Cross Reference—As to drinking intoxicating liquor and non-intoxicating beer in public or in motor vehicle, see Section 210.350.
The term "intoxicating liquor" as used in this Chapter, shall mean and include alcohol for beverage purposes, alcoholic, spirituous, vinous, fermented, malt, or other liquors, or combination of liquors, a part of which is spirituous, vinous, or fermented, and all preparations or mixtures for beverage purposes, containing in excess of one-half of one percent (0.5%) by volume except for non-intoxicating beer as defined in Section 312.010, RSMo. All beverages having an alcoholic content of less than one-half of one percent (0.5%) by volume shall be exempt from the provisions of this Chapter, but subject to inspection as provided by Sections 196.365 to 196.445, RSMo.
Any licensee under this Chapter, or his/her employee, who shall sell, vend, give away or otherwise supply any intoxicating liquor in any quantity whatsoever to any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years, or to any person intoxicated or appearing to be in a state of intoxication, or to a habitual drunkard, and any person whomsoever except his/her parent or guardian who shall procure for, sell, give away or otherwise supply intoxicating liquor to any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years, or to any intoxicated person or any person appearing to be in a state of intoxication, or to a habitual drunkard, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, except that this Section shall not apply to the supplying of intoxicating liquor to a person under the age of twenty-one (21) years for medical purposes only, or to the administering of such intoxicating liquor to any person by a duly licensed physician. No person shall be denied a license or renewal of a license issued under this Chapter solely due to a conviction for unlawful sale or supply to a minor when serving in the capacity as an employee of a licensed establishment.
Any person under the age of twenty-one (21) years, who purchases or attempts to purchase, or has in his/her possession, any intoxicating liquor as defined in Section 600.010 is guilty of a misdemeanor. For purposes of prosecution under this Section or any other provision of this Chapter involving an alleged illegal sale or transfer of intoxicating liquor to a person under twenty-one (21) years of age, a manufacturer-sealed container describing that there is intoxicating liquor therein need not be opened or the contents therein tested to verify that there is intoxicating liquor in such container. The alleged violator may allege that there was not intoxicating liquor in such container, but the burden of proof of such allegation is on such person, as it shall be presumed that such a sealed container describing that there is intoxicating liquor therein contains intoxicating liquor.
Any person of the age of seventeen (17) years and under the age of twenty-one (21) years who shall represent that he/she has attained the age of twenty-one (21) years for the purpose of purchasing, asking for or in any way receiving any intoxicating liquor, except in cases authorized by law, shall upon conviction be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. Any person under the age of seventeen (17) years who shall represent that he/she has attained the age of twenty-one (21) years for the purpose of purchasing, asking for or in any way receiving any intoxicating liquor, except in cases authorized by law, may be considered a delinquent child and may be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 211, RSMo.