APLH Age Verification 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum age for purchasing alcohol in England and Wales?
- 16 years old
- 18 years old (Correct answer)
- 17 years old
- 21 years old
Correct answer: 18 years old
The minimum age for purchasing alcohol in England and Wales is 18 years old — selling alcohol to a person under 18 is a criminal offence under the Licensing Act 2003.
Question 2: What does the Challenge 25 policy require licensed premises to do?
- Refuse entry to all persons who appear to be under 25
- Request proof of age from any customer who appears to be under 25 before selling them alcohol (Correct answer)
- Display a sign stating that all persons must be 25 or older to enter
- Ask all customers under 30 for proof of age
Correct answer: Request proof of age from any customer who appears to be under 25 before selling them alcohol
Challenge 25 means that if a customer appears to be under 25, staff must request valid proof of age before completing an alcohol sale — it creates a safety margin to avoid selling to under-18s.
Question 3: Which forms of ID are generally accepted under Challenge 25 schemes as proof of age?
- Any card with a photo
- PASS-hologram card, valid passport, or EU/UK photo driving licence — all of which confirm both identity and date of birth (Correct answer)
- A bank card with the holder's name
- A birth certificate and a utility bill together
Correct answer: PASS-hologram card, valid passport, or EU/UK photo driving licence — all of which confirm both identity and date of birth
Acceptable forms of age verification must include a date of birth and be difficult to forge — PASS-accredited cards, passports, and photo driving licences are the standard accepted forms.
Question 4: Under the Licensing Act 2003, what offence is committed by a licensed premises that sells alcohol to a person under 18?
- A civil offence only, subject to a fixed penalty
- A criminal offence under s.146, with a maximum fine and potential licence review (Correct answer)
- An administrative error requiring retraining only
- A disciplinary matter for the DPS only
Correct answer: A criminal offence under s.146, with a maximum fine and potential licence review
Section 146 of the Licensing Act 2003 creates a criminal offence for any person who knowingly sells or attempts to sell alcohol to a person under 18, and for the premises licence holder who allows it.
Question 5: What is a 'test purchase' in the context of alcohol licensing?
- A price comparison exercise conducted by trading standards
- An undercover enforcement operation where a person under 18 (supervised by an adult officer) attempts to buy alcohol to test compliance with age verification procedures (Correct answer)
- A quality assessment of alcohol brands sold in a premises
- A staff training exercise using simulated customers
Correct answer: An undercover enforcement operation where a person under 18 (supervised by an adult officer) attempts to buy alcohol to test compliance with age verification procedures
Test purchase operations are conducted by trading standards and/or the police using young volunteers under 18 (with written consent) to test whether premises are properly checking age — a failed test can result in prosecution.
Question 6: Under the Licensing Act 2003, what is the defence available to a staff member who sold alcohol to an under-18 person but was deceived by fake ID?
- There is no defence — strict liability applies to under-age sales
- The 'due diligence' defence: the defendant took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the offence (Correct answer)
- The employer's liability transfers to the person who provided the fake ID
- Staff members are not personally liable — only the licence holder is
Correct answer: The 'due diligence' defence: the defendant took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the offence
Section 139 provides a 'due diligence' defence — if the seller genuinely believed the customer was 18+, having taken all reasonable steps to verify age (including asking for and checking what appeared to be valid ID), the defence may apply.
APLH Age Verification 1
What is the minimum age for purchasing alcohol in England and Wales?