New Jersey To Allow Alcohol Deliveries To Your Front Door
The next time you open your favorite delivery app, food won’t be the only option to be delivered straight to your door. In New Jersey, the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) on Friday (Aug. 26) announced that it is enacting a special rule to allow bars, restaurants, and liquor stores to use third-party delivery services and bring alcohol right to your doorstep beginning this fall.
“This is a game changer for New Jersey’s alcoholic beverage industry and a tremendous opportunity for growth,” ABC director James B. Graziano said. “We’ve worked diligently to craft a permit that serves as an economic stimulus for the industry while maintaining the integrity of New Jersey’s robust liquor laws. The Third-Party Delivery Permit includes appropriate safeguards to ensure orderly, controlled, verifiable and accountable deliveries of alcoholic beverages.”
The Third-Party Delivery Permit will allow restaurants and bars to contract their establishment to delivery carriers such as Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Amazon Flex, etc.
Gov. Phil Murphy says this permit will allow local businesses to embrace new technology in a different way than before but will also ensure the safety of consumers and drivers.
“Opening the door to allow for third-party services to deliver alcoholic beverages to New Jersey residents will allow our local businesses to adopt to the everchanging world of technology and e-commerce,” Murphy said. “Safety is a key element of this ruling; we want to ensure that those involved in delivering and receiving these products are authorized. As we continue with the COVID-19 economic recovery, we must continue to take steps to evolve and adapt to our new normal.”
To become a Third-Party Delivery Permit holder, the applicant must obtain a “retail licensee and an agreement with the delivery worker.” The driver will have to undergo a criminal background check and a detailed report of their driving history. They will also take the responsibility of ensuring that the person receiving the alcohol is at least 21 years of age and is not visibly intoxicated, according to the ABC. College campuses are prohibited to receive alcoholic deliveries the ABC states.
Permits will cost $2,000, the division said.