Alcohol license supervision

As a municipality, we check that businesses and residents are complying with the alcohol law. Does a supermarket, liquor store, catering establishment or other store sell alcohol to a young person under the age of 18? Then the business will receive a warning. If there is another violation, the business will be fined. For multiple violations, we can punish even more severely. Consider a temporary ban on selling alcohol for supermarkets or the temporary revocation of the license for catering establishments. A young person carrying alcohol in public is also punishable himself.

Age verification

A business is required by law to determine whether a person who wants to buy alcohol is 18 years of age or older. Thus, the seller must ask for proof of identity. This obligation applies to anyone who is "not unmistakably" 18 years of age. Does the bartender or salesperson not ask for identification? Then we can issue a warning or fine. It then does not matter whether the purchaser is 18 or not. So a bar or other point of sale must always check the age if in doubt. Supermarkets, for example, have agreed to ask everyone under 25 for proof of identity.

Test Youth

Among other things, we work with adult "test youth. These youths are not clearly 18 years old ('not unmistakable'). This means that a vendor must always ask these youths for identification before selling them drinks. The test youths order alcoholic beverages, behave neutrally and always show them identification upon request.

Why do we deploy test youth?

  • We can make targeted checks to see if companies are complying with the rules.
  • It takes little time when checking cafes.
  • It is also efficient for the supermarket.
  • Our inspectors stand out because they are familiar to hospitality and supermarket customers.

What other checks do we perform?

  • We check in a catering establishment or supermarket whether liquor is sold there to persons under 18.
  • We check young people in public places for possession of alcohol.
  • We control the continued serving of alcohol to people who are in "apparent condition" (intoxicated).

Learn more

Our full strategy on alcohol law enforcement is at government.co.uk.