Minors and under-age drinking on licensed premises

A minor is someone who is under 18. As a licensee, you and your employees have a legal responsibility to:

• prevent minors from entering your licensed premises (except in some circumstances explained in this guide)
• refuse to sell alcohol to minors or allow liquor to be consumed by minors.

Penalties and fines exist for:

• having minors on-site (except in some circumstances explained in this guide)
• selling alcohol to minors
• allowing minors to drink alcohol.

The best way to protect yourself and your staff from being fined is to be strict about checking every young patron for valid identification (ID) showing their legal age.

This guide explains licensees' legal requirements when dealing with minors and under-age drinking on licensed premises, including:

• exemptions that allow minors to be on licensed premises
• acceptable forms of ID and the requirements for checking ID properly
• penalties for not complying with the law.