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England and Wales Pubs Can Now Accept Digital ID Apps for Age Checks

3 hours ago

From Tuesday, pubs and shops in England and Wales can verify drinkers' ages with government-approved digital ID apps like Yoti, the Post Office and Luciditi.

People buying alcohol in England and Wales can now prove how old they are using a digital ID app on their phone, following new rules that took effect on Tuesday. Pubs and shops are permitted to accept the technology alongside the physical documents they already recognise, with the government arguing that an on-screen check will be faster and safer for both customers and staff.

Drinkers who want to use the option can pick from a list of approved suppliers, including the Post Office, Yoti and Luciditi. Only apps that appear on the government's sanctioned register will be valid. Under the change, venues are no longer obliged to accept a passport or driving licence, though ministers expect the vast majority to keep taking them.

The scheme is described as technology-agnostic, meaning the government has not dictated the precise way each app must operate. Officials say the voluntary arrangement lets customers reveal less about themselves than a paper document would. Rather than handing over an official card, a person could tap their phone against a reader or hold up a scannable QR code.

The apps are also expected to stop people from passing a phone to a younger friend or relative. Each service has to confirm that the account genuinely belongs to whoever is using it. Yoti's version, for instance, only grants access after a live scan of the user's face is matched against the one recorded when they registered. The app then produces a QR code that a business reads with a free checker tool, which simply returns the person's age. That code expires after a set time to make copying or sharing it harder.

What ministers and the industry say

Stephanie Peacock, the digital government minister, said the digital route would mean people "do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information", adding that customers could "feel safer on a night out".

Allen Simpson, chief executive of the trade body UKHospitality, called the rules a "positive step". He said the sector would cooperate with the government to keep the rollout from becoming "burdensome", and pointed to the need for several competing suppliers and a system that remains affordable for venues.

The government wants the various apps to be compatible with one another, so a customer is not forced to install a different one for each place they visit. It also wants the services to function offline, remaining usable when there is no mobile signal or Wi-Fi. In time, the same digital proof-of-age approach could be widened to cover the sale of tobacco and vapes.

Warnings over exclusion

Not everyone has welcomed the move. Campaigners focused on digital rights warn that it could leave certain groups behind. Jasleen Chaggar of Big Brother Watch said offering more than one way to confirm identity was useful, but urged the government to make sure digital ID never becomes mandatory in practice, "as it would shut out millions of people".

She noted that plenty of people stick with physical identification for good reasons, "whether out of choice, privacy and security concerns, or because they lack the digital skills or means to use digital ID". Chaggar called on ministers to "expressly prohibit businesses from requiring digital IDs for age checks without offering reasonable alternatives".

The new arrangement arrives after a broader push on digital identity ran into trouble. That earlier programme, championed by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, drew significant criticism and was later dropped by Andy Burnham.

digital ID apps, age verification, pubs England Wales, Yoti, buying alcohol, UKHospitality, Stephanie Peacock, Big Brother Watch

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