Sales of age restricted goods to young people
The law recognises that the certain goods can be harmful and it is therefore illegal to sell them to young people. The table below includes a list of age restricted goods.
| Goods | Age restriction |
| Adult fireworks and sparklers (category F2 and category F3 fireworks) | 18 and over |
| Aerosol paint | 16 and over |
| Alcohol | 18 and over |
| Animals | 16 and over |
| Botulinum toxin (Botox) and cosmetic fillers (England only) | 18 and over |
| Christmas crackers | 12 and over |
| Corrosive substances | 18 and over |
| Knives / axes / blades | 18 and over (in Scotland, domestic knives can be sold to those aged 16 and over) |
| Lighter refills containing butane | 18 and over |
| Lottery draw-based and instant-win (such as scratch cards and online instant win) games | 18 and over |
| Party poppers and similar low-hazard low-noise fireworks (category F1) (except Christmas crackers) | 16 and over |
| Petrol | 16 and over |
| Sunbeds | 18 and over |
| Tobacco | 18 and over |
| Vapes* (legally known as nicotine inhaling products in England and Wales, and nicotine vapour products in Scotland) | 18 and over |
| Video recordings: U (universal) | Unrestricted |
| Video recordings: PG (parental guidance) | Unrestricted |
| Video recordings: classification 12 | 12 and over |
| Video recordings: classification 15 | 15 and over |
| Video recordings: classification 18 | 18 and over |
| Video recordings: classification R18 | 18 years and over in a licensed sex shop |
| Video games: PEGI rating 3 | Unrestricted |
| Video games: PEGI rating 7 | Unrestricted |
| Video games: PEGI rating 12 | 12 and over |
| Video games: PEGI rating 16 | 16 and over |
| Video games: PEGI rating 18 | 18 and over |
If you run a shop selling tobacco or fireworks, you must prominently display the relevant statutory notices.
These notices should only be printed in A3 size because the law says that's how big they must be when displayed.
Report a trader
The focus of the work of Trading Standards has been to educate people who sell age restricted products on what the law requires and then tackle those who ignore the law by taking strong action where appropriate.
You can help us to do this by reporting any incidents which affect your local community. This information will allow us to identify which areas are suffering the most and target our resources accordingly. We'll follow this information up and if appropriate, we can arrange for our young volunteers to visit premises and attempt to buy an age restricted product.
You can also find out more on the role of the Trading Standards service under the Licensing Act 2003.
If you have any concerns to report about a trader, please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Apply to be an underage volunteer
We place a high priority on our work to enforce the laws relating to age-restricted products. In some cases, we work with young volunteers to check that shops are complying with the law.
Underage volunteers work with a team of officers to see what happens when they try to buy products such as alcohol and tobacco from shops or off-licences across the county.
If you're aged between 15 and 17 and would like further information, please email tss@nottscc.gov.uk.
