State guide
Vermont ID scanning laws
Vermont does not restrict ID scanning, and a sale to a customer who presents one of the state's listed IDs is evidence that the licensee complied with the law against selling alcohol to minors.
For bars, restaurants, cannabis stores and retailers, the practical questions are when identification must be checked, which IDs count and what information may be kept.
Reviewed September 29, 2026 · 16 primary sources linked
Vermont at a glance
- Is it legal to scan IDs in Vermont?
- Yes.Vermont does not specifically restrict scanning an ID. Its separate rule on "electronically readable information" from a license or ID card addresses compiling or maintaining databases, not the act of checking the ID.
- Do you have to check IDs in Vermont, and when?
- It depends on what you sell.Alcohol and tobacco licensees must ask customers of questionable age for an accepted ID. Cannabis stores check ID at the door for anyone who appears 35 or younger and again before every sale. Vermont does not require every alcohol customer to be carded.
- Which IDs provide protection in Vermont?
- For alcohol and tobacco, Vermont recognizes a photo driver's license, enhanced license or nondriver ID from any state or country, a US military ID, a passport or a passport card.Temporary IDs do not qualify. Cannabis uses a current, valid government-issued photo ID standard.
- Can you keep data from an ID scan in Vermont?
- Vermont regulates databases of license and ID card data, not the scan.Vermont prohibits compiling or maintaining a database of "electronically readable information" from a license or ID card, except for law enforcement or governmental purposes or to prevent fraud, abuse or other criminal conduct. The law does not say whether a venue's visit log or banned list is such a database and sets no retention period.
- What other Vermont laws reach the data you keep?
- Stored names and driver's license numbers can trigger Vermont's breach-notification and records-destruction laws.A broader consumer privacy act with volume thresholds takes effect January 1, 2028.
- Does scanning give you a defense if you serve a minor in Vermont?
- A scan does not create the protection, but it can document the ID the customer showed.Vermont treats a sale after presentation of a listed ID as evidence of compliance, while an employee's defense also depends on carefully viewing the ID and acting on a reasonable, good-faith belief that the customer was 21 or older.
- Can a customer refuse an ID scan in Vermont?
- Vermont does not specifically regulate refusal of a scan or require a manual alternative.A licensee may refuse an alcohol or tobacco sale when a customer does not show a listed ID after being asked.
What Vermont venues should know
Is it legal to scan IDs in Vermont?
Yes. Vermont does not restrict ID scanning and regulates certain databases of electronically readable ID information separately.
Vermont law does not require venues to scan an ID, and it does not prohibit reading one. Its alcohol, tobacco and cannabis rules say which IDs staff ask for and when, not how the ID is read.
Vermont's rule on "electronically readable information" from a license or ID card is about compiling or maintaining a database of it. It does not restrict reading the ID.
Do you have to check IDs in Vermont, and when?
It depends on what you sell.
Alcohol
Vermont prohibits selling or serving alcohol to anyone under 21. The state's liquor rules require licensees and their staff to ask any customer of questionable age for one of the IDs Vermont accepts, and there is no rule to card every customer.
A store selling a keg must have the buyer fill in a state form with the name, address and date of birth shown on their ID, and keep the form for 90 days after the keg is returned.
Deliveries
Stores with a retail delivery permit must log every delivery, including how the recipient's ID was checked and the signature of a recipient who is 21 or older. Beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails shipped to Vermont homes by licensed producers are handed over only after the carrier checks the ID of any recipient who appears under 30.
Tobacco and vape
The same state rule on customers of questionable age applies to tobacco licensees. Federal law also requires retailers to check photo ID for any buyer under 30.
Cannabis
Cannabis stores must watch everyone who comes in and ask for ID from anyone who reasonably appears to be 35 or younger, and may not let anyone under 21 into a building where cannabis is kept. Staff check the ID again before every sale.
The exact wording
A person shall not: (1) sell or furnish alcoholic beverages to a person under 21 years of age; or (2) knowingly enable the consumption of alcoholic beverages by a person under 21 years of age.
For individuals of questionable age, all licensees and their employees shall demand that such individual exhibit a valid operator's license, valid non-driver identification card, or enhanced driver's license, which has been issued by this state or another state or foreign jurisdiction, a valid United States military identification card, a valid passport card or valid passport all of which bear the person's photograph, name, date of birth, and expiration date. No temporary identification documents shall satisfy the requirements of this regulation.
A purchaser shall exhibit a valid authorized form of identification upon demand of a licensee or an agent of a licensee. If the purchaser fails to provide a valid authorized form of identification, the licensee shall be entitled to refuse to sell the keg to the individual.
The purchaser shall complete a form, provided by the Board, that includes at least the name, address, and date of birth of the purchaser as they appear on the purchaser's valid authorized form of identification and the identification number of the keg.
Permit holders shall maintain a log of all deliveries made, which shall be subject to inspection upon request pursuant to General Regulation No.7. Such log shall at a minimum include: a. Name of recipient and physical address in Vermont to where the product was delivered; b. How ID was verified in compliance with General Regulation No. 11; c. A signature of recipient at least twenty-one (21) years of age; d. Complete description of the product and quantity delivered; e. The price; f. Time of delivery (delivery shall be permitted only between the hours of 9:00 am-5:00 pm); and g. The name of the employee making the delivery.
The common carrier shall comply with all the following: (A) deliver beverages pursuant to an invoice that includes the name of the licensee and the name and address of the purchaser; (B) on delivery, require a valid authorized form of identification, as defined in section 589 of this title, from a recipient who appears to be under 30 years of age; and (C) require the recipient to sign an electronic or paper form or other acknowledgment of receipt.
Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section and in § 1140.16(c)(2)(i), each retailer must verify by means of photographic identification containing the bearer's date of birth that no person purchasing the product is younger than 21 years of age;
An individual who has been issued an identification card pursuant to Board Rule 1.16 shall ensure that no individual under 21 years of age is admitted to the cannabis establishment by visually observing all visitors to a retail cannabis establishment and requiring an acceptable form of identification of any reasonably appearing to be 35 years of age or younger.
In addition to the entry examination required by subdivision (a) of this rule, 2.8.3, prior to completing a transaction for the purchase of Cannabis or a Cannabis Product, an individual who has been issued an identification card pursuant to Board Rule 1.16 shall inspect the visitor's proof of identification and determine the visitor's age.
A cannabis establishment shall not permit a person under 21 years of age to enter a building or enclosure on the premises where cannabis is located.
7 V.S.A. 65826-020-001 Vt. Code R.7 V.S.A. 647 V.S.A. 27721 CFR 1140.14CCB Rule 2.8.37 V.S.A. 866
Which IDs provide protection in Vermont?
Vermont uses a defined list of IDs for alcohol and tobacco, while cannabis stores accept any current, valid government-issued photo ID.
Vermont's alcohol law defines the IDs that count, and the list is closed:
- A valid driver's license with a photo, issued by Vermont, another state or another country
- An enhanced driver's license
- A valid non-driver ID card with a photo, issued by Vermont, another state or another country
- A US military ID card
- A valid passport or passport card
Under the state's liquor rules, each ID must show the person's photo, name, date of birth and expiration date, and temporary IDs never count. The tobacco law uses the same list. Under both laws, a sale to a customer who showed one of these IDs is evidence that the licensee complied with the age law.
Cannabis stores accept any photo ID issued by a government, as long as it is current and valid.
The exact wording
An individual shall exhibit "a valid authorized form of identification," which means a valid photographic operator's license, enhanced driver's license, or valid photographic nondriver identification card issued by Vermont or another state or foreign jurisdiction, a U.S. military identification card, or a valid passport or passport card bearing the photograph and signature of the individual upon demand of a licensee, an employee of a licensee, or a law enforcement officer.
As used in this section, "proper proof of age" means a valid authorized form of identification as defined in section 589 of this title.
"Acceptable form of identification" shall mean a photo identification issued by a government, and it must be current and valid.
7 V.S.A. 58926-020-001 Vt. Code R.7 V.S.A. 1004CCB Rule 2.8.3
Can you keep data from an ID scan in Vermont?
Vermont bans databases of "electronically readable information" from a license or ID card, except for purposes the law lists.
Vermont law says no person may compile or maintain a database of "electronically readable information derived from" a driver's license (Vermont law calls it an operator's license), junior operator's license, enhanced license, learner permit or non-driver ID card. The ban does not apply to a person who accesses, uses, compiles or maintains such a database for law enforcement or governmental purposes, or to prevent fraud, abuse or other criminal conduct.
The rule does not say whether a venue's visit log or banned list is a "database", and it sets no retention period and no list of fields. Apart from it and a rule for cannabis stores, no Vermont law sets which details from a scan may be kept or for how long.
Cannabis stores may not collect or record a customer's personal information beyond what a retail transaction typically requires, which can include information to determine the customer's age. They may not record or keep any further personal information without the customer's permission.
The exact wording
No person shall compile or maintain a database of electronically readable information derived from an operator's license, junior operator's license, enhanced license, learner permit, or nondriver identification card. This prohibition shall not apply to a person who accesses, uses, compiles, or maintains a database of the information for law enforcement or governmental purposes or for the prevention of fraud or abuse or other criminal conduct.
The licensee shall retain the form for 90 days after return of the keg.
A retailer may not acquire or record visitor personal information other than information typically required by a retail transaction, which can include information to determine the visitor's age.
A retailer may not record or retain any additional personal information from a visitor without the visitor's permission.
What other Vermont laws reach the data you keep?
Stored ID numbers can trigger Vermont's breach and destruction rules, with a broader consumer privacy act arriving in 2028.
A customer's name kept with an unencrypted, unredacted driver's license, state ID or passport number is personally identifiable information under Vermont's breach law. The business that owns the data must notify affected consumers within 45 days of discovering a breach, unless it establishes that misuse is not reasonably possible and explains why to the state, and must send a preliminary notice to the Attorney General or, for businesses it regulates, the Department of Financial Regulation within 14 business days. A service provider holding the data for a business must tell that business immediately.
When a business will no longer keep a customer's records containing personal information, such as a signature, a physical description or a driver's license, state ID or passport number, it must take reasonable steps to destroy them by shredding, erasing or otherwise making the information unreadable.
From January 1, 2028, the Vermont Data Privacy and Online Surveillance Act applies to businesses that in the previous year controlled or processed the personal data of at least 35,000 Vermont consumers or the sensitive data of at least 3,000, not counting data used only to complete a payment, or that sold the personal data of at least 3,000. A driver's license or state ID number is sensitive data, which a covered business may process only with the consumer's consent. The Attorney General enforces the act, and it gives customers no right to sue. Vermont has no separate biometric privacy law.
Does scanning give you a defense if you serve a minor in Vermont?
No, but a scan record can help show which ID the customer presented.
Alcohol
Vermont treats a sale to a customer who showed one of the listed IDs as evidence that the licensee complied with the law against selling alcohol to minors. It turns on the ID the customer showed, not on how staff read it, and a scan record can help show which ID that was and when.
For an employee of a licensee who sells alcohol to someone under 21 on the job, the law sets lighter penalties when the sale happens during a police compliance check. The same provision lets the employee plead a defense when all three of these are true: the customer showed a listed photo ID indicating they were 21 or older and the employee carefully viewed it, a reasonable person would have believed the customer was 21 or older and the sale was made in good faith on a reasonable belief that the customer was 21 or older.
When a person injured by an intoxicated customer sues a licensee over a sale to someone under 21, or over serving someone who appeared drunk, evidence of the responsible actions the licensee took or did not take is admissible. Those actions include asking about a customer's age in the ways the law provides.
Tobacco and vape
A sale to a customer who showed one of the same listed IDs is evidence that the licensee complied with the law against selling tobacco to anyone under 21. A scan record can help show which ID the customer presented.
The exact wording
Sale or furnishing of any alcoholic beverages by a licensee to an individual exhibiting a valid authorized form of identification shall be prima facie evidence of the licensee's compliance with the law prohibiting the sale or furnishing of alcoholic beverages to minors.
However, an employee of a licensee or an employee of a State liquor agency, who in the course of employment violates subdivision (a)(1) of this section: (1) during a compliance check conducted by a law enforcement officer as defined in 20 V.S.A. § 2358: (A) shall be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $100.00 for the first violation and a civil penalty of not less than $100.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for a second violation that occurs more than one year after the first violation; and (B) shall be subject to the criminal penalties provided in this subsection (c) for a second violation within a year of the first violation, and for a third or subsequent violation within three years of the first violation. (2) may plead as an affirmative defense that: (A) the purchaser exhibited and the employee carefully viewed photographic identification that complied with section 589 of this title and indicated the purchaser to be 21 years of age or older; (B) an ordinary prudent person would believe the purchaser to be of legal age to make the purchase; and (C) the sale was made in good faith, based upon the reasonable belief that the purchaser was of legal age to purchase alcoholic beverages.
(1) In an action brought under this section, evidence of responsible actions taken or not taken is admissible, if otherwise relevant. (2) Responsible actions may include instruction of servers as to laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages, training of servers regarding intervention techniques, admonishment to patrons or guests concerning laws regarding the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and inquiry under the methods provided by law as to the age or degree of intoxication of the persons involved.
The sale or furnishing of tobacco products, tobacco substitutes, or tobacco paraphernalia to a person exhibiting proper proof of age shall be prima facie evidence of a licensee's compliance with section 1007 of this title.
Can a customer refuse an ID scan in Vermont?
Vermont does not create a specific right to refuse a scan or require a manual alternative.
Vermont law entitles a licensee to refuse to sell alcohol, a keg or tobacco to a customer who does not show one of the listed IDs when asked, and cannabis stores must refuse a sale to anyone who cannot show valid proof of age. How a venue handles a customer who shows an ID but does not want it scanned is a matter of venue policy.
Any refusal of service remains subject to Vermont's public-accommodation law, which bars refusing service because of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
The exact wording
On the failure of an individual to produce and exhibit a valid authorized form of identification upon demand of a licensee, the licensee shall be entitled to refuse to sell the individual any alcoholic beverage.
Retailers shall refuse to sell to any visitor who is unable to produce valid proof of their age using an acceptable form of identification.
Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis
Alcohol
Staff must ask any customer of questionable age for one of the IDs Vermont's alcohol law lists.
The ID must show the person's photo, name, date of birth and expiration date, and temporary IDs never count. Stores selling kegs record the buyer's name, address and date of birth on a state form and keep it for 90 days after the keg is returned.
26-020-001 Vt. Code R.Tobacco and vape
Tobacco uses the alcohol law's list of IDs, and federal rules require photo ID for buyers under 30.
A sale to a customer who showed one of the listed IDs is evidence that the licensee complied with the law against selling tobacco to anyone under 21. The state rule on customers of questionable age applies to tobacco licensees too.
7 V.S.A. 1004Cannabis
Cannabis stores check ID at the door and again before every sale.
Staff watch every visitor and ask for ID from anyone who reasonably appears to be 35 or younger, and no one under 21 may enter a building where cannabis is kept. Stores may not record a customer's personal information beyond what a retail transaction typically requires, or keep more without the customer's permission.
CCB Rule 2.8.3What this means for your AgeShield setup
These are the AgeShield settings affected by the Vermont rules above. How you configure them is ultimately a decision for your venue.
- How long visits are kept
- Vermont sets no retention period for ID scan data. Stores selling kegs keep the buyer's form for 90 days after the keg is returned, and a business must take all reasonable steps to destroy customer records containing personal information, such as a driver's license number, once it will no longer keep them.AgeShield setting: Set your retention period based on your venue's own policy.
- Which ID fields are stored
- Vermont bans compiling or maintaining a database of "electronically readable information derived from" a driver's license, junior operator's license, enhanced license, learner permit or non-driver ID card, except for law enforcement or governmental purposes or to prevent fraud, abuse or other criminal conduct. The rule does not say whether a venue's visit log or banned list is a "database", and it names no fields. Cannabis stores may not record customer information beyond what a retail transaction typically requires, or keep more without the customer's permission.AgeShield setting: Choose which ID fields are collected and stored. Individual fields can be switched off.
- Manual entry
- Vermont does not require scanning or say how an ID must be read. Its alcohol and tobacco rules name the IDs staff ask for, not a way of reading them.AgeShield setting: Enable manual entry so staff can record a check when an ID cannot be scanned.
- Banned and watch lists
- Vermont has no law written about venue lists. Its database rule bans compiling or maintaining a database of "electronically readable information" from licenses and ID cards, except for law enforcement or governmental purposes or to prevent fraud, abuse or other criminal conduct, and it does not say whether a banned list is a "database". Refusals of service are subject to the state's public-accommodation law.AgeShield setting: Choose how list entries are added: from a scan, by hand or both. A Banned entry carries a reason and a note.
- Consent screen
- Vermont does not require a consent screen for ID scanning. Cannabis stores need a customer's permission to record or keep personal information beyond what a retail transaction typically requires.AgeShield setting: Enable the consent screen if your venue chooses to use one as part of its own policy.
Common questions
Is it legal to scan IDs at a bar in Vermont?
Yes. Vermont has no law that restricts ID scanning. Its rule on "electronically readable information" from licenses and ID cards is about databases, not reading the ID.
Do you have to check IDs in Vermont, and when?
It depends on what you sell. Alcohol and tobacco licensees must ask customers of questionable age for an accepted ID. Cannabis stores check ID at the door for anyone who appears 35 or younger and again before every sale. Vermont does not require every alcohol customer to be carded.
Which IDs are accepted as proof of age in Vermont?
For alcohol and tobacco, a valid photo driver's license or non-driver ID card from Vermont, another state or another country, an enhanced driver's license, a US military ID card or a valid passport or passport card. Cannabis stores accept any current, valid government-issued photo ID.
Are temporary IDs accepted in Vermont?
No. Vermont's liquor rules say temporary identification documents do not satisfy the ID requirement.
Can you keep data from an ID scan in Vermont?
Vermont's rule is on databases. No person may compile or maintain a database of "electronically readable information derived from" a driver's license, junior operator's license, enhanced license, learner permit or non-driver ID card, except for law enforcement or governmental purposes or to prevent fraud, abuse or other criminal conduct. The rule does not say whether a venue's visit log or banned list is a "database", and it sets no retention period or field list.
Can a Vermont bar keep a banned list?
Vermont has no law written about venue banned lists. Its database rule bans compiling or maintaining a database of "electronically readable information" from licenses and ID cards, except for law enforcement or governmental purposes or to prevent fraud, abuse or other criminal conduct, and it does not say whether a banned list is a "database". Refusals of service are subject to Vermont's public-accommodation law.
Does scanning give you a defense if you serve a minor in Vermont?
A scan does not create the protection, but it can document the ID the customer showed. Vermont treats a sale after presentation of a listed ID as evidence of compliance, while an employee's defense also depends on carefully viewing the ID and acting on a reasonable, good-faith belief that the customer was 21 or older.
Can a customer refuse an ID scan in Vermont?
Vermont does not specifically regulate refusal of a scan or require a manual alternative. A licensee may refuse an alcohol or tobacco sale when a customer does not show a listed ID after being asked.
When does Vermont's consumer privacy law take effect?
The Vermont Data Privacy and Online Surveillance Act takes effect on January 1, 2028. It applies to businesses that in the previous year handled the personal data of at least 35,000 Vermont consumers or the sensitive data, such as driver's license numbers, of at least 3,000, not counting data used only to complete a payment, or that sold the personal data of at least 3,000.
Sources
- 23 V.S.A. 7
- 7 V.S.A. 589
- 7 V.S.A. 658
- 26-020-001 Vt. Code R.
- 7 V.S.A. 64
- 7 V.S.A. 277
- 21 CFR 1140.14
- CCB Rule 2.8.3
- 7 V.S.A. 866
- 7 V.S.A. 1004
- 9 V.S.A. 2430
- 9 V.S.A. 2435
- 9 V.S.A. 2445
- 2026 Acts No. 145
- 7 V.S.A. 501
- 9 V.S.A. 4502
This page is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal advice. We research each rule and link its source, so you can check it against your own venue. Questions are welcome at support@ageshield.bar.
ID scanning laws in nearby states
Rules change across state lines. Compare the ID-scanning guidance for nearby states.
- State lawState law
New Hampshire ID scanning laws
New Hampshire prohibits electronically recording what an ID scan returns. See what that rules out and what is still allowed.
- State lawState law
Massachusetts ID scanning laws
Massachusetts does not specifically regulate ID scanning. See when checks are required, what you can keep and what protection applies.
- State lawState law
New York ID scanning laws
New York permits a transaction scan and caps what you keep at four fields. See the defense it earns and the limits on use.
Still unsure how Vermont applies to your venue?
Tell us what type of venue you run and we'll point you to the published rules we know of that may apply.