minors sitting at a bar

[pamquillen]

how old do you have to be to sit at a bar in the united states?

[NORMANTHEDOG]

21

[tubeway]

Depends what state

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 states that revenue will be withheld from states that allow the purchase of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21. Some states do not allow those under the legal drinking age to be present in liquor stores or in bars (usually, the difference between a bar and a restaurant is whether food is being served). Contrary to popular belief, since the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, few states specifically prohibit minors' and young adults' consumption of alcohol in private settings. As of January 1, 2007, 14 states and the District of Columbia ban underage consumption outright, 19 states do not specifically ban underage consumption, and an additional 27 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage consumption laws.
Federal law explicitly provides for religious, medical, employment and private club possession exceptions; as of 2005, 31 states have family member and/or location exceptions to their underage possession laws.
Underage purchase of alcohol, though illegal in all fifty states, is not a felony, but a misdemeanour.
Additionally, exceptions exist on certain military installations, for instance Fort Bliss, Texas, where the Commanding General lowered the age to 18 to reduce the number of soldiers traveling out of the country to nearby Ciudad Ju�rez, Chihuahua, to drink.