Denmark extends young test-purchaser scheme until 2028
28.08.2026 - Denmark has decided to continue using young test purchasers to check whether shops respect age limits for alcohol, tobacco and nicotine. On 27 August, the Folketing adopted L 12 B by 82 votes to 27, extending the temporary scheme until 30 June 2028 and revising fines for illegal sales to minors.
The scheme began on 1 July 2024 as part of a broader prevention plan for children and young people. Before that, inspectors mainly had to wait and observe whether an illegal sale happened. Between January 2021 and June 2024, that method detected violations in less than 1% of inspections, even though surveys suggested that under-age purchases were much more common.
The pilot produced a very different picture. By 3 October 2025, Sikkerhedsstyrelsen had carried out 2,240 inspections with young test purchasers and found violations in 34% of cases. The authority reported 36% violations in 2024 and 32% in 2025, meaning the method clearly improved detection, although the available data did not yet show a substantial improvement in retailer compliance over time.
In October 2025, the government and several opposition parties agreed that the scheme should continue for another two years. They described young test purchasers as an effective enforcement tool, but chose another temporary extension because Denmark is also introducing electronic age verification in physical shops. The idea is to keep the current enforcement pressure while retailers gradually gain access to electronic age-control solutions, before politicians reconsider the scheme again in 2028.
This week brought the final parliamentary steps. On 25 August, the original broad L 12 was split, and the age-control provisions became the separate L 12 B. Two last-minute amendments were then submitted before the third reading, seeking changes to the use of young test purchasers, but they did not pass. On 27 August, the Folketing adopted the final bill.
The new law therefore keeps the test-purchaser system in place until 30 June 2028. It also lowers the standard first-offence fine from DKK 50,000 to DKK 25,000, with higher fines for repeated violations.
The central question now shifts to 2028. Denmark will have four years of experience with young test purchasers and additional experience with electronic age verification. That should provide a stronger basis for deciding whether test purchasing should become a permanent enforcement tool, be replaced, or continue alongside technological age checks.
