Ontario youth can use a photocopy or digital version of an identification document alongside proof of their COVID-19 vaccination when accessing businesses covered by the province’s vaccine certificate system.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Christine Elliott says such versions of IDs are generally not acceptable but are permitted for youth under 18.
Passports, birth certificates, citizenship cards, drivers’ licences and health cards are among the accepted forms of identification under Ontario’s vaccine certificate system.
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Restaurants Canada says staff have been forced to use their discretion when enforcing the system with youth, noting that birth certificates and passports “aren’t things that young people should carry around on a day-to-day basis.”
A spokesman says restaurant staff sometimes have to make the decision whether to accept vaccination proof without identification, putting them in a “precarious position” between customers and provincial rules.
Residents aged 12 and older must show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and a form of identification to access some non-essential services considered high-risk, including restaurant dining rooms, gyms and cinemas.
