The alcohol laws of the United States regarding minimum age for purchase have changed over time. The history is given in the table below. Unless otherwise noted, if different alcohol categories have different minimum purchase ages, the age listed below is set at the lowest age given for (e.g. if the purchase age is 18 for beer and 21 for wine or spirits, as was the case in several states, the age in the table will read as "18", not "21"). In addition, the purchase age is not necessarily the same as the minimum age for consumption of alcoholic beverages, although they have often been the same.
As one can see in the table below, there has been much volatility in the states' drinking ages since the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Shortly after repeal, most states set their purchase ages at 21 since that was the age of majority at the time, but a few set their limits lower. Most of these limits remained constant until the early 1970s. From 1969 to 1976, some 30 states lowered their purchase ages, generally to 18. This was primarily because the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 with the 26th amendment, and nearly all states lowered their ages of majority as well. In spite of this, twelve states kept their purchase ages at 21 since repeal of Prohibition and have never changed them. Most of the age lowering occurred in 1972–1973. From 1976 to 1983, several states voluntarily raised their purchase ages to 19 (or, less commonly, 20 or 21), in part to combat drunk driving fatalities. In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which required states to raise their ages for purchase and public possession to 21 by October 1986 or lose 10% of their federal highway funds. By 1984, all 50 states and the District of Columbia (but not Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands) had raised their purchase ages to 21 (but see Additional Notes below). The current drinking age of 21 remains a point of contention among many Americans, not least because of it being higher than the age of majority (18 in most states) and higher than the drinking ages of most other countries. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act is also seen as a congressional sidestep of the tenth amendment. Although the issue has been on the back burner for a while, a few states are currently considering lowering their drinking ages,[1] while Guam has raised its drinking age to 21 in July 2010.[2]
State | Pre-Prohibition (prior to 1919) |
Post-Prohibition (after 1933) |
1970s / 26th Amendment (adopted in 1971) |
1980s / Drinking Age Act of 1984 |
21st century |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | ? | 21 | Lowered to 19 in 1975 [3] | Raised to 21 in 1985 [4] | 21 |
Alaska | ? | 21 | Lowered to 19 in 1970 [5] | Raised to 21 in 1983 [6] | 21 |
Arizona | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 19 in 1972 [7][8] | Raised to 21 in 1985 [4] | 21 |
Arkansas | ? | 21 | 21 | 21 [4] | 21 |
California | ? | 21 | 21 | 21 [4] | 21 |
Colorado | ? | None, [6] 18 in 1945 [8] | 18 [9] | Raised to 21 in 1987 [4] | 21 |
Connecticut | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1972 [10] | Raised to 19 in 1982 Raised to 20 in 1983 Raised to 21 in 1985 [11] |
21 |
Delaware | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 20 in 1972 [8] | Raised to 21 in 1984 [4] | 21 |
District of Columbia | ? | 18 [6] | 18[8] | Raised to 21 in 1986 (after Sep) [12] | 21 |
Florida | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1973 | Raised to 19 in 1980 Raised to 21 in 1985 [4] |
21 |
Georgia | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1972 [7] | Raised to 19 in 1980 Raised to 20 in 1985 Raised to 21 in 1986 [4] |
21 |
Hawaii | ? | 20 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1972 [8] | Raised to 21 in 1986 [4] | 21 |
Idaho | ? | 20 (beer), 21 (liquor) [6][13] | Lowered to 19 (all) in 1972 (Jul 1)[8][14] | Raised to 21 in 1987 (Apr 11) w/ grandfather clause 2 years - 1989 (Apr 11) [4][15] |
21 |
Illinois | ? | Age of majority: 21 (men), 18 (women) [16] Raised to 21 for all in 1961 [17] |
Lowered to 19 (beer/wine) in 1973.[18] | Raised to 21 in 1980 [19] | 21 |
Indiana | ? | 21 | 21 | 21 [4] | 21 |
Iowa | ? | 21 | Lowered to 19 in 1972 (Jul 1) Lowered to 18 in 1973 (Jul 1) Raised to 19 in 1978 (Jul 1) [20] |
Raised to 21 in 1986 (Jul 1) [20] | 21 |
Kansas | ? | 18 [6] | 18 [9] | Raised to 21 in 1985 [4] | 21 |
Kentucky | ? | 21 | 21 | 21[4] | 21 |
Louisiana | ? | 18 as of 1948 [8] | 18 [9] | Raised to 21 de jure in 1987, [4] but de facto age was still 18 until 1995 due to a sale loophole. De facto age raised to 21 in 1995 when loophole was closed. [21] In 1996, briefly lowered by Louisiana Supreme Court to 18 until it reversed its decision, raising to 21 three months later.[22] Other exceptions still remain.[23] |
21 |
Maine | ? | 21 | Lowered to 20 in 1969 Lowered to 18 in 1972 [7] Raised to 20 in 1977 [4][24] |
Raised to 21 in 1985 [4] | 21 |
Maryland | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 (beer/wine) in 1974 [25][26] | Raised to 21 (all) in 1982 [4] | 21 |
Massachusetts | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1973 Raised to 20 in 1979 [27][28] |
Raised to 21 in 1985 [4] | 21 |
Michigan | ? | 21 (Age of majority) | Lowered to 18 in 1972 (Jan 1) (w/ age of majority)[29] |
Raised to 19 in 1973 (Dec 3)[30][31] Raised to 21 in 1978 (Dec 21), 18 days later.[4] First state to raise age to 21 since it was lowered |
21 |
Minnesota | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1973 Raised to 19 in 1976 [32] First state to raise age after lowering. |
Raised to 21 in 1986 [33] | 21 |
Mississippi | ? | 18 [6] (alcohol not legalized until 1966) |
18 [9] | Raised to 21 in 1986 [4] | 21 |
Missouri | ? | 21 (since 1945) | 21 | 21 [4] | 21 |
Montana | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1972 [34] Raised to 19 in 1979 |
Raised to 21 in 1987 [4][35] | 21 |
Nebraska | ? | 21 [36] | Lowered to 20 in 1969 Lowered to 19 in 1972 [36] |
Raised to 20 in 1980 Raised to 21 in 1985.[36] |
21 |
Nevada | ? | 21 | 21 | 21[4] | 21 |
New Hampshire | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1973 [37] Raised to 20 in 1979 |
Raised to 21 in 1985.[4][11] | 21 |
New Jersey | ? | 21 | Lowered to 18 in 1973 (w/ age of majority)[7] |
Raised to 19 in 1980 Raised to 21 in 1983 [4] |
21 |
New Mexico | ? | 21 | 21 | 21[4] | 21 |
New York | 21 | 18 [38] | 18 | Raised to 19 in 1982 (Dec) Raised to 21 in 1985 (Dec)[11][39] |
21 |
North Carolina | ? | 18 [6] | 18 [9] | Raised to 19 in 1983 Raised to 21 in 1986 (Sep 1) [4][12] |
21 |
North Dakota | ? | 19 | 19 | 19 [4] | 19 |
Ohio | ? | Initially 16, [6] raised to 18 in 1935 [8] |
18 [9] | Raised to 19 in 1982 Raised to 21 in 1987 [4][35] |
21 |
Oklahoma | ? | 3.2% beer 21 (men), 18 (women) [40] |
Lowered to 18 (3.2% beer) for both sexes in 1976 (Dec) [41] Last state to lower the drinking age. |
Raised to 21 in 1983.[6][42] | 21 |
Oregon | ? | 21 | 21 | 21 [4] | 21 |
Pennsylvania | ? | 21 | 21 | 21 [4][31] | 21 |
Rhode Island | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1972 [7][43] | Raised to 19 in 1980 Raised to 20 in 1981 Raised to 21 in 1984 [11] |
21 |
South Carolina | 21 | 18 [6] | 18[9] | Raised to 19 in 1984 Raised to 20 in 1985 Raised to 21 in 1986 [4] |
21 |
South Dakota | ? | 21 (all) in 1934 Lowered to 18 (3.2% beer) in 1939 Raised to 19 sometime later [44] |
Lowered to 18 (3.2% beer) in 1972 [8] | Raised to 19 in 1984 [4] Raised to 21 (all) in 1988, pending result of (failed) court challenge.[35] |
21 |
Tennessee | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1971 [9][45][46] Raised to 19 in 1979 |
Raised to 21 in 1984 [4] | 21 |
Texas | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 18 in 1973 [47] | Raised to 19 in 1981 Raised to 21 in 1986 (Sep 1)[4][12] |
21 |
Utah | ? | 21 | 21 | 21 [4] | 21 |
Vermont | ? | 21 | Lowered to 18 in 1971 [48][49] | Raised to 21 in 1986 [11][49] | 21 |
Virginia | ? | 21 [50] | Lowered to 18 (beer/wine) in 1974 [50] | Raised to 19 in 1981 for off-premises consumption Raised to 19 (all beer) in 1983 Raised to 21 in 1985 [50] |
21 |
Washington | "Age of majority" since 1877 [51] |
21 | 21 | 21 [4] | 21 |
West Virginia | ? | 18 (beer/wine), 21 (liquor) [6] | Lowered to 18 (all) in 1972 [52] | Raised to 19 in 1983 (& 21 for non-residents) [4][24] Raised to 21 in 1986 [4] |
21 |
Wisconsin | 1839–1866: 18 (wine/liquor), no age for beer; post-1866: 21 (all) [53] |
18 (beer), 21 (wine/spirits) but 21 (all) in some municipalities (age of majority: 21). As of 1957, 21 for residents of bordering states with age 21.[54] Raised to 21 in 1963 (off-premise beer sales, remained 18 for on-premise).[54] |
Lowered to 18 (all) in 1972 (Mar) [54] Border state restriction lifted in 1977 [54] |
Raised to 19 in 1984 Raised to 21 in 1986 [54] |
21 (however anyone can drink when parents or legal guardians are present) |
Wyoming | ? | 21 [6] | Lowered to 19 in 1973 [8] | Raised to 21 in 1988 (Jul 1) [55] Last state to raise de jure drinking age to 21 |
21 |
American Samoa | ? | ? | ? | 21? | 21 [56] |
Northern Mariana Islands | – | – | ? | 21? | 21 [57] |
Puerto Rico | ? | 18 | 18 | Kept at 18 despite 10% highway funding penalty under Drinking Age Act. |
18 [58] |
Virgin Islands | ? | ? | ? | 18 | 18 [59] |
Guam | ? | 21? | 18 | 18 | Raised to 21 in 2010 (Jul 8) [2] |