Venue type
Nicotine Vending Machines for Private Clubs
Membership control usually makes the age question easier to evidence than anywhere else.
A club that controls who comes in, and keeps a record of it, is usually the easiest venue type to evidence a 21+ policy for. The complication is nearly always guests rather than members.
Controlled access
Membership makes the age question tractable in a way an open door does not: there is a roll, entry is recorded, and the club already knows who is inside. Where a bar has to assert a policy, a club can usually show one.
Where it gets complicated
- Member guests — can a member sign in someone under 21, ever?
- Family events, which many clubs run and which are the usual disqualifier.
- Function bookings, where the club's own policy may not apply to the guests of whoever booked.
- Staff under 21, which needs manual review rather than a form answer.
How the review works
We look at the club's rules as written, not just as practiced, because that is what a regulator would do. If the rules permit under-21 guests at any point, the venue does not meet the federal test even if it has not happened in years.
Common questions
Does members-only automatically qualify us?
No, but it helps. What matters is whether anyone under 21 can be inside, including guests signed in by members, and family events.
What about member guests?
That is the usual complication. If a member can sign in a guest under 21, the club needs to look at whether that is genuinely never permitted.
Does the committee need to approve it?
In most clubs, yes. We can provide what a board or committee needs to see: what we are responsible for, what the club is responsible for, and the terms.
Start a club review
A few minutes. No cost at any stage. You get a straight yes or no.