Get ready to show physical ID cards as Delhi bans digital IDs for alcohol service in hotels and restaurants

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ET OnlineLast Updated: Dec 13, 2024, 03:50:00 PM IST

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Synopsis

Delhi enforces strict age verification for alcohol. Establishments must check physical IDs. Digital copies are not allowed, except from Digilocker. This follows reports of underage drinking. The legal drinking age in Delhi is 25. The government aims to prevent alcohol abuse. They also want to make Delhi drug-free in three years.

The Delhi government has issued a directive requiring hotels, clubs, and restaurants serving liquor to verify the age of their patrons using physical government-issued identity proofs. This move follows incidents of underage drinking identified during recent inspections, a TOI report stated.

Delhi Legal Drinking Age Verification Rules Tightened

Delhi’s legal drinking age is 25 years. Inspections by the excise department revealed that some establishments were serving alcohol to individuals below the legal age. Officials also found instances of customers using fake or altered IDs to bypass the age restrictions, prompting the department to introduce stricter measures.

A circular from the excise department now mandates that license holders verify patrons’ age exclusively through physical IDs. Digital copies saved on mobile phones are not permitted, with the exception of IDs stored in the government’s Digilocker portal. This measure aims to prevent the use of fraudulent digital IDs.

Penalties for violations

Violations of the legal drinking age can result in penalties under the Delhi Excise Act, 2009. The department’s directive is part of an effort to ensure compliance among establishments serving liquor.

Debate over legal drinking age

The legal drinking age in Delhi has been a contentious issue, differing from neighboring NCR cities like Gurugram and Noida, where the minimum age is lower. A proposal to lower Delhi’s legal drinking age to 21 under a now-scrapped 2021 excise policy did not come into effect due to allegations of corruption.

Drug-free Delhi campaign

As part of a larger initiative to make Delhi drug-free within three years, the excise department has asked establishments to take an e-pledge and display certificates affirming their commitment to the cause. License holders have also been encouraged to raise awareness among staff and patrons about avoiding drug abuse and promoting responsible behavior.

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