In most of Hawaii, you can buy alcohol as early as 6:00 a.m., whether you’re grabbing a bottle at a store or ordering a drink at a bar. The one notable exception is Maui County, where bars and restaurants generally don’t start serving until 8:00 a.m. Liquor is regulated county by county under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 281, so the exact opening hour depends on the island, the business’s license type, and whether you’re drinking on site or taking it with you. You must be 21 to buy.
Store Hours by County
Off-premise sales cover anything you carry out: bottles from a liquor store, beer from a grocery store, wine from a convenience store.
Kauai County and Hawaii County both allow retail alcohol sales from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. In Kauai, brewpubs and wineries selling packaged product follow the same window.1Kauai County. Rules and Regulations of the Liquor Control Commission of the County of Kauai Maui County uses the same 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. hours for most retail license types.
Honolulu County opens at 6:00 a.m. as well but keeps retail sales going until midnight, an hour later than the neighbor islands.
Bar and Restaurant Hours by County
On-premise sales cover any place you drink on site: bars, restaurants, clubs, hotel lounges. In Honolulu, Hawaii, and Kauai counties, these venues can start pouring at 6:00 a.m. and must stop by 2:00 a.m. the next morning. Kauai’s rules spell this out explicitly for dispensers, restaurants, and clubs, and the other two counties follow the same framework.1Kauai County. Rules and Regulations of the Liquor Control Commission of the County of Kauai
Maui County starts later. Bars and restaurants there typically begin serving at 8:00 a.m. rather than 6:00 a.m., with the same 2:00 a.m. cutoff. If you’re hoping for an early mimosa with breakfast on Maui, plan accordingly.
Late-Night Cabarets and Resort Venues
State law lets cabarets in resort areas serve alcohol until 4:00 a.m. every day of the week, regardless of the county’s standard cutoff.2Justia. Hawaii Code 281-31 – Licenses, Classes A Class 11 cabaret license covers venues that serve food, provide a dance floor, and offer live or amplified music or professional entertainment.
Kauai County extends the late-night window beyond cabarets. Hotels, condominium hotels, and transient vessels there operate on a 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. schedule, while cabarets outside resort-zoned areas close at the standard 2:00 a.m.1Kauai County. Rules and Regulations of the Liquor Control Commission of the County of Kauai The resort-area distinction matters: a cabaret in downtown Lihue closes earlier than one in Poipu.
Delivery Hours
Third-party delivery apps like Instacart and DoorDash operate in Hawaii and deliver alcohol from participating retailers. Delivery windows generally start around 9:00 a.m. and can run as late as midnight, though specific hours track each store’s own schedule. The driver has to verify your age with a valid government-issued photo ID at the door and must refuse delivery to anyone who appears intoxicated.
Starting in mid-2025, Hawaii also allows licensed manufacturers to ship beer and distilled spirits directly to consumers. Packages must be labeled as containing alcohol, and the carrier has to obtain a signature from someone 21 or older before handing them over. This direct-shipping option is separate from app delivery and only covers breweries and distilleries sending their own products.
Sundays and Holidays
Hawaii doesn’t restrict alcohol sales on Sundays or most holidays. The same daily hours apply seven days a week. Individual businesses may choose to close or shorten their hours around a holiday, but that’s their call, not a legal requirement.
One place to watch: the Ahu O Laka safety zone, the popular sandbar area in Kaneohe Bay on Oahu. On the three-day weekends tied to Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, possessing or consuming alcohol anywhere inside that zone is prohibited for the entire weekend.3Legal Information Institute. Hawaii Code R 13-256-73.13 – Ahu O Laka Safety Zone The Department of Land and Natural Resources enforces the rule, which was created in response to safety incidents at the sandbar.
If You Need to Confirm an Edge Case
Each county’s liquor commission sets its own hours under the authority of Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 281. If you’re dealing with an unusual license type or a venue whose hours don’t match what you’d expect, contact the liquor commission for the county you’re in. The commissions on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, and Kauai each publish their own rules, and they’re the final word on what any particular licensee is allowed to do.