Can an HOA refuse to give you the owner or member list?
Reviewed by the OurHOA team · Updated June 2026
Owners usually have a statutory right to the membership roster for a proper, association-related purpose - but the HOA can redact private contact details and refuse misuse. Here's the line.
You usually have a right to it - but it's a qualified one
Because most HOAs are organized as nonprofit corporations, members generally have a statutory right to inspect and copy the association's membership list. The catch is that it isn't an unconditional right: nearly every law that grants it ties it to a purpose 'reasonably related to your interest as a member.' California's Corporations Code section 8330, which applies to nonprofit mutual benefit corporations, frames it exactly that way, and the HOA-specific Davis-Stirling Act treats the roster as an association record subject to the same logic. So the question is rarely 'can you have it' but 'what do you want it for.'
What counts as a proper purpose
Communicating with other owners about association business is the classic protected purpose: campaigning in a board election, circulating a petition to recall a director or call a special meeting, rallying support to change a rule, or simply organizing owners who share a concern. Those uses go to the heart of being a member, and a board generally can't stonewall them. If you're gathering signatures or building a coalition, our guides on how to organize homeowners to change an HOA and how to recall an HOA board by petition walk through doing it the right way - and the membership list is often the first thing you'll need.
When an HOA can lawfully say no - or redact
Associations can refuse uses that aren't membership-related, and they can protect owners' privacy. Selling the list, using it for commercial solicitation, or using it to harass owners are all improper - California Civil Code section 5230 spells out those prohibited uses and lets the association demand a signed statement of purpose first. Owners can also shield their own information: Civil Code section 5220 lets an individual member opt out of having their name, address, and email shared, in which case the association withholds it and instead forwards communications. Florida's Statute 720.303(5) likewise makes the roster an official record open to owners while carving out certain personal contact details from disclosure. A redacted list, in other words, is often a lawful answer - a flat refusal usually isn't.
How the rules differ by state
The right exists in most states but the mechanics vary. In Texas, Property Code section 209.005 governs an owner's written request to inspect association books and records, and the Business Organizations Code section 22.351 gives a member access for a proper purpose. California layers Civil Code section 5225 on top, requiring a member who wants the list to state the purpose and that it's reasonably related to membership. Several states also let the association ask you to agree in writing not to misuse the data. Always check your own state statute and governing documents, because the response deadline, the permissible-purpose test, and the privacy carve-outs are all set locally - this is general guidance, not a rule for your specific community.
What to do if they refuse
Put your request in writing, state a clearly membership-related purpose, and ask for the roster within the response window your state law sets. If the board ignores you or refuses without a valid privacy or misuse basis, the remedies can have teeth: California Civil Code section 5235 lets an owner sue to enforce inspection rights and recover a civil penalty of up to $500 plus costs. For the broader framework on requesting any association document and the deadlines that apply, see our guide on how to request HOA records.
How OurHOA helps
Most fights over the membership list come from the same place as fights over any record: no clear process, no log of who asked for what, and a worry that the data will be misused. OurHOA helps self-managed communities keep an accurate owner roster with per-owner privacy preferences, so a board can honor a legitimate request quickly while still protecting the owners who opted out - and keep a clean record that the request was answered on the clock and by the same rule for everyone.
OurHOA is the friendly, affordable way self-managed communities keep dues, records, and reminders in one place. See how it works.
These guides are general education for HOA boards and residents, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by your community's governing documents - check with a professional for your situation.