How do I get a copy of an HOA board vote or resolution?
Reviewed by the OurHOA team · Updated June 2026
Owners generally have a statutory right to see how the board voted and to obtain copies of adopted resolutions. Where these records live, how to request them, and what can be withheld.
Where a board vote actually lives
A board's decisions are recorded in a few specific places, and knowing which one you need makes the request go faster. A routine vote shows up in the minutes of the meeting where it was taken. A standing policy the board adopts - a collection policy, a fining schedule, architectural rules, a rule about pets or parking - is usually captured as a written resolution and kept in a resolution book or policy file separate from the running minutes. And a decision the board made between meetings by unanimous written consent (an 'action without a meeting') is documented as a signed written consent. If you want proof of how the board decided something, you are almost always asking for the minutes, the resolution, or that written consent.
Your right to see it
In most states, board minutes and the records of board action are association records that members have a statutory right to inspect and copy. California Civil Code section 5200 lists minutes among the records owners may inspect, and section 4950 requires draft minutes of an open board meeting to be made available to members within 30 days of the meeting. Florida Statutes section 720.303(2) and (5) make minutes and official records open to members, and Texas Property Code section 209.005 gives owners a right to inspect and copy association books and records on written request. These are rights you can assert in writing - you do not have to explain why you want them, and 'it's none of your business' is not a valid answer for records the statute makes open.
Resolutions and policies versus the raw minutes
Be specific about which you want, because they serve different purposes. The minutes tell you that a vote happened, who moved and seconded, and the tally. The adopted resolution or policy is the actual operative text the community now lives under - the dollar amounts in the fining schedule, the steps in the collection policy, the standards in the architectural rules. If you are trying to challenge a fine or a rule, you usually want the resolution itself plus the minutes showing it was properly adopted at a noticed open meeting. For obtaining minutes specifically, see our guide on how to get copies of HOA meeting minutes, and for the full inspection right, see our guide on how to request HOA records.
What can be withheld
The right is broad but not unlimited. Decisions a board is allowed to make in executive (closed) session - pending litigation, contract negotiations, personnel matters, member discipline, and individual delinquency or payment-plan discussions - are recorded only in general terms in the open minutes, and the detailed closed-session record can be withheld to protect the people and matters involved. California Civil Code section 4935 governs what may go into executive session, and section 5215 lets an association redact individual financial or privacy-protected information before producing records. So you are entitled to know that the board, say, settled a lawsuit or disciplined a member, but not necessarily to the privileged detail behind a properly closed session.
How to request it and what to do if you're ignored
Put the request in writing, name exactly what you want ('the adopted resolution and the minutes of the meeting where the fining schedule was approved'), and send it to the board or manager at the association's address of record. Statutes set response clocks - generally around 10 business days for current-year records and longer for older ones - and some states penalize a blown deadline: Florida, for example, can impose a per-day penalty for failing to provide access to official records. If the association stalls or refuses records that are clearly open, your escalation path is a written demand citing the statute, then your state's HOA agency, ombudsman, or small-claims/court remedy. Document every request and response so the pattern is clear if you have to push.
How OurHOA helps
Exactly which board records are open, what can be redacted, and how fast the association must respond vary by state and by your governing documents, so use this as general guidance and check the rules that apply to you. The practical point: board votes and adopted resolutions are records you can usually demand in writing, so ask precisely and keep the paper trail. OurHOA helps small self-managed communities keep minutes, adopted policies, and board decisions organized in one place and easy to share with owners, so a routine records request is a quick lookup instead of a standoff - which is how transparency keeps trust intact.
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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.