Serve Your Kids Alcohol at Home? Can You Be Arrested in New York?

Do you let your kids, say they are 18 or 20, drink alcohol in your home? Do they drink to get intoxicated? Are you of the mindset that "if they drink in your home it's ok?"

That might be what you do in your home, but what does New York State have to say about this? Is it legal? Can you be arrested for this?

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Can you be arrested for serving your kids alcohol in New York State?

While there are people who might want you to not give alcohol to any family member under the age of 21, what does the New York State law say? It says that a person under 21, cannot legally possess alcohol if they intend to drink it. Someone under the age of 21 can consume alcohol if it is in conjunction with a class or learning/instruction.

But what if a parent or guardian gives alcohol to a person under the age of 21 in New York State?

According to the New York State Alcohol Laws, (Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) CHAPTER 3-B, ARTICLE 5), yes, a person under the age of 21 can consume the alcohol in New York State, as long as it is given to them by their parent or guardian. That doesn't mean that the same parent can give alcohol to their kid's friends.

Here are a few businesses that recently sold alcohol to minors. Have you ever been turned down for buying alcohol because your ID didn't look right? 

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