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Washington Statewide Rule

Washington HOA Fines & Notice-and-Hearing Rules (WUCIOA RCW 64.90.405 / HOA Act RCW 64.38.020)

Heavy RestrictionsApplies statewide across Washington (2026)

Key Facts

WUCIOA fines
RCW 64.90.405: reasonable fines after notice and opportunity to be heard
Older-HOA fines
RCW 64.38.020: same notice/hearing standard, late-payment charges allowed
Schedule required
Board-adopted fine schedule furnished to owners before any fine
Dollar cap
None set by statute; fines must be 'reasonable'
Due process
Notice + opportunity to be heard mandatory under both acts
Last verified: August 21, 2026

Summary

Both Washington regimes let HOAs impose reasonable fines, but only after notice and an opportunity to be heard and only under a fine schedule already adopted by the board and furnished to owners. WUCIOA communities use RCW 64.90.405; older associations use RCW 64.38.020. Neither statute sets a dollar cap on fines.

(l) Enforce the governing documents and, after notice and opportunity to be heard, impose and collect reasonable fines for violations of the governing documents in accordance with a previously established schedule of fines adopted by the board of directors and furnished to the owners pursuant to the requirements for notice in RCW 64.90.505;

Full Breakdown

WUCIOA RCW 64.90.405 lets the association "enforce the governing documents and, after notice and opportunity to be heard, impose and collect reasonable fines for violations of the governing documents in accordance with a previously established schedule of fines adopted by the board." The schedule must be noticed to owners. For older HOAs, RCW 64.38.020 grants power to "impose and collect charges for late payments" and to "levy reasonable fines in accordance with a previously established schedule adopted by the board of directors and furnished to the owners," again requiring notice and an opportunity to be heard. Both demand the fine be "reasonable," but neither fixes a statutory dollar maximum: limits come from the schedule and governing documents.

Violations & Penalties

A fine is valid only if it follows a pre-adopted, owner-furnished schedule and the owner first receives notice and an opportunity to be heard. Fines imposed without that due process, or outside the schedule, are subject to challenge. There is no statutory dollar cap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Washington HOA fine me without warning?
No. Both WUCIOA (RCW 64.90.405) and the Homeowners' Associations Act (RCW 64.38.020) require notice and an opportunity to be heard before a fine, and the fine must follow a schedule the board already adopted and gave to owners.
Is there a maximum fine a Washington HOA can charge?
No statutory dollar cap exists in either RCW 64.90 or RCW 64.38. Fines must be 'reasonable' and must match the published fine schedule; an unreasonable or off-schedule fine can be challenged.
Can the HOA fine my tenant?
Under WUCIOA the association may, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, levy reasonable fines against a tenant and the unit owner for a tenant's violation of the governing documents.

Sources

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