(1) For the purposes of this section, "vendor" means an individual or a partnership, association, or corporation that sells liquor to the department.
(2) A vendor who desires to promote the sale of the vendor's product in the state shall employ at least one representative and, except as provided in subsection (3), may employ four additional representatives to promote the sale of the vendor's product. A representative employed under this section must be a resident of the state or become a resident after employment. A representative may not be under the age of 21. The department may determine further registration requirements by rule.
(3) A vendor may employ an unlimited number of representatives if the representative is a direct employee, an owner, or an officer of the distillery and is not employed through an independent contractor.