Alcohol Shipping Laws: How To Properly Deliver Liquors And Verify Recipient IDs
Home delivery of alcohol has grown over the last two years due to the ease and convenience it offers. Having alcohol delivered to a doorstep makes it easy to enjoy those drinks, responsibly, in the comfort of the consumer’s home.
However, there are legal restrictions and requirements on delivering alcohol that must be followed. In this blog we will look at the following questions about alcohol shipping laws:
2. What are the different alcohol shipping laws?
The legal age for alcohol consumption differs in various countries and regions.. In the U.S., MLDA governs this, and only those over the age of 21 can purchase alcohol. Meanwhile in Canada, the minimum legal drinking age is 18 years of age in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, and 19 years in the rest of the Canadian provinces and territories
In Europe, the legal age is typically 18, though this varies between 16 and 20 years of age in some countries depending on the type of alcohol. Nearly all countries have some restrictions.
Considering this, how do these rules apply to home delivery? One study shows, 72 of 77 jurisdictions in 6 English-speaking OECD countries (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand) permit online alcohol sales and home delivery. In them, some require verification of age at the time of purchase, but nearly all require it at the time of delivery.
3. What are the consequences of not checking IDs during deliveries?
Who is likely to be held accountable if alcohol is delivered to an underage customer because the driver does not check the ID due to stress or simply inattentiveness?
The alcohol sell may be held liable for providing alcohol to those under age. It’s also possible the driver will be personally responsible as well. Some countries may also fine the last mile delivery company for this type of result as well, even if it was the delivery person who made the decision not to check identification.
Additionally, handing alcohol illegally to a person under the legal drinking age may also harm the company’s brand, reflecting negatively on the company’s image. No delivery company wants to be associated with delivery services that are sloppy and illegal.
4. How can Anyline be integrated?
Anyline uses Android, UWP, or iOS smartphones to allow drivers to scan identification. This inexpensive method of using smartphones also eliminates the need for training since most people already know how to use it.
The Anyline SDK integrates easily. There’s a customer service team to help when needed. More so, it supports common integration frameworks including Zamarin, React Native and Cordova.
