Every licensed premises in Maui County must have an approved employee in active charge whenever it is open for business. The Maui County liquor card is how the Department of Liquor Control verifies that person knows the law.
What is the Maui County liquor card?
The Maui County liquor card is a certification issued by the County of Maui Department of Liquor Control. Its formal name is the Employee Approved by the Director (EAD) card. To earn it, you pass the Department’s Liquor Laws and Rules certification exam, which tests your knowledge of Hawaii’s state liquor law and the Maui County rules that govern licensed premises.
A certified employee must be actively present and in charge of a licensed premises at all times the premises is open for business. Without someone holding the card on duty, the premises is not in legal compliance.
Who needs the Maui liquor card?
The card is required for any managerial or supervisory employee, or the licensee themselves, who will serve as the person in active charge of a Maui County licensed premises. If you own, manage, or supervise a bar, restaurant, hotel lounge, or other premises licensed by the Department of Liquor Control, you or a qualified staff member must hold the EAD certification.
You must be 21 years of age or older to qualify.
What does the exam cover?
The exam tests the liquor laws and rules that apply to licensed premises in Maui County, drawn from three public-domain law sources:
- Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 281: the state Intoxicating Liquor law, covering legal definitions, license classes, prohibited conduct, rules on minors, and the penalty framework.
- Maui Rules of the Liquor Commission, Chapter 101: operations at the premises level, including license types and conditions, hours of sale, drink preparation, conduct on premises, physical requirements, and employee registration.
- Maui Rules of the Liquor Commission, Chapter 102: the commission’s procedures, complaint handling, and the liquor control adjudication board.
Within those sources, the exam ranges across eight subject areas: definitions and general provisions; license types and permits; hours and conduct of operations; minors; prohibitions and conduct on premises; regulation of the premises; registration and managerial duties; and commission, enforcement, and penalties. Enforcement and penalties carries the most weight, followed by license types, minors, and prohibitions.
What does the exam format look like?
The exam is taken online through the eSkill assessment platform. The County of Maui does not publish an official question count, time limit, or passing score, but advises candidates to allow about one hour to complete it.
The practice mock in the app uses 50 questions, a 60-minute timer, and a 70 percent pass mark (35 of 50 correct) to give you a realistic benchmark. Treat those numbers as practice targets rather than official requirements.
How do you register and collect the card?
Registration is by email. Contact the Department of Liquor Control at liquor.cert.exam@mauicounty.gov and the Department sends you an eSkill link. You take the exam online and need a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID.
If you pass, the results email explains next steps. To collect the physical card, visit the Department of Liquor Control at the Kahului Service Center in person. Bring the same photo ID: a photo is taken on-site and the card is issued during that visit. The card fee is $20, payable by cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard.
The card is valid for four years from the date you passed the exam, after which you must pass again to renew.
What does the law actually ask you to know?
The practical content covers what a licensed premises must follow every day. A few topics that the exam tests:
- Minors: Hawaii law defines a minor as any person under 21 years of age. Selling or serving a minor, or employing a minor in a role involving liquor, carries serious penalties.
- Hours of operation: Hours vary by license type. A dispenser licensee may be open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the following day, per Maui Commission Rule 08-101-25. Knowing the schedule for your license class is part of the exam.
- Approved employee on duty: A certified EAD holder must be in active charge whenever the premises is open. Gaps in coverage are a compliance violation.
- Enforcement and penalties: The commission can inspect, hold hearings, impose fines, suspend or revoke licenses. This is the heaviest-weighted area in the practice question bank.
Source: County of Maui Department of Liquor Control certification page, HRS Chapter 281, and the Maui Rules of the Liquor Commission.