PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) has introduced a new permit program. Food-delivery companies like Uber Eats, Doordash and Grubhub, will now be required to get a permit from the state to deliver alcohol as of Jan. 1, 2024.
"This holds them a little more accountable than they have been up to this point," said Mark Pettinger, spokesperson for the OLCC.
Pettinger said this change will hold third-party delivery services to the same standard as brick-and-mortar operators and ensure customers are of age and not visibly intoxicated.
"We can also, at some point in time, begin to do minor decoy activities similar to what we do at bars, restaurants and convenience stores," Pettinger said.
2023 legislators recognized this issue and approved legislation requiring what's now called the OLCC's third-party delivery facilitator permit. This means companies will have to create their own training program and get it approved by the OLCC before workers can resume alcoholic beverage deliveries.
"So far we have received about 10 applications for this permit," Pettinger said. "We have issued three permits and are in the process of working on two additional ones."
The permit is free to these companies and will last for an entire year. But it will cost $250 for the OLCC to look over and approve what's in their alcohol-delivery training program.
"We've allowed these companies, because it's so late in the year that we are kicking this off, we have allowed them to jump-start their program," Pettinger said. "So essentially, they can begin delivery Jan. 1 even if they haven't gotten their curriculum approved by us."
The OLCC worked with industry and public safety partners to develop regulations that were approved at their board of commission meeting last month.
Pettinger tells KGW that Doordash, Instacart and Spark Drive have all three received their permit. Uber Eats and GB Logistics are still waiting for their approval.
You can click this link to read more about the permit.