digital age verification, and customers won’t be required to use it. Instead, digital verification services will sit alongside physical ID.
For licensed premises, this introduces more flexibility in how age checks are carried out, and a route into digital tools that can speed up service at the bar or till.
For customers, it means more choice in how to prove their age, while keeping the safeguards that underpin the licensing regime.
The legislation now needs to complete its passage through Parliament, and the Home Office will be sharing an updated timetable for implementation soon. Once in force, the Home Office will also publish updated statutory guidance to help licensed premises put the new requirements into practice.