60-234. Production of documents, electronically stored information, tangible things and entry onto land for inspection and other purposes. (a) In general. A party may serve on any other party a request within the scope of K.S.A. 60-226(b), and amendments thereto:

(1) To produce and permit the requesting party, or its representative, to inspect, copy, test or sample the following items in the responding party's possession, custody or control:

(A) Any designated documents or electronically stored information, including writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings, images and other data or data compilations, stored in any medium from which information can be obtained either directly or, if necessary, after translation by the responding party into a reasonably usable form; or

(B) any designated tangible things; or

(2) to permit entry onto designated land or other property possessed or controlled by the responding party, so that the requesting party may inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test or sample the property or any designated object or operation on it.

(b) Procedure. The request may be served on the plaintiff after commencement of the action and on any other party with or after service of process on that party.

(1) Contents of request. The request:

(A) Must describe with reasonable particularity each item or category of items to be inspected;

(B) must specify a reasonable time, place and manner for the inspection and for performing the related acts; and

(C) may specify the form or forms in which electronically stored information is to be produced.

(2) Responses and objections. (A) Time to respond. The party to whom the request is directed must respond in writing within 30 days after being served, except that a defendant may serve a response within 45 days after being served with process. A shorter or longer time may be stipulated to under K.S.A. 60-229, and amendments thereto, or be ordered by the court.

(B) Responding to each item. For each item or category, the response must either state that inspection and related activities will be permitted as requested or state with specificity the grounds for objecting to the request, including the reasons. The responding party may state that it will produce copies of documents or of electronically stored information instead of permitting inspection. The production must then be completed no later than the time for inspection specified in the request or another reasonable time specified in the response.

(C) Objections. An objection must state whether any responsive materials are being withheld on the basis of that objection. An objection to part of a request must specify the part and permit inspection of the rest.

(D) Responding to a request for production of electronically stored information. The response may state an objection to a requested form for producing electronically stored information. If the responding party objects to a requested form, or if no form was specified in the request, the party must state the form or forms it intends to use.

(E) Producing the documents or electronically stored information. Unless otherwise stipulated or ordered by the court, these procedures apply to producing documents or electronically stored information:

(i) A party must produce documents as they are kept in the usual course of business or must organize and label them to correspond to the categories in the request;

(ii) if a request does not specify a form for producing electronically stored information, a party must produce it in a form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably usable form or forms; and

(iii) a party need not produce the same electronically stored information in more than one form.

(c) Nonparties. As provided in K.S.A. 60-245 and 60-245a, and amendments thereto, a nonparty may be compelled to produce documents, electronically stored information and tangible things or to permit an inspection.

History: L. 1963, ch. 303, 60-234; amended by Supreme Court order dated July 20, 1972; L. 1986, ch. 215, § 8; L. 1997, ch. 173, § 17; L. 2008, ch. 21, § 4; L. 2010, ch. 135, § 103; L. 2017, ch. 75, § 7; July 1.