Age Restrictions and Verification in Denmark
Like most countries, Denmark imposes age restrictions on certain products and services to protect underage consumers.
In order to access them, consumers must verify their age. The verification process differs a bit depending on whether it happens online or in person.
Current age restrictions in Denmark
Here are the existing Danish age restrictions across nine different industries:
| Industry | Age |
|
Alcohol |
Beverages containing between 1,2% and 16,5% alcohol can only be purchased by consumers aged 16 and above. To buy beverages above 16,5%, individuals must be at least 18 years old. |
|
Over-the-counter (OTC) medicine |
Age restrictions depend on the type of medicine. Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines have an age limit of 15. But for painkillers and group HX18 OTC medicines, the minimum age is 18. |
|
Online gambling and betting |
To engage in online gambling or visit a physical casino, individuals must be at least 18 years old. This also applies to venues offering betting services. |
|
Tobacco and nicotine |
Tobacco and nicotine products are restricted to individuals aged 18 and above. But 18,2% of 15-17-year-olds use nicotine products. This highlights the challenges of effectively restricting access. |
|
Energy drinks |
Currently, there are no age restrictions for purchase of energy drinks. But there is debate about the potential benefits of age restrictions, inspired by similar policies in Norway. |
|
Electric scooters |
To ride an electric scooter, individuals must be at least 15 years old. If under 15, they must be accompanied by someone aged 18 or older. |
|
Solarium use |
Currently there is no age limit on the use of solariums. But health concerns have sparked discussion about potentially restricting them to 18 years old. |
|
Fireworks |
Fireworks are restricted to consumers over the age of 18 and can only be used from December 27 to January 1. Smaller fireworks can be used all year round but can only be sold to consumers above the age of 15. |
|
Driving a car |
It’s possible to obtain a driving license at the age of 17. However, drivers must be accompanied by a person who meets a list of specific requirements including being above 30 and possessing a Danish driving license. To drive independently, people must be 18 years old. |
Age verification processes
How age verification happens varies based on whether it takes place in person or online.
Physical age verification (in person)
According to Danish law, individuals must be able to present a photo ID upon request when purchasing age-restricted products such as alcohol, OTC medicine, and tobacco products. This can be any physical ID like passport or driver’s license.
Digital age verification (online)
The rules and processes for age verification online are a bit different compared to in person.
On February 8th, a legislative proposal was introduced by the Danish Ministry of Health suggesting mandatory age verification through electronic identities like MitID. Subsequently, on June 4th, 2024, the law was passed, requiring businesses that sell alcohol, tobacco or nicotine products online to verify their customers' ages at the point of purchase. A secure age verification system must be used, which could include MitID or scanning of a physical IDs (e.g., passport or driver's license). The law will be enforced starting October 1st, 2024.
Before the law was passed, the only requirement for ecommerce websites and delivery services that offered age-restricted products like alcohol and tobacco products was a check box confirming the consumer is of legal age. By law, companies had to provide consumers the option to claim they are above the legal age without necessarily having to prove it.
By contrast, websites that sell OTC medicine must ensure that the consumer is above the legal age. Here, a simple checkbox isn’t enough and age verification typically happens through MitID.
Online gambling or betting platforms must also verify a user’s age via MitID. According to the law, MitID must be used when a player registers an account, makes certain changes to it, or logs in for the first time from a new device.
Using MitID enables both online pharmacies and gambling companies to accurately verify the age of their customers.
Conclusion
Age restrictions in Denmark typically fall between 15 and 18 years, depending on the industry.
For in-person purchases of age-restricted products, customers must present a photo ID upon request. For certain online goods, age verification is often less secure as there is no requirement to prove your age. (With the exception of online gambling and OTC medicine.)
To better protect underage consumers online, the age verification process in Denmark has been a topic of further discussion. As a result of an increase in underage consumption of alcohol and nicotine products, a law was passed on June 4th, 2024, requiring online businesses to perform digital age verification, such as MitID, at the point of purchase.
If you're looking for an age verification service with MitID, take a look at:
- Our Age check solution based on MitID (in Danish)
- Why your business needs a strong age verification system
Age check based on MitID with Criipto is GDPR hassle-free, as it only indicates whether the person is above or below the legal age. No other information is included.
If you're interested to learn more about age verification outside of Denmark, read our articles about:
- Navigating age restrictions in Sweden
- Age restrictions and verification in Norway
- Online alcohol sales in Finland: how to ensure age verification
