Enabling the use of digital verification services for alcohol age checks in England and Wales

The Home Office has formally laid new 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.

Customers who look under 18 will soon be able to prove their age using secure digital verification rather than carrying physical ID, following new regulations laid before Parliament on 30 June 2026. The statutory instrument updates the Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010, permitting alcohol retailers and clubs to accept digital proof of age when it is presented via a certified and registered DVS.

The change aligns licensing law with modern consumer habits and the growing use of secure digital identity technologies. Under the updated rules, a digital age check will be valid only if:

• it comes from a DVS certified against the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework;

• the provider appears on the statutory DVS register on GOV.UK;

• the digital identity has been properly bound to the user and validated;

• the identity has been verified to at least a ‘medium’ level of confidence under GPG45;

• the digital information confirms the customer meets the premises’ age‑verification policy.

The Home Office emphasises that physical documents — such as passports and driving licences — will continue to be accepted. Digital verification simply provides an additional, privacy‑preserving option that allows individuals to prove they are over 18 without revealing unnecessary personal details.

The regulations deliver on the Government’s commitment to modernise alcohol licensing and support safer, more efficient age‑verification practices. Subject to Parliamentary procedure, the statutory instrument is expected to come into force in autumn 2026.