The Twenty-first Amendment to the Constitution specifies that states may establish laws governing the sale and distribution of alcohol, and states may delegate responsibilities to local jurisdictions. States, not Washington D.C., have the power to set the age within their own borders as they see fit. As can be seen in the table below, since the repeal of prohibition in 1933, there has been great volatility in the age of alcohol consumption in the states. Shortly after the 21st Amendment was ratified in December, most states set their purchasing age at 21, which was the voting age at the time. Most of these limits remained constant until the early 1970s. From 1969 to 1976, about 30 states lowered their purchasing age, usually to 18. This was largely due to the fact that the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 with the passage of the 26th Amendment in 1971. Many states began lowering their minimum drinking age, most in 1972 or 1973. [2] [3] [4] Twelve states have maintained their purchasing age at 21 since the repeal of prohibition and have never changed it.

In some religions, it is customary to serve small amounts of wine to parishioners as part of a service or ceremony. It would be illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to participate in these activities, but some states have exceptions to allow believers under the age of 21 to legally participate in the rituals. As part of undercover work or research, it is legal in some states for a minor employed in law enforcement to purchase and consume alcohol. This is an understandable attempt to keep these enforcement efforts unhindered. For more information about the laws in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, visit the website of the Alcohol Policy Information System, a project of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. * For established religious purposes;* If a person under twenty-one years of age is accompanied by a parent, spouse or guardian twenty-one years of age or older;* For medical purposes, if purchased as an over-the-counter drug or prescribed or administered by a physician, pharmacist, dentist, nurse, a hospital or an authorized medical facility;* In a private dwelling, which includes a residential dwelling and up to twenty contiguous hectares on which the dwelling belonging to the same person who owns it is situated;* the sale, handling, transport or service of supplying alcoholic beverages on the basis of the lawful ownership of an establishment or the lawful employment of a person under twenty-one years of age by a duly licensed producer, wholesaler or retailer of alcoholic beverages. These exemptions have led to a complex set of laws in which local, state, and federal regulations determine who can distribute, purchase, possess, and consume alcohol in a particular state. But there are consequences if a state does not comply with the federal minimum age law; They risk losing federal funds (mainly for highway projects). Not surprisingly, all fifty states did what was necessary to come together and receive their federal funds. But there are exceptions to who can buy, possess, serve, or even consume alcohol in many states. There are also laws to protect underage drinkers from prosecution if they report or seek medical help for another minor. Currently, seventeen states provide exceptions related to underage drinking when seeking medical assistance for another minor.

In general, a “family member” is a parent, guardian or spouse. But laws vary widely from state to state as to when a family member can provide or permit consumption from a person under the age of 21. The Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) sets the legal age at which a person can purchase alcoholic beverages. The MLDA in the United States is 21 years. However, prior to the enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, the legal age at which alcohol could be purchased varied from state to state.1 Select a state to view details of the state`s alcohol laws. You can be accused of “internal obsession,” which in some states refers to alcohol in your body. You can be prosecuted for this on the basis of a blood, urine or breath test. In some states, to simply “show signs of intoxication,” even if you don`t have alcohol in your system and haven`t been seen consuming it. If your state has domestic property laws, people under the age of 21 should be very careful when it comes to alcohol.

2. In private premises without sale of liquor without parental consent: The consumption of alcohol by minors is not prohibited in some states in private premises not selling liquor, although it may be illegal for adults to give alcohol to minors in those states. Each state sets its own specific requirements for what is considered legal. Then came Ronald Reagan, a wave of conservative thinking and the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984. The law states that if a state does not pass a law that makes it illegal for people under the age of 21 to publicly purchase or possess alcohol, that state will lose 10 percent of federal funding for state highways. The idea was to reduce drunk road accidents, which were more common among people aged 18 to 20 than in any other age group at the time. And while the federal government can`t impose a federal drinking age thanks to the 21st Amendment, it can “motivate” states to adapt by threatening to take money. For example, you can look at 30 states if you`re 18, four states with nineteen, one state with twenty, and 15 states with 21. However, you may need a license to pour drinks depending on the condition. The minimum age for waiters bringing drinks to the table may differ from those behind the bar. Plus, in North Carolina, you can pour eighteen beers and wine, but no alcohol until you`re 21.

As you can see, this quickly becomes confusing when it comes to legal age and alcohol. 5. For government work purposes: Alcohol consumption by minors is not prohibited in some states if it is related to government or law enforcement missions. These tasks may include government research on underage drinking, undercover work, etc. Each state sets its own specific requirements for what is considered legal. 8. In liquor auction rooms with parental consent: In some states, the consumption of alcohol by minors is permitted at an alcohol outlet such as a restaurant or bar if the alcohol is provided to the minor by a legal guardian and the minor is in the presence of his or her legal guardian. The table of legal drinking age changes over the years, but Americans generally had to be 21 to drink legally in most of the country until the 1970s. In 1971, the 26th Amendment changed the voting age from 21 to 18.

The 21st Amendment, which repealed prohibition, allows each state to set its own drinking age. So, people in some states thought that if you`re old enough to vote (and serve in the military, get married, own a house, etc.), then you`re old enough to have a beer.