Articles · Member rights · Guide
How to Request Your HOA's Records
Short answer: Ask in writing, say exactly which records you want, and keep proof of when and how you sent it. In Florida, Texas, California and Arizona, the statutes we read set a first deadline of 10 business days. Texas allows a written extension, and California allows 30 calendar days for records prepared in the previous two fiscal years. For Georgia (its nonprofit-corporation rules) and Washington’s older HOA Act, we did not find a number of days in the sections we read. Deadlines, fees and what may be withheld differ by state, so check your state in the table below. This is information as of September 23, 2026.
Last checked: September 23, 2026. Covers: Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado and Washington (the seven states we reviewed). Other states differ and were not reviewed.
Is it normal to ask for HOA records?
Yes. Each of the seven states we reviewed has a statute that lets owners or members ask to see or copy association records. In Georgia, the sections we read cover nonprofit-corporation associations. Boards handle these requests as part of running the association. A clear, polite, written request usually makes it easier for a volunteer board or a manager to say yes.
What records can I ask for?
The statutes describe records in different ways. Examples include governing documents, meeting minutes and financial records (Fla. Stat. § 720.303(4)(a); Cal. Civ. Code § 5200; C.R.S. § 38-33.3-317(1); O.C.G.A. § 14-3-1602). Arizona’s statute says “all financial and other records of the association” (A.R.S. § 33-1805(A)). Some records may be withheld, as the table shows.
Do I have to give a reason?
Sometimes not. Florida says the association may not require an owner to state any reason for the inspection (Fla. Stat. § 720.303(5)(g)), and Colorado says the association may not require a statement of proper purpose (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-317(2)(a)). In Georgia, excerpts of board minutes, accounting records and the membership list require a good-faith proper purpose (O.C.G.A. § 14-3-1602(c), (d)). In California, a membership-list request must state its purpose (Cal. Civ. Code § 5225).
What do seven states say?
This table covers HOAs and planned communities in seven states. In some states condominiums use different sections and can differ; for example, Florida’s condominium statute does not require certified mail for its willfulness presumption (Fla. Stat. § 718.111(12)(c)).
| State | Who may inspect | Form of request | Response deadline | Copy fees | Remedies | Withheld or redacted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (§ 720.303(5)) | Parcel owner | Written request to the board or its designee. Certified mail, return receipt requested, is what triggers the presumption of willful failure | 10 business days after receipt, unless the law or the governing documents provide otherwise | Up to 25 cents a page on the association’s copier; staff time only past half an hour, at up to $20 an hour, and none for 25 or fewer pages | Actual or minimum damages for willful failure; minimum $50 a day up to 10 days, from the 11th business day | Attorney-client material, some personnel and medical records, personal identifying data such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses |
| Texas (Prop. Code § 209.005) | Owner, or an agent, attorney or CPA named in a signed writing. The section does not apply to an association subject to Gov’t Code ch. 552 by § 552.0036 (§ 209.005(b)) | Written request by certified mail to the address on the latest management certificate; say whether you want to inspect or receive copies | Dates or copies by the 10th business day; if more time is needed, written notice with a date no later than the 15th business day after the notice | Only under a recorded cost policy, capped by 1 T.A.C. § 70.3; we did not read those rates | Petition to the justice of the peace; court may order release and award costs and fees. Written notice at least 10 business days before filing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or USPS signature confirmation | Attorney files, an owner’s violation history, personal financial information, contact details other than address, employee information |
| California (Civ. Code §§ 5200 to 5235) | Member, or a representative designated in writing | No prescribed form; a request for copies of “specifically identified records” is described as written | 10 business days after receipt for records prepared in the current fiscal year; 30 calendar days after receipt for records prepared in the previous two fiscal years; minutes, membership lists and some other records have their own timeframes (§ 5210(b)) | Direct and actual copying and mailing cost, and you must agree to the amount first; up to $10 an hour, capped at $200 a request, for redacting enhanced records | Court must award costs and fees if access was unreasonably withheld, and may add up to $500 for each denied written request; small claims allowed | Privileged material, personnel records (except payroll), member privacy, other members’ discipline or collections, personal identifiers, executive session minutes. Compensation cannot be withheld |
| Georgia (O.C.G.A. §§ 14-3-1602 to 14-3-1604) | Member; a member’s agent or attorney has the same rights | Written notice or demand, at least 5 business days ahead; e-mail counts if it identifies the sender and date | No fixed number of days in the sections we read; inspection at a reasonable time and place | Reasonable charge, not above the estimated cost of production or copying | Superior court may order inspection; court must award costs and fees unless the association proves a good-faith refusal on a reasonable basis | Not found in the sections we read (membership list has use limits) |
| Arizona (A.R.S. § 33-1805) | Member, or a person designated in writing | The statute does not prescribe a form or say a written request is required | 10 business days | No charge to review; up to 15 cents a page for copies | Section 33-1805 states no penalty. An owner may petition the Department of Real Estate (A.R.S. § 32-2199.01), $800 per issue on the agency’s fee page and petition form (Rev. 08/2026); the statute leaves the amount to the commissioner | Attorney-client communications, pending litigation, closed-session records, personal records of a member or employee, employee performance and pay |
| Colorado (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-317) | Unit owner or authorized agent | The association may require a written request describing the records “with reasonable particularity” at least 10 days before; certified mail, return receipt requested, for the penalty | Penalty text refers to 30 calendar days after a certified-mail request (and payment of any copy fee), but counts from the 11th business day; see note | Reasonable fee, collectable in advance, not above estimated cost of production | $50 a day from the 11th business day, up to $500 or actual damages, whichever is greater | May withhold: attorney-client material, executive session records, contracts or bids under negotiation. Must withhold: personnel, salary and medical records, personal identification |
| Washington (RCW 64.38.045; 64.90.495) | Owners, mortgage holders and authorized agents (HOA Act) | HOA Act: we found no form set. Newer act: 10 days’ notice | HOA Act: we found no number of days. Newer act: 10 days’ notice, longer if the size of the request or redaction requires, but no later than 21 days without a court order | Reasonable fee for copies and supervising inspection; no dollar cap found | No per-day penalty found; a court may award fees to the prevailing party (RCW 64.38.050; 64.90.685(1)) | Personnel and medical records, attorney-client material, executive session records, litigation matters, unlisted owner phone numbers |
Notes. The last column mixes two kinds of rules: some statutes say the association “may” withhold (for example California and Arizona), while others say records are “not accessible” (Florida) or “must” be redacted or withheld (Washington; Colorado for some categories). Georgia’s rules apply if the association is a nonprofit corporation; we did not find a withheld-records list in the sections we read, and governing documents, case law and local rules can still apply. Colorado’s act applies in full to communities created on or after July 1, 1992, except that small communities, such as planned communities of 20 or fewer units with no development rights, are subject only to a few sections unless their declaration adopts the whole act (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-115, -116(1)). Older communities are covered by only some sections, which include the records section for events on or after January 1, 2006 (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-117); a pre-1992 planned community or cooperative of 10 or fewer units with no development rights is covered only by §§ 105 to 107 (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-119). Colorado’s text ties the penalty to a 30-calendar-day window yet starts it on the 11th business day, so ask a licensed attorney how the two fit. In Washington, which act applies depends on when your community was created: the newer act covers communities created on or after July 1, 2018 or that opted in, and the HOA Act covers older communities that did not opt in, until its repeal on January 1, 2028 (RCW 64.90.360(2); 64.38.095). The newer act’s records section (RCW 64.90.495) is not among the sections that reach older communities before then (RCW 64.90.365(1)); from 2028 the newer act applies generally, with exceptions the statute lists (RCW 64.90.360). From June 11, 2026, a written inquiry by certified mail on governance or operations must get a written response within 30 days, with some extensions (RCW 64.38.185; 64.90.715).
What happens after I send the request?
Depending on the state, the association may give notice that it needs more time, or ask for a copy fee. Texas lets an association that cannot meet the 10-business-day date send a written notice giving a later date (Tex. Prop. Code § 209.005(f)). California requires the association to tell you the copy cost and get your agreement before copying (Cal. Civ. Code § 5205(f)). In Colorado, the association may collect the fee in advance (C.R.S. § 38-33.3-317(4)).
What if I get no answer?
Start with a short, friendly follow-up after the deadline; the request letter template includes one. Then look at the last two columns of the table for your state. Some statutes require a step first, such as Texas’s written notice by certified mail at least 10 business days before a petition (Tex. Prop. Code § 209.005(p)). One option is to speak with a licensed attorney before any formal step.
What to do next
- Find your state in the table and note the deadline and any mail rule.
- List the records you want, with dates, as specifically as you can.
- Write the request and, if you know it, name the statute; the letter template helps.
- Send it the way your state’s row suggests, and keep a copy plus proof of delivery.
- Note the deadline on your calendar and follow up politely if it passes.
- Read which HOA document controls if your governing documents add rules of their own. Related guides: the Florida HOA records request guide and what financial statements you can ask to see.
Common questions
How long does an HOA have to respond to a records request in Florida?
For an HOA under Chapter 720, records must be made available within 10 business days after the board or its designee receives a written request, unless the law or the governing documents provide otherwise (Fla. Stat. § 720.303(5)(a)). Failure within that time after a certified-mail request creates a presumption of willful failure (Fla. Stat. § 720.303(5)(b)).
How do I request records from my HOA in Texas?
Send a written request by certified mail to the address on the association’s latest management certificate, with enough detail to identify the records, and say whether you want to inspect first or receive copies (Tex. Prop. Code § 209.005(e)).
How do I request records from my HOA in California?
The statute does not prescribe a form. A request for copies of specifically identified records is described as written, and the association has 10 business days after it receives the request for records prepared in the current fiscal year, or 30 calendar days for records prepared in the previous two fiscal years (Cal. Civ. Code § 5205(b), § 5210(b)). California’s records article does not apply to a development while a subdivider is still offering units for sale under a public report and the subdivider or its employees or paid persons are a majority of the directors, but it applies no later than 10 years after the close of escrow on the first sale to a member of the public (Cal. Civ. Code § 5240(d)).
How do I request financial records from my HOA?
Financial records are among the records the statutes describe (for example Cal. Civ. Code § 5200 and C.R.S. § 38-33.3-317(1)). Name the period you want, such as a budget year, and follow your state’s row in the table.
Sources
- Florida Statutes 2026, § 720.303 (records, subsection 5) and § 718.111(12): https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2026/720.303 and https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2026/718.111. Checked September 23, 2026.
- Texas Property Code § 209.005: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PR/htm/PR.209.htm. Checked September 23, 2026.
- California Civil Code §§ 5200, 5205, 5210, 5215, 5225, 5235: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=5210 (same pattern for the other sections). Checked September 23, 2026.
- Official Code of Georgia Annotated Title 14, ch. 3, §§ 14-3-1602 to 14-3-1605 and § 14-3-708 (Release 86, Nov 2022, plus later enacted bills): https://archive.org/details/gov.ga.ocga.2018 and https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20232024/219037. Checked September 23, 2026.
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 33-1805 and § 32-2199.01: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01805.htm and https://www.azleg.gov/ars/32/02199-01.htm. ADRE fees: https://azre.gov/fees. Checked September 23, 2026.
- Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, § 38-33.3-317: https://olls.info/crs/crs2026-title-38.pdf. Checked September 23, 2026.
- Revised Code of Washington, chs. 64.38 and 64.90: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.38&full=true and https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.90&full=true. Checked September 23, 2026.
Important notice
Fycus is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Association law varies by state and by each community’s governing documents. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance specific to your association.
This page is general information, was written from official statute text as of September 23, 2026, and has not been reviewed by an attorney. Laws change; check the current text before you rely on it.
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