Nonprofit Corporation Member Books and Records Inspection in Kansas
At a glance
| Eligible member and corporation | Nonprofit nonstock member; § 17-6014 translates stockholder references to members (§§ 17-6014(a),(d), 17-6510(b)) |
|---|---|
| Routine records | No unconditional member tier; § 17-6510(b) requires a sworn proper-purpose demand for the records it lists |
| Purpose-conditioned records | Membership ledger/list, other corporate books/records, and certain controlled subsidiary books/records (§§ 17-6014(a), 17-6510(b)) |
| Demand form and notice | Written demand under oath stating purpose, directed to registered office or principal business; agent attaches authority (§ 17-6510(b)) |
| Purpose, tenure, and connection | Proper purpose reasonably related to member interest; § 17-6510(b) states no fixed membership-duration threshold (§§ 17-6014(a), 17-6510(b)) |
| Place, representatives, and delivery | Inspect during usual business hours, personally or by attorney/agent; agent supplies power or other written authority (§ 17-6510(b)) |
| Copies, conversion, and cost | May make copies/extracts; entitled inspector may request legible paper conversion; court-ordered list may carry reasonable furnishing cost (§§ 17-6510(b)–(c), 17-6514) |
| Member list and confidentiality | For list inspection, corporation bears improper-purpose burden once status/demand shown; court may set conditions (§ 17-6510(c)) |
| Financial statements | Books of account fall within inspectable corporate books on the sworn proper-purpose route (§§ 17-6510(b), 17-6514) |
| Court remedy and special rules | After refusal or 5-business-day silence, district court has exclusive inspection jurisdiction; it may compel, limit or condition access (§ 17-6510(c)) |
Requirements one by one
Membership and the inspection demand
Section 17-6014(a) makes the general corporation code's stockholder references mean members when the provisions apply to a nonstock corporation. Section 17-6510 is within that rule. Its subsection (b) allows the member to inspect and make copies or extracts during usual business hours after a written demand under oath stating a proper purpose. The statute defines that purpose as one “reasonably related to such person's interest as a stockholder,” read as a member interest under § 17-6014(a). It directs the demand to the registered office or principal place of business, and requires a power of attorney or other written authorization when an agent makes it.
Electronic records and copies
Section 17-6514 allows corporate books, account books, and minutes to be stored electronically if they can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time. The corporation must make that conversion when a person entitled to inspect requests it. Section 17-6510(b) grants the member copies and extracts from the inspectable records.
What trips people up
Section 17-6510(c) permits a district-court application when the corporation refuses or does not answer within five business days. For books beyond the membership ledger or list, the member first establishes status, a compliant demand, and proper purpose. For the ledger or list, the corporation bears the burden of proving improper purpose once the member establishes status and a compliant demand. The court may limit or condition inspection and may require the reasonable cost of furnishing a court-ordered list.
Common questions
May an attorney make the demand? Yes. Section 17-6510(b) requires the demand under oath to include a power of attorney or another writing authorizing the attorney or agent.
Do the subsidiary's records count? Section 17-6510(b)(2) includes specified subsidiary records within the corporation's possession or control, subject to the listed agreement and subsidiary-access conditions.
Where does a member seek an order? Section 17-6510(c) gives the district court exclusive jurisdiction over entitlement to inspection.
Statutes and sources
- § 17-6014: “All references to stockholders of the corporation shall be deemed to refer to members of the corporation.” Kansas Revisor, accessed 2026-10-02.
- § 17-6510: “Any stockholder, in person or by attorney or other agent, upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof” may inspect for a proper purpose on the section's terms. Kansas Revisor, accessed 2026-10-02.
- § 17-6514: “Any corporation shall convert any records so kept into clearly legible paper form upon the request of any person entitled to inspect such records pursuant to any provision of this code.” Kansas Revisor, accessed 2026-10-02.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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