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Age restricted products
Advice and guidance if you are a business selling age restricted products.
There are several laws in force which place age restrictions on a number of products to protect the health and safety of young people. It is illegal to sell or supply these products to people who have not reached the required age.
Age restricted products
| Product | Age limit |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | 18 |
| Tobacco products (Including cigarettes, cigarette papers) | 18 |
| Fireworks | 18 |
| Lighter refills containing butane | 18 |
| Volatile substances and solvents (when it is believed that they are likely to be inhaled or are for the purposes of being intoxicated) | 18 |
| Offensive weapons (knives, knife blade, axe, any other article which has a blade or is sharply pointed and which is made or adapted for use for causing injury to a person) | 18 |
| Lottery tickets and scratchcards | 16 |
| Video recordings (including computer games) | 12, 15, 18 |
What we do
We conduct regular test purchasing exercises to off-licences using young volunteers to make sure they are
We respond to specific complaints and also carry out assessments of risk. We frequently deal with problems relating to age restricted products and underage sales through routine inspection, advice to traders and education.
What you can do as a business selling age restricted products
Proof of age
If you are a business selling age restricted products and you are ever in doubt about the age of someone wanting to buy any of these items then ask for proof of age.
If you sell an age restricted product to someone under age then you could be prosecuted and fined. This applies to the business, but also to the person who makes the sale. If you have an alcohol license, this may be reviewed or even taken away.
Challenge 21
Sometimes it can be beneficial for a business to adopt a policy which will assist in the prevention of age restricted products being sold to children.
This means that if you think someone looks under 21 then ask for proof of age. Some retailers are now using age 25 as a guide, so anyone who looks 25 or under is asked to prove their age. This extra caution ensures that you don't supply to someone under 18 by mistake.
Where you ask for proof of age, it is important that you only accept legitimate identification which includes:
- PASS-approved identification card
- driving licence
- passport
Report the selling of age restricted products to under age people
If you suspect that a retailer or any other person is selling age restricted products to people under the age limit, you can report it to Trading Standards on the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 2231133.