Alcohol
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When can I be on licensed premises?
If you are under 18 it is generally against the law for you to enter a licensed premises. A licensed premises can include a pub, a bar, a football club or an RSL club.
If you are under 18 there are certain exceptions that mean you can only enter licensed premises if:
- you live there
- you work there (including work experience or job training)
- you are eating a meal on the premises or you are with a responsible adult who is supervising you (but not if it is after 5 pm and the premises are being used for cabaret entertainment)
- you are going to a function being held there (like a wedding or birthday party)
- the premises has a club licence and you being there does not break any of the club's rules or licence conditions
- it is approved by the Queensland Department of Tourism, Racing and Fair Trading.
If you are under 18 you should not be in an area of a licensed premises where there is adult entertainment or an act of a sexually explicit nature.
When can I buy and consume alcohol in a licensed premises?
If you are under 18 it is against the law to buy, drink or have with you alcohol in a licensed premises.
If you are under 18 it is against the law for a person on a licensed premises (or on a street or place adjacent to the licensed premises) to sell or otherwise supply or give alcohol to you.
Otherwise supply could mean that an adult can get in trouble if you ask them to buy alcohol for you if you are not yet 18. An adult is also not allowed to send you to a licensed premises to buy alcohol for them.
What identification do I need to be on licensed premises?
A licensee or employee or agent of a licensee may ask you to produce evidence of your age if they suspect (on reasonable grounds) that you are under 18.
Only three forms of identification are acceptable as proof of age. These are:
- photographic driver's licence
- a proof of age card issued by a government department or approved entity (e.g. Card 18+) or
- an Australian or foreign passport.
It is against the law to pretend that you are 18. This includes pretending so you can get a proof of age document that says you are 18 and over. It is also against the law to produce a false document as proof of your age. Any false document will be taken from you and given to an investigator.
When can I have alcohol in a public place?
If you are under 18 it is against the law to have alcohol with you or to drink it in a public place.
If you are under 18 it is also against the law for a person to supply alcohol to you in a public place.
You can be charged with being drunk and disorderly in a public place.
What is a 'wet area'?
If you are under 18, a person can give alcohol to you at a public place designated by the local government as a ‘wet area’ if you are accompanied by a responsible adult (like a parent, step-parent or guardian) who is responsibly supervising you.
"Wet" areas are places approved by your local Council to allow the consumption of alcohol in a public place, normally for particular occasions such as a wedding in the park.
A local council may choose a certain public place as a "wet area" on an ongoing basis and nominate specific days and times when liquor can be consumed. There are very few council approved "wet areas" in Queensland. Usually permission is granted for a festival or one-off occasion rather than a permanent "wet" approval.
What does the law say about drinking in a private home?
There is no law which makes it an offence for a person under 18 to drink alcohol in a private home.
Acknowledgement - Prepared using fact sheets which are copyright to Lawstuff by the National Children's Law Centre.