Anyone under the age of 18 years is considered a minor.
The legal drinking age in Victoria is 18 years. It's illegal for any person to supply alcohol to a minor on licensed premises. It's also illegal for a minor to be on licensed premises to purchase, receive or consume alcohol.
Minors and licensed premises
Minors are not permitted to drink alcohol on licensed premises under any circumstances.
Depending on the situation, a minor may be allowed on licensed premises.
A minor may be on licensed premises if they are in the company of a responsible adult.
A responsible adult is defined as a person who is 18 years or older and is:
An unaccompanied minor cannot be on licensed premises unless:
Other circumstances that permit minors on licensed premises are if the minor is:
A licensee must not sell alcohol to a customer if they suspect the customer will give the alcohol to a minor. This is called secondary supply.
A minor cannot be involved in the supply of alcohol, except if they are part of a VCGLR approved training program.
A minor can be employed on licensed premises to undertake duties that are not associated with the supply of liquor. These duties may include:
The above list of duties is intended to be instructive only and will not cover all duties that a minor may perform on a licensed premises.
A minor can also carry packaged liquor for consumption off the premises to a person over 18 years of age, for example, a staff member who is a minor can assist carrying purchased alcohol to a customer's car. This particular duty is permitted under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998.
Duties that a minor cannot perform include:
A minor can perform logistical duties relating to the movement of sealed alcohol that is not visible to customers. This means a minor can, for example, stock shelves in storage rooms with sealed alcohol. If minors are performing this or similar duties you should ensure they are appropriately supervised by adult staff members.
