Age Verification | Royal Mail
If you've been asked to provide proof of your age or verify your ID before you can receive your parcel, here's why we ask for it - and the items which may need age verification.
Royal Mail Age Verification
Learn about our age verification process, and how it protects our customers
Why do you use age verification?
Our age verification process lets us validate proof of your age; it's a service used to send items that can only be delivered to a recipient who is aged 18 and over.
When we deliver age-restricted items, we need to make sure that the person receiving the items is 18 and over.
Which items require age verification when they are delivered
- Knives or Blades as defined by s141A Criminal Justice Act 1988
- 'Bladed Products' as defined by s41 of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019
Customers may also be required to provide their proof of age for the following items, if the sender has used our age verification service:
- Alcohol
- Vape equipment and liquids
- Tobacco
How does Royal Mail verify customer ages?
When your parcel arrives at your door, you'll be asked for:
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Your year of birth
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If you're between 18 and 25
We will need to check your birth year and see ID before we hand the item over.
This same rule applies if you collect your post from your local Royal Mail Customer Service Point or Post Office branch.
Which documents does Royal Mail accept as proof of age?
We accept the following valid documents with photo ID as proof of age:
- Valid passport
- Valid UK or EU driving license (full or provisional)
The delivery person will then input your year of birth into their device, take your signature, and hand over your parcel.
They will not:
- Record any other information about you
- Take photographs of your ID document
- Be able to access your information once the delivery is complete.
The information about your year of birth is stored securely in Royal Mail's systems and will be deleted according to our data protection policies.
Can someone else over 18 accept my parcel?
Yes- an age-restricted item delivered by Royal Mail can be delivered to another adult over the age of 18 at the same address.
You can also nominate a neighbour who's over 18 to receive your parcel for you - they will need to show proof of age.
What happens if I'm not in to receive an age-restricted item?
If you're not in to receive your parcel or there are no other adults over 18 at home who can sign for it, we'll leave a 'Something for you' card and will either bring your parcel back the next working day to attempt delivery again or to your local Customer Service point to be collected with proof of age.
You can find out where your parcel is being held by checking Royal Mail services near you, or using the Royal Mail app on your phone.
Alternatively, you can use the information on the ‘Something for you’ card to contact Royal Mail to arrange a redelivery for a time when you’re home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Royal Mail services use age verification?
Our Royal Mail Tracked and Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed services use age verification.
What to do if you've been asked for proof of your identity
The item you've been asked to sign for has been sent using our ID Verification service. This service ensures the item is only handed over to a named individual and can not be handed to any other person.
We'll need to see proof you're the named individual before we hand the item over. The same rule applies if you're collecting it from your local Customer Service point or Post Office branch.
We'll accept the following, valid, in date photo ID as proof of identity:
- Passport
- Photocard Driving License
What to do if you're asked to provide proof of age or identity by Royal Mail
If you've been asked for proof of your age:
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The item you've been asked to sign for has been sent using our Age Verification service. This service ensures the item is only handed over to someone aged 18 or over
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We're using the Challenge 25 principles which means if we think you look under 25, we'll ask to see proof of your age before we hand the item over. The same rule applies if you're collecting it from your local Customer Service Point or Post Office® branch.
We'll accept the following ID as proof of age:
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A valid, in date, Passport or Driving Licence
What to do if you need to show ID to Royal Mail
The item you've been asked to sign for has been sent using our ID Verification service. This service ensures the item is only handed over to a named individual.
We'll need to see proof you're the named individual before we hand the item over. The same rule applies if you're collecting it from your local Customer Service Point or Post Office® branch.
We'll accept the following, valid, in date Photo ID as proof of identity:
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Passport
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Photocard Driving Licence
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Foreign National
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Military
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Police Warrant
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Royal Mail Employee
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NHS or senior citizen bus pass