Age-restricted products and services
- Alcohol
- Aerosol paints
- Cosmetic procedures (some)
- Fireworks
- Knives and bladed items
- Lottery tickets & scratchcards
- Solvents (in some cases)
- Strong corrosive products
- Sunbed hire
- Tattooing and piercing
- Tobacco (including shisha)
- Vapes and vaping products
Consequences of underage sales
Children may suffer physical harm or become dependent on alcohol or nicotine.
Young people with knives, fireworks, or under the influence of alcohol can harm themselves or others and cause anti-social behaviour.
Sellers and shop owners could face legal action from damaged customers or trading standards.
Carrying proof of age (ID)
Businesses should only accept driving licenses, passports, and 'PASS' proof of age cards (such as Citizen Card). The latter is easiest to replace if lost.
Photographs of ID on phones should not be accepted as they are easy to fake.
You should be asked for ID when buying age-restricted goods if you look under 25 to the person serving you.
Some entertainment venues may use electronic systems to verify age for registered customers.
Trader advice
Underage sales can significantly harm a business. Many staff are poorly trained, and managers often lack effective training methods.
We recommend that the person responsible for staff training in small businesses attend our training course. The course is also suitable for employees.
Excellent guidance is available in the Knife Retailer Toolkit – the Good Practice Guide and the ACCESS, CHALLENGE, CHECK animations, which are relevant to sellers of all age-restricted goods, not just knives.