SB234 • 2026

Proof of Age; require certain retailers to use digital or card-swipe technology to verify customer age at point of sale

Technology

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Melson
Last action: 2026-04-07
Official status: Indefinitely Postponed in House of Origin
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and official text do not provide details on enforcement or penalties for non-compliance after a violation has occurred.

Proof of Age for Retailers

This bill requires retailers who sell alcoholic drinks, tobacco products, vape items, and consumable hemp products to use digital systems or card swipers after they have violated the law by not checking if customers are at least 21 years old.

What This Bill Does

Requires retailers of alcoholic beverages, tobacco or vape products, or consumable hemp products who violate laws about verifying a customer's age to use digital systems or card swipe technology to verify the age of the customer at the point of sale.

Who It Names or Affects

Retailers who sell alcoholic drinks, tobacco products, vape items, and consumable hemp products.
Customers buying age-restricted products will need to show their ID or allow it to be scanned after retailers have violated laws about checking ages.

Terms To Know

Age-restricted product: A product that can only be bought by people who are at least 21 years old, like alcohol and tobacco.
Digital system: An app or software on a phone or computer that checks if someone is old enough to buy certain products.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if retailers do not use the required technology.
It's unclear how much it will cost for retailers to set up these systems.
There are no details on who pays for enforcing this law or checking compliance.

Bill History

2026-04-07 Senate
Currently Indefinitely Postponed
2026-02-12 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-02-11 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-01-29 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-29 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Tourism

Official Summary Text

Proof of Age; require certain retailers to use digital or card-swipe technology to verify customer age at point of sale

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB234 INTRODUCED
Page 0
SB234
KH6X9A5-1
By Senators Melson, Chesteen
RFD: Tourism
First Read: 29-Jan-26
1
2
3
4
5
KH6X9A5-1 01/29/2026 PMG (L)cr 2025-3507
Page 1
First Read: 29-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Existing law restricts the sale of certain
products to customers 21 years of age or older. These
laws generally require proof of age by checking a valid
identification card of the customer at the point of
sale.
This bill would require retailers of alcoholic
beverages, tobacco or vape products, or consumable hemp
products, after a violation for failure to verify a
customer's age, to use a digital system or card swipe
technology to verify the age of the customer at the
point of sale.
This bill would authorize any retailer selling
an age-restricted product to use these age-verification
technologies.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to age identification laws; to require
retailers of alcoholic beverages, tobacco or vape products, or
consumable hemp products to use certain digital or card swipe
technology to verify a customer's age in certain
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
SB234 INTRODUCED
Page 2
technology to verify a customer's age in certain
circumstances.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. A retailer regulated under Title 28, Code of
Alabama 1975, that is found in violation of failing to verify
the age of a customer or selling a product to a customer under
21 years of age, shall use one of the following technologies
at the point of sale to verify that a customer purchasing an
age-restricted product is at least 21 years of age:
(1) A secure digital system that may be voluntarily
installed on a customer's mobile device which uses a minimal
set of data points from the customer's driver license; or
(2) A card swipe device that reads the magnetic strip
or barcode of a driver license or other state issued
identification card.
Section 2. Any retailer in the state that sells
age-restricted products may use either of the technologies
described in Section 1 to verify the age of its customers.
Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47