LIQUOR LICENSES AND PERMITS
County of Hawai‘i - Department of Liquor Control
Frequently Asked Questions
The process of obtaining a liquor license is highly regulated and may take up to three months or more.
- Request an interview Submit a liquor license application to request an interview. The application fee is $50 plus an online service fee of $2.50; both fees are non-refundable.
-
An in-person or phone interview will be scheduled by the licensing officer
The purpose of this interview is to:
- Determine what kind of liquor license best suits your business and if any additional liquor permits are required.
- Provide you with a checklist of documents that you are required to submit. Your application and required documents will be compiled into an Application Packet.
- Notarize your application at no charge. Please bring a valid and legal picture ID.
-
Complete your Application Packet
Once all your required documents have been submitted, the Licensing Officer will:
- Write a report to be presented to the Liquor Commission at a preliminary hearing.
- Invite you to the preliminary hearing
- Attend a preliminary hearing The law requires that all parties and/or their representatives must attend this hearing. If your application is not denied, a public hearing will be scheduled.
-
Complete required tasks prior to public hearing
You will be required to:
- Mail notices to property owners of record within 500 feet of the business’ premises.
- Schedule inspections with multiple agencies, if ready.
- Attend a public hearing At the public hearing, the Liquor Commission will hear testimony for or against your application and approve or deny your application.
-
Pay for your liquor license
After passing final inspection from required agencies, pay the annual license fee:
- The cost of your annual license can range from $150.00 to $1,200.00 depending on the class of license issued.
- The $50.00 application fee paid at the start of the process will be applied to the cost of the license.
The cost of a liquor license depends on its class and kind (see table below). Other costs are the initial $50.00 application fee, $2.50 online service fee, and the cost to publish a notice of a public hearing in a local newspaper. Please be prepared to remit a $200.00 publication deposit on the day of your scheduled interview with the licensing officer.
| Class | Beer | Wine | Beer & Wine | General | Other Liquors | Flat Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Manufacturer | $400.00 | $400.00 | $640.00 | |||
| 2 Restaurant | $150.00 | $300.00 | $600.00 | |||
| 3 Wholesale Dealer | $420.00 | $1,200.00 | ||||
| 4 Retail Dealer | $260.00 | $560.00 | ||||
| 5 Dispenser | $150.00 | $300.00 | $600.00 | |||
| 6 Club | $320.00 | |||||
|
8 Transient Vessel
(per day per port) |
$25.00 | |||||
| 9 Tour or Cruise Vessel | $210.00 | |||||
| 10 Special | $15.00 | $20.00 | $35.00 | |||
| 11 Cabaret | $750.00 | |||||
| 12 Hotel | $1,200.00 | |||||
| 13 Caterer | $600.00 | |||||
| 14 Brewpub | $1,000.00 | |||||
| 15 Condominium Hotel | $1,200.00 | |||||
| 16 Winery | $1,000.00 | |||||
| 18 Small Craft Producer Pub | $1,000.00 |
There is a non-refundable service fee of $2.50 to submit a Liquor License Application online.
The $50.00 application fee is non-refundable if an application is denied or withdrawn.
Liquor licenses expire on June 30 and must be renewed annually. The renewal period is May 15 – June 30. Online renewal applications will be made available on May 15
- Click on Renew Your License on the home page
- Enter your liquor license number and click Search
- Complete the online form
- Attach the required supporting documents
- Pay the renewal fee and service fee
The service fee will vary depending on renewal fee amount. It will be displayed at the top of application under the renewal fee.
Please check to see that you have entered the license number exactly as it appears on your liquor license certificate. If the issue continues, please contact the Department of Liquor Control at cohdlc@hawaiicounty.gov or (808) 961-8218.
Your application may have already been submitted, or the license number was entered incorrectly. Please enter the license number exactly as it appears on your liquor license certificate. To inquire about your renewal application, please contact the Department of Liquor Control at cohdlc@hawaiicounty.gov or (808) 961-8218.
Please submit the following documents along with your application:
- a copy of your current Hawai‘i State Tax Clearance or Hawai‘i Compliance Express (HCE) Vendor Compliance Certificate
- a copy of your current DCCA Annual Report
- a proof of liquor liability insurance of not less than one million dollars
- a copy of the notarized page of application form APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL OF LIQUOR LICENSE
Due to changes to HRS 281-53, all applications for renewal of a liquor license must be notarized. Submittal of a renewal application without notarization will not be accepted.
Tax clearance from the IRS is not required, however, a copy of your current State Tax Clearance with an approval stamp, or a Certificate of Vendor Compliance from the Hawai‘i Compliance Express (HCE) is required.
To correct or update information that cannot be edited online, please contact the Department of Liquor Control at cohdlc@hawaiicounty.gov or (808) 961-8218.
For questions about an extension to renew, please contact the Department of Liquor Control at cohdlc@hawaiicounty.gov or (808) 961-8218.
Your new Liquor License Certificate will be hand-delivered to your business location after June 30. Continue to display your current license pending the receipt of your new license.
The cost is $48.00 for a 1-year permit, and $96.00 for a 2-year permit. The permit is good for a calendar year (January – December).
The service fee is $2.40 for a 1-year permit, and $4.80 for a 2-year permit.
Contact Us
- Email:
- cohdlc@hawaiicounty.gov
- Phone:
- East Hawai‘i: (808) 961-8218
West Hawai‘i: (808) 323-4370
Tech Support