Nonprofit Corporation Member Books and Records Inspection in South Dakota
At a glance
| Eligible member and corporation | Any member of a South Dakota nonprofit corporation, or the member's agent or attorney (§ 47-24-2) |
|---|---|
| Routine records | Section 47-24-2 places all books and records on its proper-purpose member route |
| Purpose-conditioned records | All corporate books and records, including required account books, minutes, and voting-member record (§§ 47-24-1–2) |
| Demand form and notice | Inspection under § 47-24-2 is for a proper purpose at a reasonable time; no written-demand lead time is stated there |
| Purpose, tenure, and connection | Any member may inspect for a proper purpose; § 47-24-2 states no membership-duration threshold |
| Place, representatives, and delivery | Member, agent, or attorney may inspect at a reasonable time; voting-member record kept at registered or principal office (§§ 47-24-1–2) |
| Copies, conversion, and cost | Section 47-24-2 grants inspection; § 47-24-1 permits electronic records when articles or bylaws authorize them |
| Member list and confidentiality | Voting members' names and addresses must be kept; inspection falls within proper-purpose rule (§§ 47-24-1–2) |
| Financial statements | Account books fall within the proper-purpose inspection route (§§ 47-24-1–2) |
| Court remedy and special rules | Section 47-24-2 grants member inspection but specifies no inspection-order procedure after refusal |
Member inspection
Section 47-24-1 requires correct account books, minutes of member, board, and authorized committee proceedings, and a record of voting members' names and addresses at the registered or principal office. The articles or bylaws may authorize keeping those records electronically. Section 47-24-2 permits “any member, or his agent or attorney” to inspect “all books and records” for a proper purpose at a reasonable time.
Section 47-24-2 gives one member inspection route. It does not state an advance written-demand period, a copying charge, a separate financial-statement delivery request, or a statutory court process for refusal. Its affirmative rule is inspection for a proper purpose.
Statutes and sources
- § 47-24-1: “If authorized by the articles of incorporation or bylaws, the records required by this section may be kept in electronic format.” Official code, accessed 2026-10-02.
- § 47-24-2: “All books and records of a corporation may be inspected by any member, or his agent or attorney, for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.” Official code, accessed 2026-10-02.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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