Know Your LawCO
Which Colorado Laws Govern Your HOA?
By The HOARebel Team · June 2, 2026 · 2 min read
Colorado puts most community associations under one modern statute, recently overhauled by a major reform law. The first step is confirming how that framework applies to your community. For your specific situation, a licensed Colorado attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
The main statute: the Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA)
The Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act, C.R.S. Article 38-33.3, governs both HOAs and condominiums created on or after July 1, 1992, with certain provisions reaching communities formed earlier. CCIOA covers:
- Open meetings — meetings open to owners, with a right to speak, on 10–50 days' notice (§ 38-33.3-308)
- Records — available to owners, with no "proper purpose" requirement (§ 38-33.3-317)
- The assessment lien — with a six-month super-priority, now narrowed for fines (§ 38-33.3-316)
- Governance policies — required written policies on collections, covenant enforcement, and fines (§ 38-33.3-209.5)
The 2022 overhaul: HB 22-1137
Colorado's biggest HOA change in years, House Bill 22-1137, took effect in 2022 and is now part of CCIOA. It caps total fines at $500 for violations that do not threaten health or safety, requires a written fining policy with "a fair and impartial fact-finding process," limits interest to 8% per year, applies an owner's payments to assessments before fines, requires payment plans before foreclosure, and bars foreclosure on debts made up only of fines. These rules run through the fine, lien, and records analysis for every Colorado community.
The state HOA Resource Center
Colorado also runs an HOA Information and Resource Center within the Division of Real Estate. It receives and tracks homeowner complaints and provides educational resources. It does not adjudicate disputes, but the complaint data and guidance can be useful, and a licensed Colorado attorney can advise on the courts and other remedies.
The Colorado nonprofit corporation framework
Most Colorado associations are incorporated nonprofits. That entity law supplies director duties, member-meeting and voting procedures, and recordkeeping rules that work alongside CCIOA.
How the layers fit
- The recorded governing documents — declaration, bylaws, rules, and the required governance policies.
- CCIOA (C.R.S. Art. 38-33.3), as amended by HB 22-1137.
- The Colorado Nonprofit Corporation Act for the incorporated entity.
- Federal law — the Fair Housing Act, ADA, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, OTARD, and the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act.
From records to fines to the assessment lien, CCIOA — as reshaped by HB 22-1137 — is the starting point for most Colorado homeowner questions.