Am I allowed to take alcoholic beverages from the US in my luggage, if I'm under 21?
I am a 19 year old Dutch person living in the Netherlands and with family in the United States. I have been in the USA often and found that they sell a few special alcoholic beverages that I enjoy which aren't for sale in the Netherlands and that I would like to take with me back home.
In the Netherlands the minimum age to drink alcohol is 18, rather than 21 in the United States. Now I am 19 and wonder whether I am allowed to take some of these drinks in my baggage back home.
Am I allowed to carry alcohol with me (without drinking it, leaving the bottle unopened) at age 19?
Would this be allowed in my suitcase that goes into the hold?
Best Answer
Alcohol is not a federal issue, it's a state issue. So, the TSA is legally completely unconcerned with the presence of a bottle of booze in your luggage. When the TSA searches your luggage, they are concerned with security, not state alcohol regulations. They will not know how old you are. Yea, that's in your traveller data, but they are not going to look at that data unless they find something disturbing, and a bottle of booze is not disturbing.
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Can you take alcoholic beverages in checked luggage?
Checked Bags: YesAlcoholic beverages with more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to 5 liters (1.3 gallons) per passenger and must be in unopened retail packaging. Alcoholic beverages with 24% alcohol or less are not subject to limitations in checked bags.Can a 20 year old take alcohol on a plane?
For travelers, that means no matter the drinking age of the country you're in or over or en route to a U.S.-based airline won't serve alcohol to any passenger under 21. \u201cAs a U.S.-registered carrier, the drinking age is 21,\u201d a spokesperson for American Airlines confirmed to TPG in an email.Do I have to declare alcohol in checked luggage?
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Answer 2
I know you already accepted an answer but the easiest option would be to have your family mail the alcohol to yourself in the Netherlands. This way here you are never in possession of the alcohol while in the States and can claim the package when you are legal to posses the alcohol.
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