Is 18 the legal drinking age in Australia?

There is no legal drinking age in Australia, but it’s illegal for under-18s to drink alcohol in a licensed premises. In private homes, the law on the legal age to drink alcohol varies from state to state.

On the face of it, this is an easy question to answer. The legal drinking age in Australia is 18. But that is the legal drinking age in Australia for consuming alcohol in a licensed venue. Under 18s can enter pubs in Australia, but not drink alcohol.

The Australian laws on drinking alcohol outside of a licensed venue, however, vary from state to state.

Legal drinking age in Australia by state

In the Australian Capital Territory, there is no legal drinking age in a private place, such as a home. The Liquor Act 2010 states that it is an offence to supply someone under the age of 18 with alcohol unless: “The person supplying the liquor is the parent or guardian of the minor or has the permission of the parent or guardian of the minor AND the supply is consistent with the responsible supervision of the minor.

So parents, or people with the parents’ permission, can let children under the age of 18 have a beer with dinner as long as it is done so responsibly. Half a can, maybe. An absolute skinful, nope.

This is not the case in a public place, where it’s illegal for someone under the age of 18 to drink or be in the possession of alcohol.

What is the legal age to drink in Australia? Private homes

The drinking age law in Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria is similar. Essentially, you can have a house party of under 18s drinking alcohol, as long as the owner of that house has permission from all the other children’s parents and they don’t let anyone get drunk.

Drinking age by state in Australia

The New South Wales and South Australia legal drinking age laws are slightly more liberal. Under 18s can drink alcohol in a private place, such as a home, under the supervision of parents or another parentally authorised adult. But this also applies to non-licensed public places, such as restaurants with BYO policies.

Laws on drinking age are a little stricter in Queensland and the Northern Territory, which have slightly differing definitions of which adults are allowed to give alcohol to under 18s. Basically, only the parent or guardian is allowed to give alcohol to someone under the age of 18 in a private home.