Alcohol
Legal Status
U.S. FEDERAL LAW #
Caution : All legal information should be verified through other sources. [see below]
U.S. FEDERAL LEGAL SUMMARY | |
Alcohol | |
REGULATED | Yes |
STATUS | Over-The-Counter Age Restricted |
SCHEDULE | Un-Scheduled |
Alcohol sales are regulated in the United States. Though alcohol is available over the counter :
Spirits #
(from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms)
"You cannot produce spirits for beverage purposes without paying taxes and without prior approval of paperwork to operate a distilled spirits plant. [See 26 U.S.C. 5601 & 5602 for some of the criminal penalties.] There are numerous requirements that must be met that make it impractical to produce spirits for personal or beverage use. Some of these requirements are paying special tax, filing an extensive application, filing a bond, providing adequate equipment to measure spirits, providing suitable tanks and pipelines, providing a separate building (other than a dwelling) and maintaining detailed records, and filing reports. All of these requirements are listed in 27 CFR Part 19.
Spirits may be produced for nonbeverage purposes for fuel use only without payment of tax, but you also must file an application, receive ATF's approval, and follow requirements, such as construction, use, records and reports."
- Only those over the age of 21 are legally allowed to purchase alcohol.
- It is illegal to purchase alcohol for a minor.
- It is legal to brew beer and ferment wine for personal consumption without a license.
- In order to sell beer or wine, a license is required.
- It is federally illegal to distill hard alcohol (even for personal consumption) without a license.
- It is illegal in most states to drive (or operate vehicles) with a blood alcohol content of over a certain level (.08 in some states, .1 in others)
Spirits #
(from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms)
"You cannot produce spirits for beverage purposes without paying taxes and without prior approval of paperwork to operate a distilled spirits plant. [See 26 U.S.C. 5601 & 5602 for some of the criminal penalties.] There are numerous requirements that must be met that make it impractical to produce spirits for personal or beverage use. Some of these requirements are paying special tax, filing an extensive application, filing a bond, providing adequate equipment to measure spirits, providing suitable tanks and pipelines, providing a separate building (other than a dwelling) and maintaining detailed records, and filing reports. All of these requirements are listed in 27 CFR Part 19.
Spirits may be produced for nonbeverage purposes for fuel use only without payment of tax, but you also must file an application, receive ATF's approval, and follow requirements, such as construction, use, records and reports."
INTERNATIONAL LAW #
For information about the Minimum Drinking Age or Minimum Purchase Age for alcohol throughout the world, we recommend the following two sites:
For additional notes on alcohol law and enforcement, see below.
For additional notes on alcohol law and enforcement, see below.
Australia #
Illegal to sell any alcohol containing beverages to anyone under 18. (Thanks atb)
Belgium #
Though the drinking age in Belgium is 16 for beer/wine and 18 for liquor, practically, there is little restriction on purchase by age. (Thanks JR)
Brazil #
Though the drinking age in Brazil is 18, enforcement is reportedly very lax. (Thanks h)
Canada #
The laws respecting alcohol are determined by the province or territory not by the federal government. In the North West Territories, alcohol use is restricted by the municipality not by the NWT government. Communities in the NWT have the right to ban alcohol completely if the local government desires. Legal drinking age of 19 in Ontario are a draw for US citizens 19 & 20 years old. (Thanks S, thanks Cory)
Denmark #
Alcohol above 1.2% may not be sold to those under 16. Must be 18 to buy alcohol in a bar/restaurant.
Finland #
Brewing of beer and fermenting wine for personal consumption is legal, but not if you intend to sell the product. Production of hard liquour by distilling is prohibited even for personal consumption. Drinks containing 4.7 % by volume or less of alcohol are sold in grocery stores, kiosks etc., while beverages with higher levels of alcohol are sold only in regulated liquor shops. Possession of alcohol by minors is well tolerated.
France #
Practically, little restriction on purchase by age.
Germany #
Alcohol available in vending machines, making age restriction difficult. (Thanks PM)
Iran #
Alcohol ingestion is strictly illegal under Islamic Religious Law in Iran and those caught can be whipped, fined, or jailed. Much of the alcohol is home-distilled and there are a number of cases of methanol-related deaths and blindess reported. (Thanks Sorayaa)
Italy #
Practically, little restriction on purchase by age. (Thanks Stefano K.)
Japan #
Legal age is 20 for purchase, available in vending machines, making age restriction difficult. (Unconfirmed) (Thanks Neocide)
Norway #
Packaged distilled liquors sold only in liquor stores, while beer is sold in a variety of stores. (Thanks Oyvind)
Peru #
Drinking age officially 18, although it can be purchased by those under 18 easily except at large supermarkets and fancy bars. (Thanks DiegoB)
Poland #
18 or over legal, but widely sold to younger people. (Unconfirmed) (Thanks RaN)
Romania #
18 or over legal to purchase, but the law, writes BB500, is "universally ignored in cities and rural areas. It is not illegal to possess alcohol or be drunk under age. Alcohol is sold everywhere from gas stations to malls and hotels. Romanians distill moonshine that is 195 proof and sold by vendors on the streets. There is a sap-based alcohol sold at some restaraunts. Romania has strict drunk driving laws." (Unconfirmed, thanks BB500)
Spain #
Widely available in vending machines. (Thanks to MB)
Sweden #
Rigorous checking of age in all cases. (Thanks to Gabriel)
Switzerland #
Beer and wine 16 and over, spirits 18 and over. A contributor writes:
Alcoholic drinks must be sold so that they are clearly distinguishable from non-alcoholic drinks. It's illegal to sell beer, wine and cider to teenager under 16. It's illegal to sell spirits (e.g. liquor), aperitifs (e.g. martini) and 'alcopops' (e.g. smirnoff ice) to teenager under 18. Unfortunately 'alcopops' are often sold to teenager between 14 and 16 years in big supermarkets, though this is illegal. Unlike the US, it's allowed to drink and show the bottle in public, thus you don't need a paper-bag to hide the bottle. (Thanks VF)
U.K. #
A new Alcohol Licensing Act came into effect in January 2005. For more details, see U.K. Alcohol Age Limits.
If you have information about the legal status of this substance in any other country, please let us know.
CAUTION & DISCLAIMER #
Erowid legal information is a summary of data gathered from site visitors, government documents, websites, and other resources. We are not lawyers and can not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided here. We do our best to keep this information correct and up-to-date, but laws are complex and constantly changing. Laws may also vary from one jurisdiction to another (county, state, country, etc)...this list is not comprehensive.