Home Office expects digital age‑verification regulations to commence in October

The Home Office has indicated that new regulations enabling the use of digital verification services for alcohol age checks are expected to come into force in October, according to information shared with the Institute of Licensing (IoL).

In a policy update reported by the IoL, a Home Office policy advisory confirmed that they “anticipate that the regulations will come into force in October, although this is subject to the parliamentary timetable.”

The advisory was provided as part of ongoing engagement with licensing stakeholders ahead of the rollout of digital identification technologies across England and Wales.

The legislative change is set out in the Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2026, which updates the mandatory conditions applied to premises selling alcohol. The draft statutory instrument, published on legislation.gov.uk, outlines the amendments required to permit digital age‑verification but does not specify a commencement date — consistent with the Home Office’s caveat that parliamentary scheduling may affect the timeline.