Can parents give their kids alcohol at home in California? Here’s what law says
Celebrating the holidays with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer? You might be tempted to offer your teenager a sip.
Some parents see little harm in giving underage children a taste, while others prefer that teens drink at home so they’re less likely to be exposed to drunk driving or other bad behaviors.
Can you legally give alcohol to a minor in your own home?
Here’s what California law says:
Who can legally drink alcohol in California?
The minimum legal drinking age in the United States is 21 years old.
“This means that alcohol cannot be sold to people younger than 21,” the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
However, there’s less of a consensus around whether minors can drink under the supervision of a parent.
Can I give alcohol to my underage child in California?
Giving alcohol to a minor is considered “contributing to the delinquency of a minor” under California’s Penal Code, according to Sgt. Diana Vega, spokesperson for the Fresno Police Department.
“When an adult allows minors to drink inside private homes, it is considered contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” she told The Fresno Bee in an email.
Under California law, parents and legal guardians “have the duty to exercise reasonable care, supervision, protection and control over their minor child.”
That means they can’t act in such a way that would cause any child under age 18 to “become a ward of the juvenile court.”
California business law also bans providing minors with alcohol, the Sacramento Bee previously reported.
“Any person who sells or gives an alcoholic beverage to a person under the age of 21 is guilty of a misdemeanor,” the California Business and Professions Code states.
Is there a legal exception for parents?
As of January 2024, a number of U.S. states, including Oregon, Idaho and Washington state, made exceptions for parents and legal guardians offering alcohol to minors, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Under the Revised Code of Washington, alcohol can be legally “given or permitted to be given to a person under the age of 21 years by a parent or guardian and consumed in the presence of the parent or guardian,” The Bellingham Herald previously reported.
However, Washington state law prohibits parents from giving alcohol to a minor in a business with a state liquor license — meaning parents can’t buy their kid an alcoholic drink at a bar or restaurant.
California does not make a legal exception for parents who want to give their kids alcohol.
“Furnishing alcohol to a minor is a misdemeanor,” Bryce Avalos, spokesperson for the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, previously told The Sacramento Bee. “This section applies to all persons who furnish alcohol to a minor, including parents.”
What’s the penalty for giving alcohol to a minor in California?
Giving alcohol to a minor “can result in fines up to $4,500 and/or imprisonment up to a year,” Vega told The Fresno Bee.
“The severity of the punishment often depends on the circumstances,” such as the nature of the conduct and the minor’s age, she said.
The Fresno Police Department encourages “parents to be responsible and abstain from allowing minors to consume alcohol,” Vega said.
To prevent underage alcohol consumption, the department’s school resource officers also “routinely speak to students on campus about safety, and educate them about laws relevant to them, including contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” she said.
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control says selling, giving or otherwise providing alcohol to a minor is a misdemeanor punishable by a mandatory $250 fine as well as 24 to 32 hours of community service.
That community service can be completed at an alcohol or drug treatment facility or the county coroner’s office, The Sacramento Bee reported in 2023.
If a minor drinking alcohol results in someone suffering great bodily injury or death, the penalty can increase to a $1,000 fine with 24 hours of community service and six months to one year in county jail, The Bee reported.
This story was originally published December 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Can parents give their kids alcohol at home in California? Here’s what law says."
