History of the Legal Drinking Age
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1934 | Original ABC Act stated that the legal age for purchase, possession or consumption of any alcoholic beverage was 21 years of age. |
| 1974 | Legal Drinking Age (LDA) for beer lowered from 21 to 18. LDA for wine and liquor remained at 21 years old. |
| 1981 | LDA for beer remains at 18 for on-premises consumption and is raised to 19 for off-premises consumption. |
| 1983 | LDA is raised to 19 years old for all sales of beer. |
| 1985 | Persons born on or after July 1, 1966 will be able to purchase beer, wine and liquor on and after their 21st birthday. Persons born before July 1, 1966 will retain the privilege to purchase, possess and consume beer. |
| 1987 | LDA raised to 21 for all alcoholic beverages. |