A significant shift in how people purchase their pints is on the horizon, as a new UK law will alter the way we use ID in pubs. The upcoming legislation will eliminate the need for physical identification during nights out at pubs, hotel bars, restaurants and clubs.
Instead, patrons will be able to use digital ID to buy alcohol from next year, saving them the hassle of carrying physical documents. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle commented: “Paper-based IDs just aren’t really fit for the modern age. People leave them at home. They’re tatty. They’re not actually accurate… So, of course, now we’re going to make sure the law is on the side of people who want to just carry their ID digitally.”
He added that it’s “Really simple, very straightforward, but it also means you’re not giving away any personal data. So it’s a real win win.” The Labour Party Minister reassured that he had “no plans” to completely do away with physical documents.
Industry leaders have welcomed the changes, which they believe will “make life easier for both consumers and businesses.”
Kate Nicholls, chief of UK Hospitality, expressed her support, saying: “There are fewer things more frustrating than realising you’ve forgotten your ID when heading to a pub, bar or restaurant, and hopefully these new measures will make that a thing of the past.”
James Hawkins of the British Beer and Pub Association commented that the move would “reduce the risk of customers losing key ID documents when enjoying a night out.”
In the UK, accepted proof of ID currently includes a current passport from any nationality, a Biometric Residence Permit (UK), a current driving licence photocard either full or provisional from the UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, or Ireland, as well as a birth certificate issued within 12 months of birth from the UK, Isle of Man, or Channel Islands.