Retail & Consumer Goods

Age-Restricted Products

Understand legal requirements for selling age-restricted products including alcohol, tobacco, and knives.

UK-wide
Guide summary

You must check customer age when selling age-restricted products like alcohol, tobacco, or knives. Acceptable ID includes UK passport or driving licence. Use Challenge 25 policy: ask for ID from anyone who looks under 25. Record all refusals.

  • Check ID for alcohol, tobacco, knives - all 18+
  • Accept UK passport, driving licence, PASS card
  • Use Challenge 25 policy - ask if looks under 25
  • Record refusals - date, time, customer details
  • Train staff on age checks and ID types
  • Display Challenge 25 signs at till points
  • Alcohol fine: £5,000 per underage sale
  • Tobacco fine: £2,500 per underage sale
  • Knives fine: unlimited
  • Keep refusal logs and training records
On this page
UK-wide

Related guides in Alcohol Licensing

Selling knives and bladed articles

A practical compliance guide for retailers selling knives, blades, and sharp-pointed articles. Covers age verification requirements, prohibited weapons, …

Annual retail compliance checklist

Quick annual compliance verification for established retailers. Covers consumer rights, pricing, age verification, data protection, Sunday trading, fire …

Avoid selling counterfeit goods

Protect your business from counterfeit goods liability. Covers supplier due diligence, trade mark verification, Trading Standards seizure powers, …

Responsible alcohol retailing

Checklist of mandatory conditions and best practices for responsible alcohol retailing — Challenge 25, refusal logs, staff training, …

Selling age-restricted products to underage customers is a criminal offence with serious penalties. Retailers must implement robust age verification procedures to avoid prosecution.

Due diligence defence

You may have a defence if you can show you took all reasonable precautions to prevent underage sales. This includes:

  • Written age verification policy (Challenge 25 recommended)
  • Staff training with records
  • Till prompts for restricted products
  • Refusals log
  • Prominent signage