How strict is the drinking age enforced in Quebec?
I’m planning a trip to Quebec with a few of my friends and I’m the only one still 17. I do look older then most of them but I was wondering if just looking old enough would cut it in Quebec. Would I still be able to get into bars, clubs, etc.?
No, they scan i.d.s whenever u enter a club. and when your buying boose no matter how old you look you always get id’d. i was up there right after i turned 18, and i saw 35 and 40 year olds getting id’d. i think they have more restricting laws then the us. my advice get drunk before you go out. they still might let u into the clubs but you wont be able to drink.
Some bars you might be able to get into, the lower class ones, but clubs, not at all.
I get carded everytime I go clubbing in Quebec……and I am 28. I don’t mind though, makes me feel young!
At 17 you are allowed into an establishment that serves liquor as a main function no later than 9 pm, and only if they also serve food of some sort.
i completely disagree. i live in quebec, i use to live in ottawa. when i was 17 years old i use to always go to gatineau-hull because they never asked us for ID and they let us in. in montreal, i have never been asked for ID. the only place I get asked for ID sometimes is at the casino, and that’s about once every ten times!
you have greater odds getting into clubs in quebec then ontario, especially if you look older then 18. not sure where the other guys are coming from but quebec is very lenient and not strict, at least not here in montreal.
Depends on the places you go. Some are very strict. Some others manage to “get away with” not enforcing the rules. Better not to ask how they do this!
This varies greatly between places, but it is often possible to get into some bars even if you are underage. When purchasing alcohol in stores, they will almost always ask for ID – not worth trying it. However, many bars do not card everyone, or just card randomly, so many underage drinkers find their way into bars and drink. While I did not go to bars underage, some of my friends did and it was usually easy. Police raids into bars are rare and penalties are not very strict (a fine). The reputation of Quebec as an “underage drinkers’ paradise” is quite accurate.