Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012

Sale and supply of alcohol generally - Offences and closure of premises - Offences relating to minors and people under purchase age

243: Buying of alcohol by people under purchase age

You could also call this:

“It's against the law for people under 18 to buy alcohol, and you could be fined up to $2,000.”

If you are under the purchase age and you buy alcohol from a place that is allowed to sell alcohol, you can get in trouble with the law. You might have to pay a fine of up to $2,000. This is because it is against the law for people under the purchase age to buy alcohol from licensed premises.

But there is an exception to this rule. If a police officer asks you to buy alcohol as part of their job, then you will not get in trouble. This means that if you are asked by a constable to buy alcohol, you will not commit an offence.

You can find more information about this law by looking at s 162, which is a similar law.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3339746.

Topics:
Crime and justice > Criminal law Money and consumer rights > Consumer protection
Previous

242: Employment of minors, or

"No one under 18 can work where alcohol is sold, unless they're doing certain jobs."

Next

244: Minors in restricted areas or supervised areas, or

"Rules for under 18s in areas where alcohol is sold"

Part 2 Sale and supply of alcohol generally
Offences and closure of premises: Offences relating to minors and people under purchase age

243Buying of alcohol by people under purchase age

  1. A person under the purchase age who buys alcohol on or from any licensed premises commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than $2,000.

  2. Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who buys alcohol on or from any licensed premises at the request of a constable acting in the course of his or her duties.

Compare