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Age restricted sales

Who is affected?

There are laws that restrict the sale of certain products and services to people of a certain age.

Minimum Legal age – All of the laws that deal with age–restricted products and services state the minimum age of young people that can legally buy that product

Top tips:

  • Different minimum ages apply depending on the type of product you are selling. You and your staff must be aware of the minimum age required and the table below should assist with this.
  • Make sure you understand your responsibilities in relation to the products you want to sell and the consequences of an underage sale.
  • Make sure you set up effective systems within your business to prevent you or your staff selling an age-restricted product to a person under the relevant age.
  • Ensure all of your staff are fully trained in relation to your systems including till prompts and maintaining a refusals register.
  • Ensure you and your staff carry out checks to verify young people’s age when purchasing age-restricted products.

 

Goods

Age Restriction

Adult fireworks and sparklers (category F2 [outdoor use: confined areas] and category F3 [outdoor use: large open areas] fireworks)

18 and over

Aerosol Paints

16 and  over

Alcohol

18 and over

Christmas Crackers

12 and over

Crossbows

18 and over

Knives axes and blades

18 and over

Lighter Refills containing Butane

18 and over

Lottery Tickets /Instant Win Scratch Cards

16 and over

Nicotine Inhaling Products ( Vape  / E-cig liquids)

18 and over

Party Poppers Category 1 Fireworks

16 and over

Petrol

16 and over

Sunbeds

18 and over

Tobacco

18 and over

Video Recordings and video games

“U” and PG rated

Rating 3 and 5

Other classification

 

Unrestricted

Unrestricted

As specified on the packaging, i.e. 12, 16, 18

 

Useful links:

https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/underage-sales

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