Getting Your Indiana HOA's Records

Indiana's HOA records statute is short and unusually direct: the financial records belong to the membership, and the board cannot quiz an owner about why they want to see them. For your specific situation, a licensed Indiana attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can I see my HOA's financial records in Indiana?

Yes, on written request. Under IC 32-25.5-3-3 (Ind. Code Title 32), an Indiana homeowners association's financial records, including all contracts, invoices, bills, receipts, and bank records, must be available for inspection by each member upon written request. That reaches the underlying documents showing how the money moved, not just summary statements.

Under IC 32-25.5-3-3, "[f]inancial records, including all contracts, invoices, bills, receipts, and bank records, of a homeowners association must be available for inspection by each member of the homeowners association upon written request." That is a broad inventory — not just statements, but the underlying contracts, invoices, and bank records that show how the money moved.

Do I have to tell my Indiana HOA why I want records?

No. Under IC 32-25.5-3-3 (Ind. Code Title 32), a member's ability to inspect "shall not be unreasonably denied or conditioned upon provision of an appropriate purpose for the request." The request only needs to identify the information sought with reasonable particularity, so a board cannot defeat the right by demanding an unreasonably specific list.

The statute includes two procedural protections that change the practical balance of records disputes:

• Reasonable particularity, not perfection — the request only needs to "identify with reasonable particularity the information being requested." A board cannot defeat the right by demanding an unreasonably specific list.
• No "proper purpose" gatekeeping — the member's ability to inspect "shall not be unreasonably denied or conditioned upon provision of an appropriate purpose for the request." Indiana law does not let the board interrogate the owner about why they want the records.

Can an Indiana HOA charge for copies of records?

Generally, no, since July 1, 2026. IC 32-25.5-3-3(g) (Ind. Code Title 32) bars a copying fee when a member requests a written copy of a record, and subsection (m) bars a search fee for a written request. IC 32-25.5-3-3.1 exempts certain associations established before July 1, 2026 from those amendments.

Since July 1, 2026, IC 32-25.5-3-3(g) says the association "may not charge a fee for the copying of a record requested under this subsection if the homeowners association member requests a written copy of the record," and IC 32-25.5-3-3(m) says it "may not charge a fee to search for a record in response to a written request submitted under this chapter." Both changes came from HEA 1152-2026 (P.L.53-2026); before that date, the statute allowed a "reasonable fee" for copies and a capped search fee. A separate section, IC 32-25.5-3-3.1, says the HEA 1152-2026 amendments to section 3 do not apply to certain associations established before July 1, 2026, whose governing documents allowed a board to adopt a budget of up to 110% of the last one without a quorum; that exception ends if the association amends or renews its governing documents after June 30, 2026. How that carve-out reaches the fee rules for a particular association is a question for a licensed Indiana attorney.

What records can an Indiana HOA withhold?

The categories the statute excludes. Under IC 32-25.5-3-3(k) (Ind. Code Title 32), an Indiana association is not required to make available records including unexecuted contracts, records regarding contract negotiations, information prohibited from release by law, and any records created more than two years before the request. Those exclusions sit alongside the written-request right to financial records.

IC 32-25.5-3-3(k) lists records an association is not required to make available, including "[u]nexecuted contracts," records regarding contract negotiations, information prohibited from release by law, and "[a]ny records that were created more than two (2) years before the request."

Two-year retention duty

IC 32-25.5-3-3 also requires the HOA to retain communications relating to financial transactions for at least two years, and members may request copies of those communications. That makes the financial-transaction email and correspondence trail available, not just the formal records.

What owners commonly request

People reviewing Indiana HOA books often look at:

• Annual budgets and the budget-meeting notice
• Bank statements and check images
• Vendor contracts, invoices, and bids
• The CC&Rs, bylaws, adopted rules, and any fine schedule
• Board and member meeting minutes and notices
• Assessment ledgers and any collection or lien notices for the lot
• Communications about a specific assessment or fine — these fall within the two-year retention duty

For the recorded documents themselves

The recorded CC&Rs and amendments are also available from the county recorder. Because in Indiana the recorded CC&Rs control fine authority and (through IC 32-28-14) the foundation for any lien, the recorded documents are often the first an owner obtains.

What people generally do

Owners seeking Indiana records commonly put the request in writing and identify the records "with reasonable particularity." Because the statute does not require a stated purpose, an owner is not obligated to volunteer one, and keeping a copy of the request and any response is the usual practice. If access is denied or stalled, a licensed Indiana attorney can explain the available remedies, including suit to compel inspection.

Sources

• IC 32-25.5-3-3 — Annual budget, financial records, attendance (Indiana Code 2026, Title 32)