Acceptable forms of identification

Licensees and their staff need to be vigilant when checking identification (ID).

What is acceptable evidence of age?

Acceptable evidence of age documents under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 are:

  • Australian driver licence (including NSW & SA digital drivers licence)
  • Victorian learner permit
  • Foreign driver licence in the English language or if not in the English language, must be accompanied by an official English translation (e.g. by any NAATI accredited translator) or an International Driving Permit
  • Victorian proof of age card or an equivalent from another state or territory of Australia
  • Keypass card (including digital keypass)
  • Australian or foreign passport
  • Victorian marine licence

Accepting digital identification (ID) documents

Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 (the Act), an Australian Drivers Licence is an acceptable form of identification

The New South Wales (NSW) and South Australian (SA) governments have recently launched digital drivers licences. As these are issued by those governments, they can be accepted by licensees as an evidence of age document in Victoria under the Act.

Licensed venues that are required to operate an ID scanner due to a condition of their licence, should scan a digital licence the same way they would for other (non-digital) evidence of age documents.

If, for technical reasons, a scan cannot be taken, the venue should request an alternative acceptable form of ID that can be scanned.

If a patron cannot present an alternative acceptable form of ID, the licensee needs to check the ID scanning condition on their licence and see whether it allows the patron to be admitted without their ID being scanned.

In some circumstances, the licensee may need to refuse the patron entry to the premises.

For venues who use contracted providers to assist with their ID scanning obligations, ScanTek has completed on-boarding of the NSW digital drivers licence.

Scanning of the SA digital drivers licence requires venues to download the mySA Gov app to an Apple or Android device, see, mySAgovFAQs

Venues should contact their provider directly if they encounter issues or have questions.

For more information, see:

What if the ID is fake?

There are offences for faking and misusing IDs.

If you suspect that the ID presented is not authentic, ask for a second form of identification. If you determine that one or both of the presented IDs are fake, that ID (except for a driver licence) should be confiscated and handed over to the police.

Can I get penalised for allowing a minor using a fake ID on the premises? What happens if I supplied the same minor alcohol?

While it is an offence to permit underage persons on licensed premises (other than as permitted under section 120(1) of the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998), there is a defence under this section if the licensee or staff member was shown an evidence of age document, indicating that the minor is of or over the age of 18 years.

Similarly, it is a defence to supplying liquor to a minor who is not having a meal with his/her parent, guardian or spouse (of or over 18 years of age) if the licensee or staff member was shown an evidence of age document, indicating that the minor is of or over the age of 18 years.

How do I know if a foreign driver licence has been translated into English by an accredited NAATI translator?

A document that has been translated by an accredited NAATI translator will generally contain a translator stamp. You can find more information on the NAATI translator stamp here.

Some translators may not have a stamp so will sign and date a declaration that includes their name and their NAATI certification number which is a combination of letters and numbers, starting with CPN.

Updated