Hawaii

Statutory Citation: Haw. Rev. Stat. §91-1 et seq.

Definition of Public Record

Records include all materials maintained in government offices and agencies including all records whether they be written, auditory, visual, electronic, or other physical form. 1

Exemptions to Public Records

Exemptions of this act are records that constitute an invasion of privacy, records of current judicial proceeding of which the agency receiving the request is a part, and confidential government records, inchoate and draft working papers of legislative committees including budget worksheets and unfiled committee reports. 2

Who Can Make The Request?

Anyone

Response Timeframe

Up to 10 days. 3

Information on Fees

UIPA authorizes agencies to charge a reasonable cost of not less than five cents per page. $2.50 per fifteen minutes for an agency search for the record; $5.00 per fifteen minutes for an agency review and segregation of the record; and the actual rate that is charged to the agency by a person outside the agency for services to assist in the search. Haw. Admin. Rules § 2-71-31(a). The first $30 of fees for search, review and segregation of a record are automatically waived. 4

Enforcement Mechanisms

The state records ombudsman or OIP have jurisdiction to investigate any agency potentially not operating within the proper confines of the UIPA. 5

Attorney Fees

Yes, you can win attorney’s fees. 6

Do You Want to Make a Public Records Request?

The public records process begins with a public records request. Our guide outlines best practices for drafting well-defined requests for public information.

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Questions? Contact the Goldwater Institute.

If you have any questions regarding this guide or your rights to public information, please contact the Goldwater Institute at info@goldwaterinstitute.org to determine if the Institute can help you access information necessary to hold your government accountable.

Goldwater Institute