Updated November 8, 2026. This article was written for the spring 2023 prom and graduation season and reviewed as of this update. Statistics and enforcement figures are those reported by ABC on March 11, 2023. It is general information, not legal advice.
The busiest season for underage drinking risk
May and June bring proms, graduation ceremonies, grad nights, and end-of-year parties across California. For families, it is a season of celebration. For licensed businesses, it is a season when young people are especially likely to try to buy alcohol, or to ask an adult to buy it for them.
This guide looks at the season from the perspective of businesses most likely to face those attempts: liquor and convenience stores, grocery stores, restaurants hosting family celebrations, and venues renting space for proms and parties.
What a March operation showed
On March 11, 2023, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and 44 local police and sheriff’s departments ran a statewide Shoulder Tap operation. In its release on the operation, ABC said 132 people were cited for allegedly furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors, and at least nine others were cited for open containers, public intoxication, DUI, or other crimes.
In a Shoulder Tap operation, a minor working under the direct supervision of law enforcement stands outside a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy alcohol for them, making clear they are under 21. Adults who agree can be cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. “We conduct these operations as an effort to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said ABC Director Eric Hirata.
ABC noted that the penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service, and it cited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data indicating that about 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking. ABC said the operations were funded by its Alcohol Policing Partnership program and the California Office of Traffic Safety through NHTSA.
The law in brief
- Business and Professions Code section 25658 prohibits selling, furnishing, or giving alcohol to anyone under 21, and prohibits people under 21 from buying alcohol. Penalties increase when a minor who was furnished alcohol causes great bodily injury or death.
- Section 25660 provides a defense for reasonable reliance on bona fide government identification.
- Civil Code section 1714 generally shields social hosts from liability for injuries caused by their adult guests, but subdivision (d) allows a civil claim against an adult who knowingly furnishes alcohol at their residence to a person under 21.
ABC’s underage drinking enforcement page describes the department’s programs, including Shoulder Tap and minor decoy operations.
For off-sale stores: the outside threat
Most underage drinking does not begin with a minor buying alcohol directly. It begins with an adult buying it for them. Store staff cannot control what happens in the parking lot, but they can watch for warning signs:
- A customer buying large quantities of beer, hard seltzers, or spirits while a group of younger people waits in a car or outside the door.
- A customer who comes in, looks around, and seems unsure what to buy, as if following someone else’s list.
- A young-looking person who walks in with an adult, then hangs back while the adult pays.
- Repeat visits by the same customer on prom or graduation weekend.
A clerk who has a reasonable belief that alcohol is being bought for a minor may refuse the sale. Make sure staff know they will be backed up when they do. Posting signs that the store supports enforcement and refuses third-party sales can also discourage attempts.
ID checks at the register
Check ID for every customer who appears under your house threshold, and check everyone in a group who will share the purchase if your policy calls for it. Ask customers to remove IDs from wallets and compare the photo carefully. Self-checkout systems should require staff approval for alcohol. For more on spotting fakes, see our spring break ID guide. For a refresher, see How to Check IDs in California.
For restaurants: graduation dinners
Graduation dinners often bring multigenerational tables: grandparents, parents, siblings, and the graduate, who may be 17 or 18. The most common risk is well-meaning: a parent who orders a glass of champagne and passes it to the graduate for a toast. Staff should:
- Place every alcoholic drink in front of the adult who ordered it.
- Check ID for anyone at the table who will be drinking and appears under the house threshold.
- Politely intervene if they see a drink being passed to someone under 21, and offer a sparkling nonalcoholic toast instead.
- Involve a manager if a guest insists.
A ready nonalcoholic option for toasts, such as sparkling cider or a festive mocktail, solves most of these moments before they happen.
For venues: proms and private events
Hotels, banquet halls, and event spaces that host proms or after-parties face a different challenge. The event itself may be alcohol-free, but guests may try to bring alcohol in or drink beforehand. Venues should:
- Agree in writing with the school or organizer that no alcohol will be served at under-21 events.
- Close or staff any bar areas near the event space.
- Coordinate with organizers on bag checks and security.
- Watch for students arriving already intoxicated, and follow the organizer’s plan for contacting parents or staff.
If a venue holds an on-sale license and other guests are being served elsewhere on the property, staff should be especially alert to drinks moving between areas.
Parents and house parties
Businesses are not the only source of alcohol for teens. Some parents host parties believing it is safer for young people to drink at home. California law takes a different view: furnishing alcohol to anyone under 21 is illegal, and Civil Code section 1714(d) can expose adults to civil liability when they knowingly furnish alcohol at their homes to minors who are later injured or injure someone else. Retail staff who sell to a parent planning a teen party are not usually in a position to know, but obvious statements, such as “it’s for the kids’ grad party,” are a reason to refuse.
Why it matters
Young drivers are already at higher risk on the road, and alcohol multiplies that risk. ABC’s March 11 release noted that young people under 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. Prom and graduation nights combine young drivers, late hours, and celebrations, which is why law enforcement and schools focus on them. For more on young driver safety, see Teen Driver Safety and Responsible Alcohol Service.
Delivery and pickup orders
Alcohol ordered for delivery or pickup creates another path for underage access, especially when a party is being planned. Where a license allows alcohol with takeout or delivery, the person handing over the order must check ID and confirm the recipient is 21 or older and not obviously intoxicated. A delivery to a house with a crowd of teenagers in the yard, or a pickup by someone who does not match the name on the order, is a reason to stop and refuse. Third-party delivery drivers should follow the same rules, and the business should know how its delivery partners handle age verification.
A clerk’s script for a suspected third-party sale
Refusing a customer whose own ID is valid can feel awkward. Simple, neutral language helps:
- “I’m sorry, I’m not able to complete this sale today.”
- “We can’t sell alcohol when we believe it may be going to someone under 21.”
- “I’ll need to see ID for everyone in the group before I can ring this up.”
Clerks should not argue or accuse. If the customer becomes hostile, they should call a manager and, if needed, local law enforcement. Recording the refusal in a log protects the store if questions arise later.
Working with schools and coalitions
Many California communities have prevention coalitions, school safety programs, and police youth services units that are active during prom and graduation season. Businesses can join those efforts by displaying prevention materials, supporting safe grad night events, and sharing concerns about repeat furnishing attempts with local law enforcement. ABC’s prevention work is often funded through state and federal grants; for background, see California’s Grant to Combat Underage and Harmful Drinking.
Timing: the weeks that matter
Prom season usually runs from late April through May, and most graduations take place from late May through mid-June. The risk peaks on the weekends of those events and the days just before them, when parties are being stocked. Stores and restaurants near high schools and colleges should schedule experienced staff on those days, avoid leaving new hires alone at the register, and brief everyone on the season’s enforcement focus.
Preparing your team
- Hold a short pre-season meeting on underage drinking risks and enforcement.
- Review ID procedures and refusal scripts.
- Make sure every on-sale server and manager has current Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) certification, required since July 1, 2022 and explained on ABC’s RBS program page.
- Remind off-sale clerks of the store’s policy on third-party sales.
- Back up any employee who refuses a sale.
Keeping records
Stores and restaurants should log refused sales, confiscated IDs, and any suspected third-party purchases during the season. Note the date, time, and a short description. A record helps managers spot patterns, such as repeated attempts on Friday evenings, and shows ABC or local police that the business takes prevention seriously if questions ever arise later in the year.
Frequently asked questions
Can a parent give a graduate a glass of champagne at our restaurant?
Staff should not allow alcohol to be served to anyone under 21. Offer a nonalcoholic toast instead.
Can we refuse a sale if we think it is for minors?
Yes. Businesses may refuse a sale when they have reason to believe alcohol will be furnished to a minor.
What is a Shoulder Tap operation?
It is an enforcement operation in which a supervised minor asks adults outside a store to buy alcohol for them.
The bottom line
Prom and graduation season is a time to celebrate, and a time when young people are most likely to seek alcohol. Watchful clerks, careful restaurant service, clear agreements with event organizers, and confident refusals help keep the season’s celebrations safe for graduates and everyone on the road.
Prepare for the Season
Underage drinking prevention is central to RBS training. ServeTrain’s ABC-approved online course helps California servers and managers certify before prom and graduation. Before enrolling, register or log in to your RBS Portal account with ABC and confirm your chosen course appears in the portal’s training provider search.
Sources
- ABC: More Than 130 Cited in Statewide Underage Drinking Operation (Mar. 11, 2023)
- ABC: Underage Drinking Enforcement
- California BPC 25658
- California BPC 25660
- California Civil Code 1714
- ABC: Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) Program
This article is general information, not legal advice.
