Bill would curtail retailer authority to record driver’s-license scans; supporters cite privacy risks

A proposal that would prevent merchants from recording driver’s-license data collected for age verification drew support from privacy advocates and some community members in a Senate Commerce hearing.

Sponsor Representative Pitch Heading (cosponsor) explained the bill’s intent: the state requires merchants to verify customers’ ages for alcohol sales, and HB 77 would make clear that nothing in statutory language authorizes the licensee to record or retain an electronic copy of the license. The sponsor described the proposal as focused on a privacy risk, not a broad ban on showing a license.

Deborah Johnson of Grantham said she supports the bill but not the House amendment, arguing that the amendment weakens a practical prohibition and does not address the real-world systems being sold to retailers that store photos and signatures from scanned IDs. “These are systems that are sold online…our pictures, our signatures, our height, weight, eye color—it’s all going into a database,” Johnson told senators, citing identity-theft and a federal law history tied to a high-profile crime.

Senator Richardi asked whether the sponsor would consider a broader scope (for returns, gift cards, pharmacy purchases) and the sponsor said she would consider expanding next session; she noted some businesses may keep data for limited operational reasons (for example, hotels sometimes hold ID data temporarily). The liquor commission and other retail operators were not broadly opposed to the concept but said they wanted clear, workable rules and suggested prospective expansions could be considered in a future bill.

The hearing record shows community privacy concerns but also industry questions about enforcement and limited use-cases for temporary retention; senators signaled interest in follow-up work.