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Does DoorDash Deliver Alcohol?

By: Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Alcohol, Grocery Delivery & Pickup

These days, it seems like almost anything can be delivered directly to your house. But recently I saw a restaurant say they could deliver margaritas! So I wondered if they do that on their own, or does DoorDash deliver alcohol?

DoorDash does deliver alcohol, primarily from restaurants. However, not every restaurant they deliver from will allow alcohol delivery, and some also require a food purchase. But they do also sell spirits, including liquor from liquor stores in states that allow it.

Did you know that about 1 in 4 alcoholic drinks consumed in the states are bought at a restaurant or bar?

Folks enjoy drinking with their meals, and DoorDash delivers to you if you’re in certain locations and meet some simple criteria, which you’ll find out in a bit.

In the next few minutes, I’ll share key facts you should know about ordering alcohol through DoorDash. We’ll get into whether you have to show ID to receive it and if contactless delivery is even possible.

But we’ll also look at whether or not this is available in every city DoorDash operates in.

Does DoorDash Deliver Alcohol lg

How do you order alcohol from DoorDash?

DoorDash has partnerships with restaurants, liquor stores, and breweries. Orders are placed either on their app or their website. After selecting your delivery address, search for nearby restaurants or stores and see what is available.

Of course, you will also need to create an account with DoorDash if you don’t have one and, naturally, be 21 or older.

So, you could order while you’re at your favorite restaurant, using its app or website, and you could also order while you’re at non-restricted locations. Let’s look at the steps required to order using an app and then its website.

Both are pretty straightforward.

Order Using Its App

Start the DoorDash app for your Android or iOS mobile device.

Add your current address.

Use the search field to find a pub, bar, or restaurant that serves alcohol.

Select the alcoholic beverages you’ll like to order

Add them to your cart.

Proceed to checkout and finish your order

Order Using Its Website

Fill in your delivery address in the search field.

Click on Find Restaurants next to it.

When you find a place you like, browse their menu for cocktails, spirits, wine, and beer. 

Add them to your cart and proceed to checkout.

Alternately, you can go to https://www.doordash.com/alcohol-near-me/ and check out the liquor stores, restaurants, and bars near you that work with DoorDash.

However, it’s worth pointing out that many restaurants only allow delivery of alcohol with the purchase of food. So check the place you want to buy from to see what their policies are.

Also, if you can’t show ID at the time of delivery, or for some reason, aren’t at home, DoorDash will charge you a $20 alcohol restocking fee.

Did you know that you can also order alcohol from Instacart?

Check out a recent article of mine for an in-depth scoop. Of course, there are some states that don’t allow it. Does yours?

Just click the link to read the article on my site.

Is Dash cheaper for alcohol than Instacart?

Generally, Instacart is cheaper than DoorDash for alcohol delivery. DoorDash charges about $5 to $8 per delivery (excluding tips for its drivers who do the delivery). Instacart’s alcohol delivery fees start at .80 cents and go up to $4.00.

But, if you have DoorPass, its subscription service, you enjoy free delivery on all orders over $12. DoorPass comes to about $9.9 per month.

The below table is from DoorDash’s website. The fee depends on the cost of the alcohol you buy.

Alcohol Service Fee Total of Alcohol Purchase
$2.00 $0 to $35
$4.00 $35.01 to $75
$8.00 $75.01 to $100
$10.00 Greater than $100

Instacart Alcohol Service Fee

Like the service fee, there is a reduced fee for Instacart Express members (40% of the regular alcohol service fee):

Alcohol Service Fee Total of Alcohol Purchase
$0.80 $0 to $35
$1.60 $35.01 to $75
$3.20 $75.01 to $100
$4.00 Greater than $100

Instacart Express Alcohol Service Fee

There are no alcohol service fees for pickup orders. 

Delivery fees also depend on the size of your order and the time of delivery. The delivery fee will be higher if it’s during its peak period (when its shoppers are busy). You’ll see this when choosing your delivery timeframe.

For orders over $35, delivery fees start at $3.99. While for orders under $35, delivery fees start at $7.99. On orders over $35, delivery fees are waived if you’re an Instacart Express member. It’s $9.99 per month or $99 per year, and there’s a 14 day trial period.

So, is DoorDash cheaper than Instacart?

Seeing as Instacart marks up some of its prices, you may get a better deal from DoorDash, seeing as one of its partners is Walmart.

If I were you, I’d place orders on both websites to confirm the actual cost of each order and simply cancel the more expensive one.

Does DoorDash scan your ID for alcohol?

DoorDash drivers require a valid, government-issued photo ID and drivers use an app on their smartphone to verify that it’s a legitimate ID.

That’s because the law requires that it verifies the age of the people they’re delivering alcohol to.

In Canada, alcohol can be delivered to a person that’s 19 or older, while in the U.S., they must be 21 or older.

The DoorDash delivery person is required by law to verify the ID each time they deliver alcohol, even if the person appears to be 21 and above or if they’ve delivered to the same person before.

A valid ID must show your photograph and date of birth.

In general, acceptable IDs include:

  • a valid driver’s license issued by the federal, state, county, or municipal government.
  • a valid passport.
  • an identification card issued by the Armed Forces of the United States that contains the name, date of birth, description, and picture of the person

They have to confirm that the ID is not invalid or fake.

If they’re delivering in New York, IDNYC is not an acceptable form of ID to buy alcohol via DoorDash. Only one of the IDs listed in the paragraph above can be used.

And, if the delivery is being made in Massachusetts, the following are the acceptable IDs:

  •  an unexpired Massachusetts driver’s license 
  •  an unexpired Massachusetts liquor ID 
  •  an unexpired passport from a country recognized by the United States
  •  an unexpired military identification card

Note that you can’t present an ID that’s expired and that you’ll be asked to remove the ID from your wallet and hand it over so that the DoorDash delivery person can look at the front and back.

They’re also expected to check that you’re not intoxicated.

If you opt for Instacart instead, note that some of its prices are marked up. Why? Find out in a recent article of mine, where I explained in detail. Some store’s prices are as much as 20% when you order from Instacart, compared to in the store. But not every store.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Does DoorDash deliver alcohol everywhere?

DoorDash can only deliver alcohol in states where alcohol sales are permitted. But even in those states, delivery to government facilities and schools is forbidden.

In a recent article of mine, I included a list showing states where alcohol is allowed to be sold in grocery stores and those where it’s not allowed. Some states allow only beer. And, some even have restrictions on whether grocery stores can sell alcohol on Sundays.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

And as I mentioned, even in states where alcohol sale is permitted, DoorDash cannot deliver to customers in the following locations:

  • Schools (public or private), or campuses
  • Government facilities
  • Storage units, lockers, and P.O. boxes
  • Stores where alcohol is sold

Note that even in states where alcohol sale is permitted, DoorDash drivers have to check that the customer meets certain criteria required by the law.

Does DoorDash deliver liquor?

DoorDash will deliver liquor from restaurants that sell it and liquor stores in states where liquor delivery is valid.

Simply use its app or website’s search field, find your state (if alcohol is allowed), and you’ll find restaurants listed with the type of liquor they have available.

What we’ve shared before about your needing a valid ID and the type of ID is relevant to liquor delivery, too. You can easily download its app from the Google play store or go to https://www.doordash.com/alcohol-near-me/. 

Both are super-easy to use.

Note that DoorDash expects that you’ve met the criteria we explored earlier. If you didn’t, and you placed an order for alcohol/liquor, and a Dasher comes to where you are, and there’s an issue, the company will charge you a $20 restocking fee to cover the Dasher’s time and the cost of repurchase for the item.

So, you’ve got to be 21 or older, have a valid ID, and be in a location that’s not on the “restricted list.”

Curious about whether DoorDash delivers for Walmart?

That’s exactly what I explored in a recent article of mine. I explained that it does, but not everywhere. I also shared that, in addition to the low prices you get at Walmart, your delivery cost will be lower because Doordash doesn’t mark up its prices like Instacart.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Conclusion

We looked at how to order alcohol and liquor via DoorDash.

Specifically, we looked at the criteria one has to meet, whether it’s cheaper via DoorDash or Instacart, by looking at the fees both platforms charge, and if your ID will be scanned.

We also explored the kind of IDs that are acceptable and noted some relevant info to note concerning New York and Massachusetts.

Photos that require attribution:

Dangerous good by Lars Plougmann is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 and was edited, cropped, stretched, and had a text and graphic overlay added.

The Grocery Store Guy, part of the Middle Class Dad family of websites, is reader-supported and when you make a purchase through some of my links, I  may earn a small commission from the sale, which in no way increases the cost to you. Learn more HERE.

Jeff Campbell
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