Lewisham Council Homepage Skip navigation
navigation-end

Advice for retailers about age-restricted goods

Find out how old consumers have to be to buy age-restricted goods and how to ensure you are not selling to an under-age customer.

It is illegal to sell certain products to children and young people. This page sets out how old customers have to be to buy different age-restricted products. It also explains some of the steps you can take to make sure you are not selling to an under-age customer.

Why some goods are age restricted

This is to prevent the harm that products might cause in the hands of those who are not fully aware of their dangers.

For example, over 80% of smokers start when teenagers. Of all recorded deaths from solvent abuse, 53% involve young people aged between 14 and 18.

More young people are carrying and using weapons such as knives, and the misuse of products such as alcohol and spray paints encourages antisocial behaviour.

Age limits of restricted products

This list shows the age limits below which certain products are not to be sold.

Product Minimum legal selling age
Air weapons 18 years
Alcohol 18 years
Butane gas lighter refills 18 years
Other solvent-based products (glues, petrol lighter fuels, aerosols etc) 18 years
Cigarettes and tobacco products 18 years
Crossbows 18 years
Fireworks 18 years
Party poppers, cracker snaps 16 years
Knives and other bladed items 18 years
Liqueur chocolates 16 years
National Lottery tickets 16 years
Pre-recorded video tapes, DVDs and games The age classification as marked on the product
Petrol 16 years
Pets 16 years
Realistic imitation firearms Banned
Imitation firearms 18 years
Scrap metal Cannot buy scrap from a person apparently under 16 years
Spray paints 16 years

The sale of these products to someone below the legal minimum age is a criminal offence and you or your staff may be liable to prosecution.

Some items such as flick knives, some martial arts type weapons and realistic imitation firearms are totally banned from sale.

How we enforce the law

We enforce the law by:

  • visiting local shops to advise retailers on legal requirements

  • investigating complaints from the public

  • publishing information.

We also carry out attempted purchases using supervised child volunteers. Any illegal sales discovered using this technique are taken extremely seriously indeed. e also carry out attempted purchases using supervised child volunteers. Any illegal sales discovered using this technique are taken extremely seriously indeed.

Local retailers are prosecuted if appropriate. However, we would prefer to achieve compliance by working together with businesses.

What you can do to keep within the law

  • Do not stock items that are totally prohibited.

  • Apply your own higher age limit (e.g. 21 instead of 18, 18 instead of 16) to be extra sure that you do not sell illegally.

  • Refuse the sale if you are in any doubt about the age of the purchaser.

  • Display warning signs in your store.

  • If you sell cigarettes and tobacco products, you are legally required to display a specially worded warning notice.

  • Print out these guidelines and make sure that you and your staff read and sign them. Keep them in a safe and available place for reference.

  • Keep a 'refusals book'. This is a written record of dates and times when you have refused a sale, a brief description of the purchaser and the item they tried to buy. This can help to show that you have taken reasonable steps to keep within the law.

How we can help you

We can help you keep within the law by giving you:

  • specialist leaflets for issues like the sale of tobacco products and sale of weapons

  • responses to individual queries

  • free warning signs (including the mandatory tobacco warning sign) and a range of 'can you prove your age?' stickers, free of charge.

Contact

Safer Communities Service (Trading Standards)

9 HOLBEACH ROAD, LONDON, SE6 4TW
Can't find what you're looking for? Ask us anything