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.

Download our Citizen’s Guide to Public Records Requests

Download Our Public Records Request Template

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.