What is the Legal Drinking Age in Peru?
The minimum legal drinking age in Peru is 18. This age restriction applies to both the consumption and purchase of alcohol, as detailed in Law 28681, the “Law that Regulates the Marketing, Consumption and Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages.”
Alcohol is sold in many different establishments throughout Peru, including bars, discos, cafes, liquor stores, large supermarkets and small grocery stores. By law, any establishment selling alcohol must display the following message: “Prohibida la venta de bebidas alcohólicas a menores de 18 años” (“It is prohibited to sell alcoholic beverages to people under the age of 18”).
Enforcement of the legal drinking age is variable at best. It’s not uncommon, for example, for a 15-year-old to buy a few beers in a small store. Many establishments do not ask for identification, at least not to the extent found in countries such as the USA and the UK, and many vendors do not respect the legal drinking age.
Many bars and discos in Peru also ignore underage drinking, but this often depends on location and the priorities of the local authorities. A disco in the Miraflores district of Lima, for example, may have a strict ID policy at the door, while a large disco on the outskirts of Tarapoto could be full of slightly drunk 16-year-olds.
Alcohol is sold in many different establishments throughout Peru, including bars, discos, cafes, liquor stores, large supermarkets and small grocery stores. By law, any establishment selling alcohol must display the following message: “Prohibida la venta de bebidas alcohólicas a menores de 18 años” (“It is prohibited to sell alcoholic beverages to people under the age of 18”).
Enforcement of the legal drinking age is variable at best. It’s not uncommon, for example, for a 15-year-old to buy a few beers in a small store. Many establishments do not ask for identification, at least not to the extent found in countries such as the USA and the UK, and many vendors do not respect the legal drinking age.
Many bars and discos in Peru also ignore underage drinking, but this often depends on location and the priorities of the local authorities. A disco in the Miraflores district of Lima, for example, may have a strict ID policy at the door, while a large disco on the outskirts of Tarapoto could be full of slightly drunk 16-year-olds.