Underage sales
Trading Standards enforces legislation preventing the supply of age-restricted products or services to children under the legal age.
The list of age-restricted products and services includes:
|
18 or over |
16 or over |
12 or over |
|---|---|---|
|
Alcohol Butane lighter fuel Cigarettes, tobacco Corrosive substances Fireworks (category F2/F3) Knives, blades and axes Lottery tickets and scratchcards Vapes (nicotine inhaling products) Crossbows, replica and lookalike guns Tattooing Use of ultra-violet radiation sunbeds or access to them Administering botulinum toxin (botox) or subcutaneous, submucous or intradermal injection of a filler for a cosmetic purpose (cosmetic fillers)
|
Aerosol paints Petrol Animals Category F1 fireworks |
Christmas crackers DVDs, videos, games |
Find more information on age restricted treatments and procedures visit our licensing pages.
We work in partnership with the police, public health as well as local businesses and schools to tackle illegal underage sales.
We do this by:
- offering retailers free advice, information leaflets, refusals registers and challenge 25 age check point of sale materials
- undertaking educational work with young people to raise awareness of the law and the health reasoning behind it
- supporting PASS approved proof of age cards
- carrying out supervised test purchasing operations using underage volunteers
- prosecuting and issuing fixed penalty notices or cautioning those who make illegal sales
- instigating reviews of alcohol premises licenses, resulting in suspension or revocation of licences
- seeking voluntary closure of licensed premises for 48 hours to two weeks following two illegal sales in two months
- seeking a court order banning certain persons or premises from selling tobacco products where illegal sales have occurred repeatedly
- supporting the responsible retailer agreement for knife retailers (knife charter)
Page last updated: 10 November 2023
