Kerala orders bars to check Aadhaar of customers who look under 23

Kerala Excise Minister M. Liju has told bars in the state to check the age of customers who appear to be under 23, the legal drinking age in Kerala, before serving them alcohol, by asking for an Aadhaar card or another valid proof of age. Giving the instruction on Friday, October 30, 2026, Liju said the responsibility for age checks lies entirely with licence holders and that bars serving underage customers could lose their licences. He said the government was prompted by a recent road accident at Nedumbassery, near Kochi, in which three young people died; excise officials found that three bars in Kochi had illegally served alcohol to the driver.

Laws on drinking age only work if they are enforced at the point of sale. Kerala's legal drinking age is 23, but the minister himself said breaches of the limit are constant. By making bars responsible for checking identity, and threatening their licences, the government is shifting the burden of enforcement to the businesses that profit from selling alcohol.

The accident at Nedumbassery shows why the government says it acted. Three young people died, and the investigation found that the driver had been served at three different bars over a single night. Each bar that served him broke the law, and none of them stopped him. Age checks will not prevent every case of drunk driving, but they add a barrier for young people who are legally too young to be served at all.

For young people in Kerala, the practical effect is that anyone who looks under 23 should expect to be asked for identification at a bar, and may be refused service without it. There is also a wider message about safety. The safest choices are not to drink before driving, to use a designated sober driver or a cab, and to look out for friends who have been drinking.

The new excise policy expected in November may set out further rules, so bar owners and customers will need to watch for changes.

If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use, help is available; Tele-MANAS, the national mental health helpline, can be reached on 14416.

Short-term: Bars in Kerala will need staff to check identification and refuse service where customers cannot prove they are 23 or older. Surprise inspections will test compliance.

Long-term: If enforced consistently, the rule could reduce underage drinking in bars and the risks that come with it, including road accidents. The new excise policy may add further measures.

Who is affected: Young people in Kerala, especially those under 23; bar owners, managers and staff; the Excise Department; and road users, who face lower risk if drunk driving falls.

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