The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) is launching a new pilot program, the “controlled entrances pilot,” requiring customers who appear 17 and older to present government identification before entering specific stores. This initiative, implemented at six LCBO locations in Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout, and Kenora, aims to address a rise in theft and violent incidents in the retail industry.
The program will run for 12 months, monitoring outcomes, and customer information will be retained for 14 days. LCBO assures that accessed information will only be used in incidents requiring investigation, not linked to other systems, sold, or used for marketing. The pilot operates by scanning photo IDs at the entrance, confirming legitimacy, and legal drinking age. The decision on permanent implementation in pilot locations or expansion remains undecided.
How the pilot works
The LCBO says customers must present government-issued photo identification to security personnel at the entrance before being welcomed into the store.
Photo IDs will be scanned to ensure they are legitimate and valid and to confirm that the customer is of legal drinking age (if unaccompanied by an adult) and has not been involved in any prior in-store incidents. Only one customer can enter the LCBO store at a time.
The customer will not be allowed into the LCBO if those requirements are unmet.
The LCBO said a decision had not been made to make the controlled entrances permanent in pilot locations or expand them to other areas.
The following valid, non-expired prescribed photo ID will be accepted by the LCBO:
- Ontario Driver’s License with a photograph
- Ontario Photo Card
- Canadian Citizenship Card with a photograph
- Canadian Passport
- Canadian Forces Identification Card
- Permanent Resident Card
- Secure Certificate of Indian Status Card
- Out of Province/Country Photo ID if it includes a photograph of the person, states their date of birth, and reasonably appears to have been issued by a government
Without a valid ID, the customer won’t be able to enter any LCBO-controlled entrance.
“Providing exceptional customer and employee experiences is a top priority, so our goal is to make this new process quick and easy,” said John Summers, the LCBO’s Chief Retail Officer.
“While it may add a few extra minutes to our customers’ visit, we trust that this is a small inconvenience for a safer and more enjoyable shopping experience.”
The LCBO says multiple measures are in place to deter theft, and piloting controlled entrances will allow the crown corporation to explore a different way to create a “safer experience in our stores for both employees and customers.”
According to the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MBLL), it implemented controlled entrances in 2020. Their website references plummeting theft and positive feedback from customers and employees.