Responsibility
It is every member of staff’s responsibility to enforce the Challenge 25 Policy.
Importance & Legal Consequences
Our Challenge 25 policy applies to all age-related sales that occur on our premises.
You are obliged to apply our Challenge 25 policy when any customer who looks to be under the age of 25 attempts to purchase alcohol, either for themselves or for somebody else.
If you sell alcohol to anyone under 18, you are breaking the law.
The consequences are very serious; you could receive an on the spot £90 Fixed Penalty Notice. Or if prosecuted, you could be fined up to £5000, and you could receive a criminal conviction.
If you are a Personal Licence Holder, your Personal Licence is also at risk of forfeiture.
Additionally, both the venue and the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) could face prosecution because of your actions.
The venue could have its licence suspended or revoked, meaning it can no longer sell alcohol. This could lead to the closure of the business and the loss of jobs for you and your colleagues.
The Four Step Approach
Our Challenge 25 policy requires you to use a 4-step approach every time you see someone who appears to be under the age of 25:
1. Assess the age of every customer.
2. If you think the customer looks under 25, ask for ID. Only the following forms of ID are acceptable:
- A valid Passport
- A valid photo drivers’ licence
- A “Pass” approved card from the national Proof of Age Standards Scheme
- A HM Forces ID Card
Only Original Documents can be accepted – photocopies, photographs, or Phone Apps and out of date passports are not acceptable.
3. If the customer cannot produce acceptable ID, refuse the sale of alcohol.
4. When you refuse the sale, you must record this in the refusals logbook.
There is fake proof of age cards, so if you are unhappy with the ID for any reason or it looks fake or tampered with, or you think it belongs to someone else (e.g. a brother or sister), refuse the sale and bring the matter to the attention of your Manager or Supervisor.
When does Challenge 25 Apply?
Challenge 25 applies at all times, even when:
- You think door staff has previously checked a customer’s ID.
- You are busy.
- You believe you have seen acceptable ID from the customer on a previous occasion.
Remember, if you ask for ID from everyone you think looks under 25, then you will protect yourself from breaking the law.
Practice Challenge 25 and do not get caught out.
Signage
Challenge 25 signage will be displayed in prominent positions indicating that the Challenge 25 policy is in force.
Policy Training
Mandatory training for all staff. Refresher training should be completed every 6 months and documented in the training log.