Guide

Challenge 25 policy: a practical guide for convenience stores

Challenge 25 means asking anyone who looks under 25 for photo ID before selling alcohol or other age-restricted products. It is widely expected by licensing authorities, and a consistent, well-recorded policy is one of the strongest ways to show you take the licensing objectives seriously.

Why the records matter as much as the refusal

Refusing a sale is only half the job. If a licensing officer or the police visit after a complaint or a failed test purchase, the first thing they ask for is your refusals register. A refusal that was never written down is very hard to prove later. Keeping a complete, dated record of every refusal — with the product, the time, a description of the person and the staff member involved — shows your policy actually operates day to day, not just on paper.

What a good Challenge 25 routine looks like

• Train every staff member before they serve alcohol, and refresh that training regularly — every six months is a common standard. Keep signed training records and certificates.
• Authorise staff in writing. Under the Licensing Act 2003, alcohol sales must be authorised by the premises licence holder or designated premises supervisor. Keep a written authorisation for each staff member.
• Record every refusal immediately — date, time, product, a description of the person, any observations, and the staff member's name.
• Record proxy sales attempts — an adult buying for someone underage is a separate offence and worth logging.
• Review the register weekly. A manager looking over recent refusals spots patterns, supports staff, and shows active oversight.
• Display till prompts and signage so customers know the policy before they reach the counter.

How RetailShield helps

RetailShield Compliance gives your team a digital refusals register modelled on the No ID No Sale log format, Challenge 25 and proxy-sales training with quizzes and dated certificates, written alcohol-sales authorisations per staff member, and a weekly manager review — all time-stamped and inspection-ready. Instead of a paper book that can be lost or left blank, every refusal is recorded on the shop floor in seconds and visible to you across all your stores.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the conditions on your own premises licence and your local licensing authority's policy.