Digital age-verification apps now legal for alcohol sales in England and Wales
From Tuesday, pubs and retailers in England and Wales may accept digital ID apps as proof of age for alcohol purchases, alongside traditional documents.
New statutory updates to the licensing act, effective Tuesday, permit licensed venues across England and Wales to treat digital identity apps as valid age proof for alcohol transactions. The government highlighted the move as a modern alternative to carrying physical documents, with services like Yoti generating short-lived QR tokens after facial or PIN verification. While businesses are not obliged to switch, they may integrate the technology into existing tablets and can still accept traditional IDs.
The rollout follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to scrap a broader national digital ID scheme initiated under Sir Keir Starmer. Officials intend to broaden digital checks to tobacco and vaping products, and industry leader Allen Simpson welcomed the flexibility for hospitality venues.
Why it matters
It modernises age checks, potentially speeding service and reducing the need to carry physical ID.
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