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FACT BRIEF

Can individuals under age 21 legally drink alcohol in a bar in Wisconsin if they are with a parent?

By Tom Kertscher
View this fact brief on Wisconsin Watch
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YES

Wisconsin's legal drinking age is 21, but persons under 21 can legally drink alcoholic beverages in establishments such as taverns and restaurants if they are with their parents, guardians or spouses of legal drinking age.

However, establishments can refuse to serve underage people.

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue confirmed that the exception applies to everyone under 21, including 18-, 19- and 20-year-old adults.

Wisconsin is among 31 states that allow family members to legally give alcohol to minors, according to Alcohol.org.

In May 2023, Republican Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a bill that would change state law to allow people as young as 14 to serve alcohol in bars and restaurants; currently, only adults 18 and over can serve alcohol in Wisconsin. No votes have been taken.

In 2020, Wisconsinites died from alcohol-induced causes at a rate nearly 25% higher than the national rate, the Wisconsin Policy Forum reported in January 2022.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
State of Wisconsin Department of Revenue DOR Alcohol Beverage Laws for Retailers
Wisconsin State Legislature Wisconsin Legislature: 125.07(1)(a)
Alcohol.org When Is It Legal For Minors To Drink?
Wisconsin State Legislature Wisconsin Legislature: AB286: Bill Text
Wisconsin State Legislature 2023 Assembly Bill 286
Wisconsin Watch Would Wisconsin have the lowest age in the US for serving alcohol if a bill allowing 14-year-olds to serve is made law?
Wisconsin Policy Forum A Sobering Trend: Alcohol Deaths Up Sharply in Wisconsin
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.