ILCS » Chapter 235 · Act 5
Illinois Compiled Statutes

235 ILCS 5/6-20 (2026)

Transfer, possession, and consumption of alcoholic liquor; restrictions

✓ current as of May 2026
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(235 ILCS 5/6-20) (from Ch. 43, par. 134a)
    Sec. 6-20. Transfer, possession, and consumption of alcoholic liquor; restrictions.
    (a) Any person to whom the sale, gift or delivery of any alcoholic liquor is prohibited because of age shall not purchase, or accept a gift of such alcoholic liquor or have such alcoholic liquor in his possession.
    (b) If a licensee or his or her agents or employees believes or has reason to believe that a sale or delivery of any alcoholic liquor is prohibited because of the non-age of the prospective recipient, he or she shall, before making such sale or delivery demand presentation of some form of positive identification, containing proof of age, issued by a public officer in the performance of his or her official duties.
    (c) No person shall transfer, alter, or deface such an identification card; use the identification card of another; carry or use a false or forged identification card; or obtain an identification card by means of false information.
    (d) No person shall purchase, accept delivery or have possession of alcoholic liquor in violation of this Section.
    (e) The consumption of alcoholic liquor by any person under 21 years of age is forbidden.
    (f) Whoever violates any provisions of this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
    (g) The possession and dispensing, or consumption by a person under 21 years of age of alcoholic liquor in the performance of a religious service or ceremony, or the consumption by a person under 21 years of age under the direct supervision and approval of the parents or parent or those persons standing in loco parentis of such person under 21 years of age in the privacy of a home, is not prohibited by this Act.
    (h) The provisions of this Act prohibiting the possession of alcoholic liquor by a person under 21 years of age and dispensing of alcoholic liquor to a person under 21 years of age do not apply in the case of a student under 21 years of age, but 18 years of age or older, who:
        (1) tastes, but does not imbibe, alcoholic liquor
    
only during times of a regularly scheduled course while under the direct supervision of an instructor who is at least 21 years of age and employed by an educational institution described in subdivision (2);
        (2) is enrolled as a student in a college,
    
university, or post-secondary educational institution that is accredited or certified by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association, or that has a permit of approval issued by the Board of Higher Education pursuant to the Private Business and Vocational Schools Act of 2012;
        (3) is participating in a culinary arts, fermentation
    
science, food service, or restaurant management degree program of which a portion of the program includes instruction on responsible alcoholic beverage serving methods modeled after the Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Server Education and Training (BASSET) curriculum; and
        (4) tastes, but does not imbibe, alcoholic liquor for
    
instructional purposes up to, but not exceeding, 6 times per class as a part of a required course in which the student temporarily possesses alcoholic liquor for tasting, not imbibing, purposes only in a class setting on the campus and, thereafter, the alcoholic liquor is possessed and remains under the control of the instructor.
    (i) A law enforcement officer may not charge or otherwise take a person into custody based solely on the commission of an offense that involves alcohol and violates subsection (d) or (e) of this Section if the law enforcement officer, after making a reasonable determination and considering the facts and surrounding circumstances, reasonably believes that all of the following apply:
        (1) The law enforcement officer has contact with the
    
person because that person either:
            (A) requested emergency medical assistance for an
        
individual who reasonably appeared to be in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption; or
            (B) acted in concert with another person who
        
requested emergency medical assistance for an individual who reasonably appeared to be in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption; however, the provisions of this subparagraph (B) shall not apply to more than 3 persons acting in concert for any one occurrence.
        (2) The person described in subparagraph (A) or (B)
    
of paragraph (1) of this subsection (i):
            (A) provided his or her full name and any other
        
relevant information requested by the law enforcement officer;
            (B) remained at the scene with the individual who
        
reasonably appeared to be in need of medical assistance due to alcohol consumption until emergency medical assistance personnel arrived; and
            (C) cooperated with emergency medical assistance
        
personnel and law enforcement officers at the scene.
    (i-5) (1) In this subsection (i-5):
    "Medical forensic services" has the meaning defined in Section 1a of the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act.
    "Sexual assault" means an act of sexual conduct or sexual penetration, defined in Section 11-0.1 of the Criminal Code of 2012, including, without limitation, acts prohibited under Sections 11-1.20 through 11-1.60 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
    (2) A law enforcement officer may not charge or otherwise take a person into custody based solely on the commission of an offense that involves alcohol and violates subsection (d) or (e) of this Section if the law enforcement officer, after making a reasonable determination and considering the facts and surrounding circumstances, reasonably believes that all of the following apply:
        (A) The law enforcement officer has contact with the
    
person because the person:
            (i) reported that he or she was sexually
        
assaulted;
            (ii) reported a sexual assault of another person
        
or requested emergency medical assistance or medical forensic services for another person who had been sexually assaulted; or
            (iii) acted in concert with another person who
        
reported a sexual assault of another person or requested emergency medical assistance or medical forensic services for another person who had been sexually assaulted; however, the provisions of this item (iii) shall not apply to more than 3 persons acting in concert for any one occurrence.
        The report of a sexual assault may have been made to
    
a health care provider, to law enforcement, including the campus police or security department of an institution of higher education, or to the Title IX coordinator of an institution of higher education or another employee of the institution responsible for responding to reports of sexual assault under State or federal law.
        (B) The person who reports the sexual assault:
            (i) provided his or her full name;
            (ii) remained at the scene until emergency
        
medical assistance personnel arrived, if emergency medical assistance was summoned for the person who was sexually assaulted and he or she cooperated with emergency medical assistance personnel; and
            (iii) cooperated with the agency or person to
        
whom the sexual assault was reported if he or she witnessed or reported the sexual assault of another person.
    (j) A person who meets the criteria of paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (i) of this Section or a person who meets the criteria of paragraph (2) of subsection (i-5) of this Section shall be immune from criminal liability for an offense under subsection (d) or (e) of this Section.
    (k) A person may not initiate an action against a law enforcement officer based on the officer's compliance or failure to comply with subsection (i) or (i-5) of this Section, except for willful or wanton misconduct.
(Source: P.A. 99-447, eff. 6-1-16; 99-795, eff. 8-12-16; 100-1087, eff. 1-1-19.)

    
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 19 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1993–2025 · leading case: People v. Boeckmann, 932 N.E.2d 998 (Ill. 2010).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
People v. Boeckmann, 932 N.E.2d 998 (Ill. 2010). · cites it 4× “The Secretary stipulated that under section 6-206(a)(43) of the Vehicle Code, he was required to suspend for three months the driving privileges of any person receiving court supervision for a violation of section 6-20 of the Liquor Control Act (235 ILCS 5/6-20 (West 2008)).”
In re Shelby R., 2013 IL 114994 (Ill. 2013). · cites it 3× “2(a)(1), (2) (West 2010)), in that she punched a family member, and tore another family member’s shirt; aggravated assault (720 ILCS 5/12-2(a)(1) (West 2010)), in that she waved a knife at her mother; and unlawful consumption of alcohol (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010)).…”
Wakulich v. Mraz, 785 N.E.2d 843 (Ill. 2003). “or is consuming any alcoholic beverage and further knows that the underage individual leaves in an intoxicated condition); [3] 235 ILCS 5/6-16(d) (West *852 2000) (making it a Class A misdemeanor for any person to rent a hotel or motel room for the purpose of or with the…”
In re: Shelby R., 2012 IL App (4th) 110191 (Ill. App. Ct. 2012). · cites it 3× “2(a)(1) (West 2010)) (counts I and II); aggravated assault, a Class A misdemeanor (720 ILCS 5/12-2(a)(1) (West 2010)) (count III); and unlawful consumption of alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010)) (count IV).”
In re Shelby R., 2013 IL 114994 (Ill. 2013). · cites it 3× “235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010). A violation constitutes a Class A misdemeanor.”
People v. Cannon, 2015 IL App (3d) 130672 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015). · cites it 4× “OPINION ¶1 Defendant, Travis Cannon, was charged with unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2012)). Prior to trial, he filed a motion to suppress evidence, arguing that the police violated his fourth amendment rights by entering the back deck of…”
People v. Bruemmer, 2021 IL App (4th) 190877 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “10(b) (West 2020); 235 ILCS 5/6-20(g) (West 2020); 720 ILCS 5/12-4.”
People v. Tate, 853 N.E.2d 1249 (Ill. App. Ct. 2006). “5(a) (West 2002)), unlawful consumption of liquor (235 ILCS 5/6-20 (West 2002)), and unlawful possession of less than 2.”
People v. Finkenbinder, 2011 IL App (2d) 100901 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). · cites it 3× “Finkenbinder, was convicted of consuming alcohol while under the age of 21 (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2008)) and was sentenced to one year of court supervision.”
People v. Smith, 803 N.E.2d 570 (Ill. App. Ct. 2004). “See also 720 ILCS 570/312(c)(2) (West 2002) (providing that a pharmacist may dispense certain controlled substances for medical purposes but only to `a person over 21 years of age').”
People v. Mauricio, 619 N.E.2d 1348 (Ill. App. Ct. 1993). “134a (now 235 ILCS 5/6-20 (West 1992))). Defendant successfully petitioned to transfer the nontraffic charges to juvenile court.”
Bzdek v. Townsley, 634 N.E.2d 389 (Ill. App. Ct. 1994). · cites it 2× “134a (now 235 ILCS 5/6-20 (West 1992)). Section 6-16, subsection (c), which the Cravens court quoted, provides, in relevant part: "(c) Any person shall be guilty of a petty offense where he or she knowingly permits a gathering at a residence which he or she occupies of two or…”
Show all 19 citing cases →
— 235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) — 9 cases
In re Shelby R., 2013 IL 114994 (Ill. 2013). “2(a)(1), (2) (West 2010)), in that she punched a family member, and tore another family member’s shirt; aggravated assault (720 ILCS 5/12-2(a)(1) (West 2010)), in that she waved a knife at her mother; and unlawful consumption of alcohol (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010)).…”
People v. Boeckmann, 932 N.E.2d 998 (Ill. 2010). “The Secretary stipulated that under section 6-206(a)(43) of the Vehicle Code, he was required to suspend for three months the driving privileges of any person receiving court supervision for a violation of section 6-20 of the Liquor Control Act (235 ILCS 5/6-20 (West 2008)).”
In re: Shelby R., 2012 IL App (4th) 110191 (Ill. App. Ct. 2012). “2(a)(1) (West 2010)) (counts I and II); aggravated assault, a Class A misdemeanor (720 ILCS 5/12-2(a)(1) (West 2010)) (count III); and unlawful consumption of alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010)) (count IV).”
People v. Cannon, 2015 IL App (3d) 130672 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015). “OPINION ¶1 Defendant, Travis Cannon, was charged with unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2012)). Prior to trial, he filed a motion to suppress evidence, arguing that the police violated his fourth amendment rights by entering the back deck of…”
In re Shelby R., 2013 IL 114994 (Ill. 2013). “235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010). A violation constitutes a Class A misdemeanor.”
— 235 ILCS 5/6-20(f) — 3 cases
In re Shelby R., 2013 IL 114994 (Ill. 2013). “235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010). A violation constitutes a Class A misdemeanor.”
In re Shelby R., 2013 IL 114994 (Ill. 2013). “2(a)(1), (2) (West 2010)), in that she punched a family member, and tore another family member’s shirt; aggravated assault (720 ILCS 5/12-2(a)(1) (West 2010)), in that she waved a knife at her mother; and unlawful consumption of alcohol (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010)).…”
In re: Shelby R., 2012 IL App (4th) 110191 (Ill. App. Ct. 2012). “2(a)(1) (West 2010)) (counts I and II); aggravated assault, a Class A misdemeanor (720 ILCS 5/12-2(a)(1) (West 2010)) (count III); and unlawful consumption of alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2010)) (count IV).”
— 235 ILCS 5/6-20(g) — 4 cases
People v. Bruemmer, 2021 IL App (4th) 190877 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021). “10(b) (West 2020); 235 ILCS 5/6-20(g) (West 2020); 720 ILCS 5/12-4.”
People v. Cannon, 2015 IL App (3d) 130672 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015). “OPINION ¶1 Defendant, Travis Cannon, was charged with unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2012)). Prior to trial, he filed a motion to suppress evidence, arguing that the police violated his fourth amendment rights by entering the back deck of…”
People v. Finkenbinder, 2011 IL App (2d) 100901 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011). “Finkenbinder, was convicted of consuming alcohol while under the age of 21 (235 ILCS 5/6-20(e) (West 2008)) and was sentenced to one year of court supervision.”
People v. Finkenbinder, 963 N.E.2d 1069 (Ill. App. Ct. 2011).
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