Did You Know?

The law is clear: The legal drinking age is 21. Serving or providing alcohol to underage guests or allowing them to drink alcohol in your home or any other property you control is against the law. If you furnish alcohol to those under 21, you are subject to criminal prosecution. Penalties vary by state.
You may also be sued civilly. If you are sued, it may be up to a jury to decide whether you are liable and how much you will have to pay for injuries caused by, or to, your guests.
Even if you win a civil lawsuit, litigation is very expensive. Your homeowner's insurance will likely not cover the cost. Civil lawsuits can take years to conclude. These lawsuits put a tremendous amount of strain on you and your family.
You could be civilly liable if you knowingly allow a guest under 21 to drink in your home or any other property you control, if he or she becomes very ill or dies from alcohol poisoning or other injuries.
Exceptions to the criminal law that allow you to permit your underage child or grandchild to drink in your home or property you control, do not exempt you from civil liabilty.
The law does not allow you to give permission for your underage child to drink in someone else's home or any other property they control.

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