Today the Home Office has laid regulations that will allow customers at licensed premises in England and Wales to prove their age using digital checks from a registered digital verification service (DVS) provider.

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. 

This is something we’ve been working on closely with Home Office colleagues, and it will be of particular interest to stakeholders across the retail, hospitality and technology sectors. 

Why the change is needed 

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 

This change is about choice: 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. 

What happens next? 

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.  

OfDIA will work with stakeholders to help them understand how their products can be used and how that connects to certification and registration. 

Alcohol age checks are one of a growing number of everyday use cases where digital identities can offer people a secure, convenient alternative to physical documents. We will keep working to make that a reality across more areas of life.