It’s only been a week since I wrote about the possible impending changes for Utah liquor laws in 2026, but one has already hit the books. Effective March 18th, restaurants no longer have to follow the 100% ID law, given certain circumstances. Per the DABS’ new guidance:
“Only customers purchasing alcohol who appear to be 35 years or younger, must have their ID checked AND electronically scanned. The requirements do not differ based on whether the patron is in a dispensing area or dining area.”
This change affects all restaurant license holders: full-service, limited-service, and beer-only restaurants.
The change does not affect those licensed under bar, tavern, or off-premise retail licenses. In those instances, a 100% ID check is still required regardless of the appearance of the customer. And as a reminder, for bars, that means checking the ID at the entrance before the customer even enters the premises proper.
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Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
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And yet if anything goes south, it’s on the waiter or waitress. He or she gets the fine and loses their job. Just like buying a six pack at Maceys; it’s up to some minimum wage kid to determine if an ID might be fake. That’s just ridiculous.
This should also apply to convention centers.
It’s stupid my 80 year old grandma has to show her id before she can buy beer and it falls on a minimum wage kid to determine if I’d is real or fake just utahs way of covering there ass they can blame it on the kid working the local store