The Signature at the Side Door
At 8:30 p.m. on a Saturday, a delivery driver for a licensed grocery store arrives at a residential address with an order of two 12-packs of beer and a bottle of wine. The order was paid online with a note: 'Leave at the side door if no one answers.' A 16-year-old opens the door and says her mother is at work and told her to accept the delivery. The driver sees no adults in the house. The teenager offers her older sister's Ontario driver's licence, which shows a birth date making the sister 23, but the photo does not match the teenager. The driver's handheld device shows the order was placed by a person whose name matches the licence. The store's policy requires ID at delivery and a signature from a person aged 19 or older. It is raining, and the driver has 12 more deliveries.
1. Can the driver leave the alcohol with the 16-year-old or at the side door? Why or why not?
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No. The driver must verify that the person receiving the alcohol is at least 19 and has acceptable ID. A 16-year-old cannot receive the delivery, even with a parent's instruction, and 'leave at the side door' is not permitted because it bypasses age verification. Leaving alcohol unattended also creates a risk that a minor or an intoxicated person will take it.
The driver should not enter the house. The driver should politely explain: 'I can't leave this without ID from someone 19 or older.' The order should be returned to the store or held for a re-delivery if an adult can receive it. The driver should notify dispatch and record the refusal. The driver should not accept the sister's ID because the photo does not match the person at the door; that is a red flag for misrepresentation.
2. What should the driver do with the sister's ID and the minor's request?
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Do not take or keep the ID unless store policy and law clearly allow it; in most cases the driver should hand it back and refuse the delivery. Do not accept it as proof for the minor. Check whether the person at the door matches the photo; here it does not, so the ID cannot verify the minor.
The driver can ask if an adult is expected home soon, but should not wait indefinitely or leave the alcohol. If the minor becomes upset, stay calm and do not argue. Return to the vehicle and contact dispatch. If the minor threatens or blocks the driver, leave and call the police if necessary. The driver should document the name on the order, the time, the reason for refusal, and the description of the person who answered. The store should follow up with the customer.
3. The mother calls the store and says, 'Just leave it, my daughter can bring it in.' What is the correct response?
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The mother's permission does not override the age-verification requirement. The store should explain that the delivery requires an adult 19 or older to receive it with valid ID, and that leaving it with a minor or at the door is not allowed. Offer a re-delivery when an adult is home or a refund or return according to policy. If the mother is intoxicated when she calls, that does not change the rule; the person receiving must be verified at the door.
The store should document the call and the refusal. The driver should not return to the address unless dispatch confirms an adult will receive it. This protects the licensee from a sale to a minor and from alcohol being left in an unsafe situation. The same rule applies to curbside or contactless delivery: ID must be checked at handover.