Can I sell or serve alcohol to a minor?
No. Selling and offering free of charge alcoholic drinks to a minor under 18 is banned in France (article L3342-1 of the Public Health Code). This applies in shops, bars, restaurants and any drinks outlet. The seller can — and must, in doubt — require ID proving adulthood. Letting in a drunk minor, or letting them drink, also engages the venue's liability. On the parents' side, occasionally giving a teenager a glass at home isn't a sale, but a minor's drunkenness remains a protection issue.
📋 The rules
- Selling and offering alcohol to under-18s: banned
- Applies to shops, bars, restaurants and drinks outlets
- The seller can require ID
- Banned to make a minor drink to drunkenness
- Selling tobacco and puffs to minors also banned
🔓 Exceptions
- Family setting: a parent stays responsible, but it's not a sale
- Non-alcoholic drinks: not concerned
- ID check: the trader can refuse the sale in doubt
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Selling or offering alcohol to a minor is punished by a fine of up to €7,500 (and more for a repeat offence, with possible extra penalties for the drinks outlet). Making a minor drink to drunkenness is also punished. The venue faces administrative sanctions (temporary closure). Inciting a minor to excessive drinking is an offence.
📎 Official sources
- Service-Public.fr · Selling alcohol to minors →
- Légifrance · Article L3342-1 of the Public Health Code →
- MILDECA · Alcohol and minors →
❓ Frequently asked
Can you sell alcohol to a minor?
No. Selling and offering alcoholic drinks to minors under 18 is banned, in shops as in bars and restaurants. The seller can require ID to check adulthood.
What's the fine for the seller?
Up to €7,500, with possible extra penalties and administrative sanctions for the venue (temporary closure). Repeat offences are punished more heavily.
Can a parent give their child alcohol?
In the family setting, occasionally giving a glass isn't a sale. But making a minor drink to drunkenness is punished, and protecting the child's health remains the parents' responsibility.
Can the trader refuse the sale?
Yes, and must in doubt about age. They can require ID proving adulthood and refuse the sale if it's not shown. It's protection against the fine risk.
Are non-alcoholic drinks concerned?
No, the ban targets alcoholic drinks. Non-alcoholic drinks can be sold to minors. However, tobacco and puffs are also banned from sale to minors.
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