17 permits · verified 2026-09-11
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Maui County?
In short
A restaurant in Maui County, HI has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration charges $50 one-time, per certificate for the certificate of occupancy. 6 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-11 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Maui County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Planning | $107 one-time, per sign | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-11 |
| Fire Prevention Permit — Assembly Occupancyonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau | $100 annual | annual | 2026-09-11 |
| Fire Protection Permit (Automatic Suppression Systems, incl. Commercial Kitchen Hood Suppression)only if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau | $100 one-time, per system | one-time, per system | 2026-09-11 |
| Food Handler Certification | Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch | No fee | 3 years | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch | $300–$400 a year for a restaurant, banded by risk category and floor area | annual — a late renewal adds 20% of the annual fee | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Maui County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Plan Review Feeonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| General Business License — Maui County positiononly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-11 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration | $50 one-time, per certificate | one-time, no expiration once issued | 2026-09-11 |
| Commercial Building Permit | County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per project — the permit itself expires 5 years after issuance if work is not completed | 2026-09-11 |
| Building Plan Review Fee | County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Special Management Area (SMA) Permitonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Planning | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-11 |
| Use Determination (Zoning Verification)only if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Planning | Varies — formula on the Maui County page | one-time, per request | 2026-09-11 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
HI registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Hawaii positiononly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $51 one-time filing, including the $1 state archives fee | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $51 one-time filing, including the $1 state archives fee | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $15 a year on paper; a $10 late fee applies per year delinquent | annual — due at the end of the calendar quarter containing the entity's own original registration date | 2026-09-04 |
| General Excise Tax License | Hawaii Department of Taxation | $20 one-time registration | no expiration — remains active until closed, surrendered or revoked for abandonment | 2026-09-04 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a restaurant in Maui County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a restaurant in Maui County, HI, 6 apply to every business of this type and 11 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 6 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $70.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 17 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food Establishment Permit: $300–$400 a year for a restaurant, banded by risk category and floor area
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Maui County permits page and the HI state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Maui County?
Permits for a restaurant in Maui County, HI come from 7 separate offices: County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau, County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing, County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services Administration, County of Maui, Department of Planning, Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch, Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division, Hawaii Department of Taxation. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention BureauIssues 3 permits on this page: Fire Plan Review Fee, Fire Prevention Permit — Assembly Occupancy, Fire Protection Permit (Automatic Suppression Systems, incl. Commercial Kitchen Hood Suppression)313 Manea Place, Wailuku, HI 96793 · (808) 876-4690www.mauicounty.gov/1465/Fire-Prevention-Bureau
- County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and LicensingIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — Maui County position110 Alaihi St., Suite 101, Kahului, HI 96732 · (808) 270-7363www.mauicounty.gov/1328/Motor-Vehicle-Licensing
- County of Maui, Department of Public Works, Development Services AdministrationIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Occupancy, Commercial Building Permit, Building Plan Review Fee110 Alaihi Street, Suite 214, Kahului, HI 96732 · (808) 270-7379www.mauicounty.gov/1208/Building-Permit
- County of Maui, Department of PlanningIssues 3 permits on this page: Sign Permit, Special Management Area (SMA) Permit, Use Determination (Zoning Verification)2200 Main Street, One Main Plaza, Suite 315, Wailuku, HI 96793 · (808) 270-7735www.mauicounty.gov/2980/Planning-Department
- Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety BranchIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Handler Certification, Food Establishment Permit591 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 586-8000health.hawaii.gov/san
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: General Business License — Hawaii position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report335 Merchant Street, Room 201, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 586-2727cca.hawaii.gov/breg
- Hawaii Department of TaxationIssues 1 permit on this page: General Excise Tax License830 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 587-4242tax.hawaii.gov/geninfo/licensing
What does a restaurant need in Maui County that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Maui County
- Sign Permit — County of Maui, Department of Planning, $107 one-time, per sign, one-time, per sign. Also required for coffee shops, retail stores, salons and barbers, fitness studios, auto repair shops and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
- Fire Prevention Permit — Assembly Occupancy — County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau, $100 annual, annual. Also required for fitness studios and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios page.
- Fire Protection Permit (Automatic Suppression Systems, incl. Commercial Kitchen Hood Suppression) — County of Maui, Department of Fire and Public Safety, Fire Prevention Bureau, $100 one-time, per system, one-time, per system. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Handler Certification — Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch, No fee, 3 years. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
- Food Establishment Permit — Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch, $300–$400 a year for a restaurant, banded by risk category and floor area, annual — a late renewal adds 20% of the annual fee. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the food trucks page.
The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Maui County, HI; what each one involves is set out on the Maui County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across HI and are covered on the HI state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Maui County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Fire Prevention Permit — Assembly Occupancy. A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Childcare centres | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the veterinary clinics page, fitness studios page, coffee shops page and food trucks page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Maui County permits page and the HI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.