Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005

102 Sale of alcohol to a child or young person

(1) A person who sells alcohol to a child or a young person commits an offence.

(2) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) (referred to in this section as “the accused”) to show that—

(a) the accused believed the child or young person to be aged 18 or over, and

(b) either—

(i) the accused had taken reasonable steps to establish the child’s or young person’s age, or

(ii) no reasonable person could have suspected from the child’s or young person’s appearance that the child or young person was aged under 18.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)(b)(i), the accused is to be treated as having taken reasonable steps to establish the child’s or young person’s age if and only if—

(a) the accused was shown any of the documents mentioned in subsection (4), and

(b) that document would have convinced a reasonable person.

(4) The documents referred to in subsection (3)(a) are any document bearing to be—

(a) a passport,

(b) a European Union photocard driving licence, or

(c) such other document, or a document of such other description, as may be prescribed.

(5) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction to—

(a) a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale,

(b) imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or

(c) both.