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Age-restricted sales

Challenge 25 refusal log for pubs and restaurants

A Challenge 25 refusal log records every time staff refuse an age-restricted sale, with a date and a name on the line. Licensing officers and the police can ask how you apply your age-verification policy. A tick in a diary at close is not the same as a named, dated refusal.

Last reviewed: . Reviewed by Nitin Patel. Drafts are prepared with AI assistance and checked by him before publication.

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What to record when you refuse a sale

Enough that a licensing officer can see the policy is used: date and time, what was refused, a short note (no ID / fake ID / appeared under 25), and who refused it. Do not write a guest’s full address into a public notebook. Do write a name on the staff line.

Why the end-of-shift tick fails

Challenge 25 refusals are not logged consistently when the book is behind the bar and the rush is on. When the licensing officer asks, you are scrambling through binders. A digital refusal log with timestamps is the same job during the shift.

GOV.UK alcohol licensing is the statutory frame. Your premises licence is the document that actually binds you.

How System Hub logs Challenge 25

Log Book includes a dedicated Challenge 25 refusal form, history, and staff attribution. Same login as Food Safety and Fire Safety. 14-day trial, no card, then £3/week per location incl VAT via Stripe.

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What do you record when you refuse a sale?

The date, the time, what was refused (alcohol), why (no ID, or ID you did not accept), and the name of the staff member. Challenge 25 is a policy retailers and many licensed premises use: if the customer looks under 25, ask for ID. The offence is selling alcohol to someone under 18. The log is how you show the refusal happened.

Do not store a copy of the passport or driving licence “just in case”. The ICO’s line on extra ID copies is that you need a reason. A refusal does not need a photograph of the document. It needs the fact you asked and said no.

A refused sale with no staff name cannot be tied to a shift. If two people were on the bar, write which one refused. Proxy sales — an adult buying for a child you can see — are a refusal as well. Write “proxy”, not only “no ID”.

Log Book in System Hub is the site diary for this, incidents, and visitors. It is not the fire logbook. £3 a week per location, VAT included, after a 14-day trial with no card.

  • Under 18 is the legal line for alcohol sales. Challenge 25 is the house policy that sits above it.
  • Acceptable ID in most house policies: passport, driving licence, PASS card. Write what you saw, not a theory.
  • A challenge that ended in a sale still happened. Some premises log challenges, not only refusals. Pick one rule and keep it.

Licensing Act 2003, section 146 (sale of alcohol to children). ICO: UK GDPR guidance.

What do you write down when you refuse a sale?

The offence is selling alcohol to someone under 18. That is Licensing Act 2003, section 146. Challenge 25 is the house rule that sits above that line: if they look under 25, you ask.

Log the refusal with the date, the time, what was refused, why, and which member of staff said no. A refusal with no name cannot be tied to a shift. Proxy sales — an adult buying for a child who is with them — are a refusal too. Write “proxy”.

Do not keep a photo of the passport. You do not need a copy of the document to show you asked and refused. Challenges that ended in a sale: decide whether your house logs those as well, then do it every time. A policy you only follow on Fridays is not a policy.

Acceptable ID in most house rules:

  • A passport.
  • A driving licence.
  • A PASS card.

Write what you were shown. Log Book holds this next to incidents and the visitor book. It is not the fire log. £3 a week per location, VAT included, after a 14-day trial with no card.

Refusal line with the time, what was refused, and which member of staff said no
The offence is a sale to someone under 18. This line is the refusal.
FAQ

Questions about Challenge 25 logs

What is a Challenge 25 refusal log?
It is the record of each time staff asked for ID under Challenge 25 (or your age-verification policy) and refused the sale. Date, time, what was refused, and who refused it. Licensing Act premises that sell alcohol must have an age-verification policy. Challenge 25 is the scheme most pubs use — not the only lawful wording.
Is Challenge 25 a legal requirement?
Alcohol premises licences in England and Wales carry a mandatory condition to have an age-verification policy. Challenge 25 is the usual way venues meet it. Your licence and local conditions are the source, not a software form. GOV.UK alcohol licensing is the starting point.
Is this the fire logbook?
No. Fire records live on digital fire logbook. Log Book is Challenge 25, incidents, visitors, and maintenance.
How much is System Hub Log Book?
14-day trial, no card. Then £3/week per location incl VAT via Stripe. Cancel anytime.