Drinking Age in the U.K.
v1.0 - Oct 2004
Note: new licensing law comes into effect in Jan 2005, details unknown.
| From alcoholconcern.org.uk | ||
|---|---|---|
| age | key point | law |
| under 5 | may only be given alcohol on medical order | Children and Young Person's Act of 1933 |
| 5 and over | may consume alcohol, e.g. at home. It is only illegal for those aged 5-18 to drink alcohol on licensed premises (without meeting other licensing requirements) | |
| under 14 | may not be present in the bar of licensed premises unless accompanied by a person over 28, it is before 9pm and a children | Licensing Act of 1964, Deregulation and Contracting Out Act of 1994 |
| 14 and over | may be in the bar of licensed premises during permitted hours at licensee's discretion | Licensing Act 1964 |
| under 16 | may be present in a restaraunt etc where alcohol is served with a meal and at the licensee's discretion may consume (but not purchase) alcohol bought by a parent or guardian | |
| 16 and over | may purchase beer, porter, cider, or perry with a meal in an eating area on licensed premises (In Scotland wine also) | Licensing Act of 1964 |
| under 18 | may not purchase or be supplied with or consume alcohol in a bar | |
| under 18 | police have powers to confiscate alcohol from under 18s drinking in public and to contact their parents | Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act of 1997 |
| under 18 | Licensees and staff of licensed premises have a positive duty not to sell alcohol unless they are reasonably certain that the purchaser is not under the age of 18. The legal obstruction to test purchasing under the supervision of police or insperctors of weights and measures is removed. | Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 |
| 16-18 | May not be employed in bar of a licensed premises, unless as part of a Modern Apprenticeship Scheme | Licensing Act 1997 |