Trading Standards

Age-restricted products

The sale or supply of a wide range of products to underage people is illegal because of the harm they can cause. These are called age-restricted products and the term 'underage sales' is commonly used to describe their sale or supply to young people. The term “age-restricted" means that you have to be of a certain age to buy them, commonly 16 or 18 depending on the product. Anyone who sells any of these products to underage people commits an offence.
If you have concerns that a retailer is selling goods in breach of the age restriction, this information can be passed to Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or Trading Standards on 01851 822694.

Statutory Notices

Retailers supplying tobacco products, fireworks and aerosol paints are required to display a legal notice declaring it is illegal to supply that product to those under the specified age limit.

• View an A3 Tobacco notice (PDF 33KB) available for download.
• View a spray paints notice and information sheet (PDF 23KB) available for download.
• View an A3 Fireworks underage sales poster available to download. 

Enforcement

Sales of products to young people is a serious offence and, depending on the product, both the business and member of staff making the sale can be prosecuted. A prosecution may result in a significant fine of up to £5000 as well as a criminal record.

Fixed Penalties

If you have been issued a fixed penalty in relation to the sale of tobacco or vapes products to minors the amount payable is £200 and this can be reduced if paid within 14 days. Make an online payment for fines related to tobacco/vapes.

Identification

All retailers offering age-restricted products for sale are required by law to operate an age verification scheme so that if a young person appears to be under 25 years of age, they must be asked to produce an approved form of identity document proving that they are old enough to buy the product. No ID means no sale.

The typical types of identification documents are a UK passport, driving licence or card bearing the Proof of Age Standard Scheme (PASS) holograph, most commonly the Young Scot card.