- 1). Conduct research into the neighborhoods your would be interested in having a business in. Pay careful attention to the population count and the number of licensed liquor establishments in the area. There is a maximum number of liquor licenses allowed in each city. That number is based on the size of the local population. If all available licenses have been issued, you will not be able to obtain a new liquor license in the area. This makes initial research a critical aspect to obtaining a liquor license.
- 2). Lease a building in the area that you selected. The building location is perhaps more important to the liquor license application than the individual who submits the application. The building should not only be in an area where there are liquor licenses available, but also in an area where local residents and businesses will be receptive to the sale of alcohol. This is generally not a problem for restaurants, but if you are going to operate a bar or liquor store, you will want to be careful to not choose a location where strong opposition will be voiced against your application.
- 3). Draft a floor plan of your premises. On a 24” by 36” piece of paper, you must draw a floor plan that represents the location where you will sell alcoholic beverages. The floor plan must be drawn to scale, and contain detailed measurements of the premises. When complete, the plan should be stamped with preliminary approval from the Department of Health.
- 4). Make a tax map of your property. Again, using a 24” by 36” sheet of paper, make a map of your location. This map should be done to a scale of 1 inch equals 60 feet, so that you can show the neighborhood that surrounds your property. This map should situate your property in the center of the map, and show the neighborhood within the radius of 100 feet and well as 500 feet from the border of your property.
- 5). Make a list of all businesses within the area covered by your tax map. You should separate this into two lists. You should have one list of all businesses within 100 feet of your property, and a second list of all businesses within 500 feet (not counting those on the first list). The list should contain the name and address of each business.
- 6). Compile a list of registered voters who live within the area of your tax map. Again, this should be two lists, split among those who live within 100 feet of the property and those who live within 500 feet of the property. This list should contain the name and address of each voter in the area.
- 7). Print mailing labels. You will need to print a mailing label for every address that was listed in Steps 5 and 6. This is because the liquor commission will mail notice of your application and hearing date to each of these individuals.
- 8). Identify which liquor commission has jurisdiction over your area. Hawaii has four commissions that oversee the production, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages. These are located in Hawaii County, the City and County of Honolulu, Kauai County and Maui County. Links to each of these governing bodies can be found in the Resources section.
- 9). Submit your application for a liquor license. After determining which liquor commission holds jurisdiction over your business location, you can obtain application forms from that commission. The forms will need to be submitted along with the maps and mailing lists that you created during previous steps. You will also need to include a check or money order for the filing fee, which varies depending on the class of license you are applying for. Refer to the application form for more specific instructions regarding filing fees.
- 10
Allow time for public notice. When the liquor commission receives your application, officials will use your address labels to send a public notice to all businesses and registered voters within 500 feet of your location. These members of the community will be notified of the date of the hearing on your liquor license application, and will be provided ample opportunity to voice an objection, if desired. Objections from those within 100 feet carry more weight in the ruling of the liquor commission. - 11
Attend your license hearing. A date will be scheduled in advance for you to attend a hearing held by the liquor commission. The hearing will review your application for a liquor license and pose any particular questions that the commissioner may have about your background. The public will also be given a chance to voice objections before the commission makes a final ruling. - 12
Assuming that the commission rules in your favor, a liquor license will be sent to the address of your business. The license must be displayed where alcohol is sold. You will need to attend an additional hearing each year to renew your license.
SHARE
