Signage requirements for minors in bottle shops and liquor sales areas of supermarkets

In December 2023, the Vibrancy Reforms Act introduced new requirements around minors in bottle shops and areas dedicated to the sale of takeaway liquor.

From 1 July, licensees will be required to ensure there is adequate signage for the new requirements.

What are the rules around minors in bottle shops and areas dedicated to the sale of takeaway liquor?

Unaccompanied minors are now prohibited from entering or remaining in;

bottle shops,
the liquor sales areas of supermarkets, or
an area dedicated to the sale of liquor by retail in sealed containers on the licensed premises for consumption away from the licensed premises.

A responsible adult must also not leave a minor unaccompanied in these areas.

The restriction does not capture situations where:

liquor is sold for takeaway or home delivery from a packaged liquor business that cannot do walk-up sales (for example, where the licensed premises is a home office)
an unaccompanied minor is in a supermarket with a liquor sales area, but is not in the liquor sales area
a minor leaves the area within a reasonable period after being informed by a responsible person that the minor must not be within the area
the minor is an employee and is not involved in the sale or supply of liquor (where this has been approved by the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority)

Certain venues may be eligible to apply for an exemption from this restriction and/or and for minors to be able to work in the licensed premises.

What type of signage is required?

Depending on the type of business, the licensed premises may display either 3L or 9L signage.

This is an image about minors in a premises

3L signage – can be used for the liquor sales area of supermarkets (as defined by section 30 of the Liquor Act 2007).
9L signage – can be used for where unaccompanied minors are not allowed within the entire premises such as bottle shops.

The use of this signage has been included in the:

Is it mandatory to display the signage?

Yes. As of 1 July, displaying the signage will be mandatory under the Liquor Regulation 2018.

Are there specific areas where the signage should be displayed?

The sign must be located in an area where it would inform a person entering the area that persons under the age of 18 years in the area must, by law, be in the company of a responsible adult.

For more information, please visit the minors in licensed venues webpage.

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