Alcohol delivery has become a popular service in the past years, but the pandemic definitely accelerated that popularity, and the loosening of restrictions. The U.S. is no stranger to beer and wine delivery being legal, seeing as 31 states currently have laws in place allowing it, but only 12 states allow all alcohol types, including liquor to be delivered.

Kansas lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 253 in an effort to modernize the state’s liquor laws to allow delivery of all alcohol types. While the bill is still in the early stages of its life, here is what we know. 

Changes to the Current Delivery Laws

The change of allowing alcohol delivery in Kansas would be a major step forward for the historically conservative state. Until very recently, Kansas had some of the strictest laws in the country. As of 2019, Kansas still had 3 dry counties prohibiting on premise liquor sales. There were blackout days prohibiting sales until a recent amendment in 2021 and you certainly couldn’t get liquor delivered. Currently, alcoholic beverages may be taken to-go, with certain rules in place. 

1. Beer, CMB or wine purchased on the licensed premises may be sold to go in its original, unopened container and placed in a clear, tamper proof bag. 

2. All opened containers must be resealed and placed in a clear, tamper proof bag. 

3. A dated receipt must be given to the patron. 

4. Sales of to-go drinks must cease at 11 p.m. 

5. If wine was partially consumed on the licensed premises, the licensee may reseal the bottle and place it in the clear, tamper proof bag with a receipt for removal after 11 p.m.

While the aforementioned option is much improved from Kansas’ previous alcohol delivery laws, the new legislation would push the boundaries even further. SB 253 would legalize the delivery of liquor and cereal malt beverages from licensed retailers such as licensed clubs, drinking establishments, restaurants, and even third-party delivery services.

ID Scanning Required Upon Delivery

In an effort to ensure no deliveries are being made to underage individuals, SB253 states, “individuals engaged in a delivery service shall use an identification scanning software technology or an alternative approved by the director, to verify the age of the consumer upon delivery.” While this might be new technology in the state of Kansas, our team at IDScan.net is no stranger to portable ID scanning solutions. 

We offer a variety of handheld devices that are lightweight, portable, and can work both with and without internet connection. The ID scanner of your choice is paired with our VeriScan software to check customer age by scanning a valid ID upon each delivery. Delivery personnel can simply point the integrated barcode scanner at a driver’s license, passport, or other government-issued ID and get age verification results almost instantaneously. Some other features to note are the ability to capture images, create unique lists that customers can be placed into, and even document signing should the need arise. 

Recordkeeping and PII

Recordkeeping

Another important compliance issue to note is that “retailers or third-party delivery service permit holders shall maintain records of alcoholic liquor sales delivered for a period of three years.” Luckily, the scanned history can be easily exported from the VeriScan Online portal for your business to safely file away for the required period of time.

PII

SB253 states that any personal data collected in order to comply with the requirements of the bill shall be limited to only what is adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary. VeriScan offers complete customization of scanned information to ensure your business remains compliant based on the specific ID Scanning Laws in your state.

The bill was just introduced on Feb. 15, 2023, and had its first hearing on Mar. 10, 2023, so it still remains to be seen what the outcome of the bill will be, but we will be following along closely. Stay tuned for more updates on SB253, and should you have any questions on how our technology works, or if you’re interested in scheduling a demo to get ahead of the curve, be sure to contact our team today.