LCQ Age Verification and Proof of Age 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is NOT an acceptable form of identification for age verification at a New Zealand licensed premises?
- A current New Zealand passport
- A current foreign passport
- A birth certificate (Correct answer)
- A current New Zealand driver licence
Correct answer: A birth certificate
A birth certificate is not an approved form of ID for age verification under the Act because it does not contain a photograph to confirm the holder's identity.
Question 2: Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, what does 'secondary supply' to a young person mean?
- Supplying alcohol at a discounted price to an underage person
- Supplying alcohol to a young person in a private setting such as a home (Correct answer)
- Selling alcohol through a third-party intermediary on behalf of a minor
- Providing a second serving of alcohol to an already intoxicated minor
Correct answer: Supplying alcohol to a young person in a private setting such as a home
Secondary supply refers to the supply of alcohol to young persons outside of licensed premises, such as in private homes — it is regulated separately from on-premises sales.
Question 3: Who is legally permitted to supply alcohol to a young person under the secondary supply provisions of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012?
- Any responsible adult over 25 years of age
- Any person holding a valid manager's certificate
- A parent or guardian, or a person with explicit parental consent (Correct answer)
- Only licensed duty managers in approved settings
Correct answer: A parent or guardian, or a person with explicit parental consent
The Act allows only a parent or guardian of the young person, or a person with the explicit consent of a parent or guardian, to lawfully supply alcohol to a young person.
Question 4: If a staff member suspects a customer is using a fraudulent ID, what is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Confiscate the ID and call the police immediately
- Refuse service and report the incident to the duty manager (Correct answer)
- Serve the customer since certainty about fraud cannot be established
- Take a photograph of the ID to verify it later
Correct answer: Refuse service and report the incident to the duty manager
Staff should refuse service and immediately escalate the matter to the duty manager, who can then decide on further action such as contacting New Zealand Police.
Question 5: An effective staff training programme for age verification at a licensed premises must include which key element?
- Scripts designed to avoid legal liability when refusing service
- Clear instructions on acceptable ID types and how to handle refusals professionally (Correct answer)
- A register of all customers who have been refused service
- Monthly police briefings on local underage drinking statistics
Correct answer: Clear instructions on acceptable ID types and how to handle refusals professionally
Effective age verification training must include clear guidance on which forms of ID are acceptable and how staff should handle refusals to ensure consistent and lawful compliance.
Question 6: Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, when is a licensee NOT required to check a customer's age?
- When the customer is visibly intoxicated and clearly an adult
- When the customer is a long-standing regular and is clearly over 18
- There is no exception — ID must be requested whenever age is in doubt (Correct answer)
- When other customers in the group can vouch for the person's age
Correct answer: There is no exception — ID must be requested whenever age is in doubt
The Act provides no exemption based on familiarity; if there is any reasonable doubt about a customer's age, acceptable identification must be requested before serving them.
Question 7: What is the significance of the defence that 'it appeared that the person was of or over the purchase age' under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012?
- It fully absolves a licensee of all responsibility for an underage sale
- It may be raised where reasonable steps were taken, but the court assesses whether those steps were genuinely adequate (Correct answer)
- It applies only to off-licence premises, not on-licence premises
- It removes the requirement for staff to have formal age verification training
Correct answer: It may be raised where reasonable steps were taken, but the court assesses whether those steps were genuinely adequate
This statutory defence may be available where reasonable steps were taken to verify age, but it does not guarantee acquittal — the court will examine whether the steps taken were truly reasonable in the circumstances.
LCQ Age Verification and Proof of Age 2
Which of the following is NOT an acceptable form of identification for age verification at a New Zealand licensed premises?