The department is authorized to control, supervise and regulate the manufacture, importation, sale, service and consumption of intoxicating liquors and is responsible for administering the state and county liquor laws. It has the authority to adopt county liquor laws, to grant or deny liquor licenses, to educate licensees,

to enforce liquor laws and to adjudicate violations of liquor laws.

These duties are accomplished by the department’s administrative, enforcement and licensing divisions. The Department of Liquor Control has a staff of twelve employees and is aided in its duties by two boards. The Liquor Commission, consisting of nine members, has the authority to grant or deny liquor license applications, enact county liquor laws and to hire and remove the director. The Liquor Control Adjudication board, consisting of five members, has the authority to hear cases on violations of liquor laws and to determine penalties.

The department is not a general fund agency and derives its revenues from fees assessed to the 353 liquor licensees in the county. The department’s FY01-02 budget was $1,149,784.

• Developed wine reciprocal registration form and commenced with registering wine manufacturers in reciprocity states to allow shipment of wines to residents in Hawaii, in compliance with Act 58 effective July, 2001.
• Revised application procedures in accordance to Act 257, relating to the filing and verification of protests and notice to property owners.
• Revised guidelines to protest an application for a liquor license for distribution to the public on laws related to filing and classification of protests in accordance to Act 257.
• Developed and distributed signs for posting by licensees relating to operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant in accordance with Act 157.
• Hosted the state liquor investigator’s workshop. Topics included interagency collaboration, sting operations, judicial viewpoint of stings, use of media as a deterrent to alcohol use by minors, security concerns of doormen/bouncers, and merchant education training program.
• Hosted the annual state liquor conference attended by liquor administrators, commissioners, adjudication board members, representatives from the liquor industry associations, licensees and legal counsel in Kamuela, Hawaii. Topics included the draft general plan of the Dept. of Hawaiian Homes, rave drugs, pending liquor legislation, enterprise zones, and impacts related to the increase in cruise lines operations in Hawaii. Conferees also participated in a "beer school" which included a hands-on demonstration of ingredients and its effect on the end product.

The functions of this division are to process all applications related to a liquor license to ensure compliance to state and county liquor laws through investigation and to compile reports to the Liquor Commission for its consideration and action.

The Liquor Commission is authorized to adopt rules and regulations having the force and effect of law in the county, to grant, renew or refuse applications for liquor licenses and to hire and remove the director.

Donald Abdul – Chair Steve Morifuji - Vice Chair

Charles Sakamoto Earl Eckart

Sidney Lee George Harai

Greg Gauthier Kelly Kurakazu

The enforcement division conducts inspections, investigations and education to licensees to ensure compliance to liquor laws.

The Liquor Control Adjudication Board hears and determines all complaints of violations of the liquor laws and imposes punishment upon conviction as provided by law.

Jude Mattos - Chair

Douglas L. Halsted - Vice-Chair

Janice Nakamura

Tsuyoki Nakashima

Jan Yokoyama

The department serves as project manager for this grant from the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and the State of Hawaii Office of Youth Services. Project PAU (Preventing Alcohol Use by Minors) activities commenced in July, 2001. The two-year grant funds a multi-agency task force to implement programs to enforce underage drinking laws. Participants are:

Department of Liquor Control

Community Police Division, Hawaii County Police Department

Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE), DLNR

Project Coordinator Ernest Correia

State Department of Health

Department of Education

Emerald City Radio Partners

Family Court

Office of the Prosecutor

Cancer Research Center of Hawaii

State Department of Human Services, Office of Youth Services.