Guide
Age-Restricted Products
Understand legal requirements for selling age-restricted products including alcohol, tobacco, and knives.
UK-wide
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
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