Alabama Limits on HOA Power: Flag Protected, No Solar or Clothesline Statute

Alabama protects flag display: Ala. Code § 35-1-5 lets an owner display a current U.S. flag "not to exceed 40 square feet," and provides that any covenant that prohibits "flying the flag of the United States ... whether adopted before or after May 21, 2009, is void as a violation of public policy." Beyond the flag, Alabama is light-touch: contrary to some online claims, the state has no solar-access or solar-easement statute limiting HOAs (confirmed by national solar-policy trackers), and no Alabama statute protects clotheslines, electric-vehicle charging stations, or political signs from HOA restriction. For those topics, an HOA's authority is governed by its recorded declaration, subject to general contract and reasonableness principles.

An HOA covenant barring a U.S. flag up to 40 square feet is void under Ala. Code § 35-1-5. For solar, clotheslines, EV charging, or signs, Alabama provides no statutory override, so a restrictive covenant generally remains enforceable.