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HRS §414D-304

When a court can order a corporation to show its records

If a member of a nonprofit corporation asks to see records and the corporation refuses, the member can ask a court to order the corporation to show them. The court can also make the corporation pay the member's legal costs, unless the corporation had a good reason to refuse. The court may limit how the member uses the records.

courts

The statute, as written — Court-ordered inspection

(a) If a corporation does not allow a member who complies with section 414D-302(a) to inspect and copy any records required by that section to be available for inspection, the court in the county where the corporation's principal office (or, if none in this State, in the city and county of Honolulu) is located may summarily order inspection and copying of the records demanded at the corporation's expense upon application of the member. (b) If a corporation does not within a reasonable time allow a member to inspect and copy any other record, the member who complies with section 414D-302(b) and (c) may apply to the court in the county where the corporation's principal office (or, if none in this State, in the city and county of Honolulu) is located for an order to permit inspection and copying of the records demanded. The court shall dispose of an application under this subsection on an expedited basis. (c) If the court orders inspection and copying of the records demanded, it shall also order the corporation to pay the member's costs (including reasonable counsel fees) incurred to obtain the order unless the corporation proves that it refused inspection in good faith because it had a reasonable basis to doubt the right of the member to inspect the records demanded. (d) If the court orders inspection and copying of the records demanded, it may impose reasonable restrictions on the use or distribution of the records by the demanding member.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§414D-302 When members can look at company records

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.