Alcohol Compliance and Delivery Services: Safeguarding Against Delivering to Minors

Before the pandemic, ordering a to-go cocktail from a local restaurant was an alien concept. Today, in many states, it’s a regular occurrence for those customers who want intoxicating beverages to enjoy from the comfort of their couches. From 2020 to 2022, business owners in the food & beverage industry experienced major shifts in the alcohol delivery space when states began implementing laws that opened the floodgates for delivered-to-go cocktails. 

The implementation of these laws clearly articulated what was allowed for business owners and what was required to maintain their licenses. This clarity helped to reduce the percentage of alcohol compliance violations when delivering alcohol to off-premises locations. Unfortunately, even with laws in place, the percentage of instances where alcohol products are delivered into the hands of minors is still a cause for concern. 

Keeping communities safe and preventing young adults from becoming injured due to alcohol (or tobacco and cannabis) use is the responsibility of the businesses and third-party delivery services engaged in selling and delivering these products. The solution to alcohol compliance risks is found through enforced policy, technology solutions, and strong compliance training for all delivery drivers involved in these transactions. 

Policies for Alcohol Deliveries Pre-Pandemic vs Now

In 2020, the world of alcohol delivery changed forever. Before the pandemic, customers could order alcohol from shops, wineries, distilleries, and breweries, but deliveries from restaurants were rare. As everyone was forced to stay in their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19, alcohol deliveries from restaurants became a method of enjoying time in isolation while supporting the local economy.

It wasn’t until 2020 that the first state policies were written regarding the delivery of to-go alcoholic beverages from restaurants. Almost overnight, restaurants nationwide began delivering to-go alcoholic beverages via third-party services like DoorDash and Uber Eats. 

As you can see in the bar chart below, the difference in the number of reforms in place pre-pandemic to post-pandemic for restaurants is striking. 

Courtesy of rstreet.com

Today, the majority of states have policies and laws in place around the delivery of alcoholic beverages from restaurants. In the states where Stinger Compliance operates, – Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama – policies are in place to clearly outline the rules and regulations that must be followed by restaurants, shops, and wineries/distilleries that use third-party services or direct-to-consumer deliveries. For example, in Georgia, delivery drivers must complete mandatory training to deliver alcohol to customers. 

One writer for rstreet.org (a US-based policy research organization), stated that the flip from zero regulation to 80 percent of states having policy in place is “one of the most dramatic policy transformations in modern American history.” 

Technology’s Impact on Delivering Alcohol to Minors

In 2022, the state of California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (California ABC) shared that the violation rate for alcohol being delivered to minors was 14 percent. During the early stages of the pandemic, they had claimed a violation rate of 80 percent. This alcohol compliance violation rate has dramatically reduced, not because of a minor’s moral improvement, but through technological advances made by third-party services like DoorDash, Instacart, and Uber Eats. 

The introduction of physical scans of identification and the restrictions on deliveries in certain areas, tech solutions have helped to keep alcoholic beverages out of the hands of minors. Still, deliveries being made by restaurants and shops directly may not have the resources to put these tech solutions in place. 

In the case of Total Wine, – one of the largest alcohol merchants in the US – delivery drivers are trained to check for identification upon delivery. It is then up to Total Wine to train and ensure compliance with their policies via random surveying of their own delivery services. 

States like California and Colorado allow marijuana dispensaries to deliver marijuana products to any address. Dispensaries regularly deliver to minors unknowingly through a lack of tech solutions to verify identity or track payments as dispensary employees request cash in exchange for goods. Without tech solutions or regular checks of delivery driver compliance with federal laws, minors purchase age-restricted products and expose themselves to physical and mental health risks.

The Risks in Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Deliveries

In recent history, a startup called GoPuff lost its license to deliver alcohol after delivering alcohol to minors. GoPuff was found to deliver alcohol and tobacco products to a local college’s freshmen dorms as well as fail to ask for proper identification. DoorDash, on the other hand, restricts deliveries of alcohol products to college campuses or “similar high-risk areas” as well as requires a valid ID to be physically scanned by the delivery driver. 

According to the law, if delivery drivers are found to be delivering alcohol or tobacco products to minors without asking for identification, or not identifying fake identification, they can be held legally responsible and face major fines and even jail time. 

As for the retailers employing their own drivers to complete deliveries, they are also required to train their staff members in alcohol and other age-restricted product compliance. Keeping these products out of the hands of minors and overly intoxicated customers is the responsibility of the delivery employees. 

Enforcing Policy with Stinger Compliance

The laws put into place by state legislatures combined with the policies put into place by retailers and third-party delivery services are the foundation to keeping communities and minors safe. The enforcement of those policies is the responsibility and duty of the delivery drivers and the employers of the drivers themselves. 

But, how do business owners know if their delivery drivers are adhering to policy? 

It’s an interesting question! Merchants selling large quantities of products within their state or their local area may require assistance in surveying the compliance of their delivery drivers. Fortunately for them, Stinger Compliance is available to provide secret shopping and anonymous compliance checks for on-premises or off-premises alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis sales. 

Stinger Compliance uses individuals above the age of 21 to order age-restricted products as scheduled by the business owner. Our secret shoppers confirm if the business’s employees are asking for identification, following local laws when selling age-restricted products, and adhering to company policies. 

It is through partnership with services like Stinger Compliance that business owners can protect their livelihoods and the health of the young adults in their communities. Through alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis compliance checks, Stinger Compliance provides the necessary information for business owners to manage their staff. 

Are you a business owner who is ready to book their first Sting with Stinger Compliance? Learn more here or book your first Sting today!