Nonprofit Corporation Member Books and Records Inspection in Maine
At a glance
| Eligible member and corporation | Voting member of a domestic nonprofit corporation, or the member's agent or attorney (§ 715(1)) |
|---|---|
| Routine records | No unconditional voting-member tier; § 715(1) applies proper purpose to all corporate books and records |
| Purpose-conditioned records | All books and records, including required account books, member/board/committee minutes, and voting-member names and addresses (§ 715(1)) |
| Demand form and notice | Written notice to corporation at least 5 business days before intended inspection and copying (§ 715(1)) |
| Purpose, tenure, and connection | Voting member's only proper purpose is fulfilling member duties/responsibilities under articles, bylaws, or law (§ 715(1)) |
| Place, representatives, and delivery | Inspection at any reasonable time by voting member, agent, or attorney; voting-member address record kept at in-state registered or principal office (§ 715(1)) |
| Copies, conversion, and cost | Corporation may require reasonable cost of copies and impose reasonable use/distribution restrictions (§ 715(1)) |
| Member list and confidentiality | Voting-member names/addresses record is part of corporate books; corporation may impose reasonable use/distribution restrictions (§ 715(1)) |
| Financial statements | Books and records of account are within the voting-member proper-purpose inspection route (§ 715(1)) |
| Court remedy and special rules | Superior Court may order inspection/copying after refusal or unreasonable restriction; costs/fees follow unless good-faith doubt proven (§ 715(2)) |
One voting-member route
Title 13-B, § 715(1) requires complete account books and minutes, plus an in-state record of voting members' names and addresses. It allows any voting member, or the member's agent or attorney, to inspect all corporate books and records at a reasonable time for a proper purpose after at least five business days' written notice. For a voting member, “the only proper purpose” under this section is enabling the member to fulfill duties and responsibilities given by the articles, bylaws, or law. The corporation may require payment of reasonable copying costs and set reasonable restrictions on use or distribution.
After refusal
Section 715(2) permits an application to the Superior Court in the county of the principal office, or of the Maine registered office if there is no Maine principal office, when the corporation withholds required books and records or seeks unreasonable use restrictions. The court may order inspection and copying at corporate expense. If it orders access, it also orders the member's costs and reasonable attorney fees unless the corporation proves a good-faith refusal based on reasonable doubt about the right to inspect. The court may impose reasonable use or distribution restrictions.
Statutes and sources
- § 715: “The only proper purpose for which a voting member may inspect and copy books or records under this section is the purpose of enabling the member to fulfill duties and responsibilities conferred upon members by the articles of incorporation or the bylaws of the corporation or by law.” Official code, accessed 2026-10-02.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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