Protection of minors

The following regulations apply to the protection of young people:

Alcoholic beverages:

• under 16 years of age:
  • The supply (sale or serving) and consumption of alcoholic beverages are generally prohibited. An exception applies to beer, mixed drinks containing beer, sparkling wine, wine and mixed drinks containing wine if a person with parental authority is present and allows this.
• from the age of 16:
  • Dispensing and consumption of beer, mixed drinks containing beer, sparkling wine, wine and mixed drinks containing wine are permitted.
  • The sale and consumption of spirits and mixed drinks containing spirits is prohibited.
• from the age of 18:
  • The sale and consumption of spirits and mixed drinks containing spirits and all other drinks containing alcohol are permitted.

Smoking:

• under the age of 18
  • Tobacco products may only be sold to adults. Children and young people are not permitted to smoke in public.
  • The distribution, sale and passing on of tobacco products to children and young people is generally prohibited. The consumption of tobacco products may not be permitted to teenagers under the age of 18.

Media

• under the age of 18
  • Children and young people may only watch films at public film events that have been approved for their age (age rating).
  • Video carriers that are not labeled or are labeled as "not suitable for minors" may
    • be offered, given or otherwise made available to a child or young person,
    • not in retail outlets outside of business premises, in kiosks or other sales outlets that customers do not usually enter,
    • or be offered or made available by mail order.
• under 12 years
  • By way of derogation, children and young people aged 6 and over may also attend films that are approved for children and young people aged 12 and over if they are accompanied by a person with parental authority.

Evening events / disco

• Principle
  • The law does not regulate how long children and young people are generally allowed to stay out in the evening or whether they are allowed to spend the night with friends. This is decided by the parents.
  • Children and young people are generally prohibited from staying in night bars and amusement arcades.
• under the age of 16:
  • Children under the age of 16 may only enter restaurants, dance events and discotheques if accompanied by a person with parental authority (parent, guardian) or a person with parental authority (person over the age of 18 who has been entrusted by their parents to accompany and supervise them).
• from the age of 16:
  • Until midnight, it is permitted to stay in restaurants, at dance events and in discotheques unaccompanied by a person with parental authority or guardian.
  • From midnight onwards, you may only be present in the company of a parent or guardian.

Please contact the local youth welfare office

Any person over the age of 18 who performs educational tasks on a permanent or temporary basis on the basis of an agreement with the parents can bean educational representative.

The prerequisite for this is that a corresponding agreement has been made with the parents, which must be proven in case of doubt. It is advisable for this to be in writing. The agreement should not only include accompaniment, but also supervision.

Such an agreement makes sense if, for example, siblings or friends of different ages want to attend an event together.

Further information: