GEORGIA SB 406  ·  SIGNED APRIL 1, 2026

Is your Georgia HOA ready for the new law?

The Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act passed 51-0 and is headed to the Governor. Every property owners' association in Georgia must now register with the Secretary of State — or lose the authority to collect fines, place liens, and initiate foreclosure. Upload your governing documents for a free compliance check in under 60 seconds.

Get Free Compliance Check → What Changed
Free Compliance Check
Upload your CC&Rs, bylaws, or governing documents
📄
Click to upload PDF
CC&Rs · Bylaws · Rules & Regulations
or paste text
Analyze My Documents →

Free scan · No account required · Results in < 60 seconds

4,000+Georgia HOAs affected
51–0Senate vote margin
$100Annual registration fee
Jul 1New POAs auto-subject
What the law requires

Six things every Georgia HOA board must now address

SB 406 rewrites the rules for property owners' associations across Georgia. These are the requirements that directly affect your governing documents and enforcement authority.

🏛️

Annual Registration

File annually with the Georgia Secretary of State for $100. Associations that fail to register or opt out cannot collect fines, issue liens, or initiate foreclosure.

📋

10-Year Record Retention

All financial documents must be retained for a minimum of 10 years. Owners gain explicit statutory rights to inspect association records on request.

⚖

New Foreclosure Threshold

Minimum unpaid assessments raised to $4,000 (from $2,000) before foreclosure can begin. Fines and fees no longer count toward the threshold. Longer written notice periods required.

📨

Strengthened Owner Notices

Detailed written notice requirements before enforcement actions, fines, and legal proceedings. Electronic communications must be addressed in governing documents.

🤝

State Complaint Board

A five-person state review board is established to investigate homeowner complaints. During an active complaint, collection of fines and fees is automatically stayed.

💳

Assessment Payment Priority

Regular assessments must be satisfied first before fines, fees, or accelerated charges are applied to any owner payment. Existing collection language may conflict.

How Covenant works

Compliance clarity in three steps

No legal degree required. Upload your documents and get a plain-English compliance report with specific findings and action steps.

01

Upload your documents

PDF upload or paste text directly. Works with CC&Rs, bylaws, rules and regulations, or any combination of governing documents.

02

AI reviews against 12 requirements

The analysis maps your governing document language against every SB 406 compliance requirement and scores each category.

03

Get your compliance report

Instant compliance snapshot shows your score and top two findings. Full report ($499) covers every gap, remediation steps, and a registration readiness checklist.

Sample output

What your compliance report looks like

Pinecrest HOA — CC&Rs and Bylaws Review

Analyzed against Georgia SB 406 · April 2026
38 / 100 Needs Work
7 issues found across 5 categories — 3 critical
Critical
Lien Authorization Thresholds
Section 8.4 authorizes liens when unpaid assessments exceed $2,000. SB 406 raises this threshold to $4,000. Any lien action initiated below the new threshold may be unenforceable.
Critical
Foreclosure Notice Requirements
Article 9.2 specifies a 21-day notice period before foreclosure. SB 406 mandates a longer notice window. This provision requires immediate amendment before the law takes effect.
5 additional findings in full report
Assessment payment priority language in Article 6.1 conflicts with SB 406 Section 44-3-232 payment order requirements
Records retention provision specifies 5-year retention, below the new 10-year statutory minimum
Attorney fee collection language in Section 12.3 lacks the itemization requirement mandated under the new law

Full report includes all findings, remediation language, and a registration readiness checklist.

Get Your Free Check →
Pricing

Simple, one-time pricing

No subscription. No account required for the free scan. Pay once, receive a full compliance report you can act on immediately.

Free Scan
$0
Instant compliance snapshot with your score and top two findings. See where your documents stand before committing.
  • Readiness score (0–100)
  • 2 compliance findings revealed
  • Issue count by category
  • Document type detection
Run Free Scan
Most Complete
Full Report
$499/report
Every compliance gap, specific remediation steps, and a registration readiness checklist.
  • All compliance findings revealed
  • Severity ratings with SB 406 citations
  • Remediation action plan
  • Registration readiness checklist
  • Priority action timeline
  • PDF delivery
Order Full Report
Property Managers
$299/report
For management firms reviewing multiple communities. No subscription, no minimum.
  • Everything in Full Report
  • Manager rate, no minimums
  • Batch ordering available
  • White-label option available
Contact for Manager Pricing
FAQ

Common questions

What exactly is SB 406?
SB 406 is the Georgia Property Owners' Bill of Rights Act, passed by the Georgia General Assembly on March 31, 2026. It passed the Senate 51-0 and the House 155-10. The law establishes mandatory registration for property owners' associations with the Georgia Secretary of State, creates a state review board for homeowner complaints, raises foreclosure thresholds, strengthens owner notice requirements, and limits certain fees and collection practices. Read the full SB 406 guide →
What happens if our HOA doesn't register?
Non-registered associations lose the ability to collect fines, charge accelerated assessments, place liens on properties, and initiate foreclosure proceedings. This effectively strips most of an HOA's enforcement authority. The $100 annual registration fee is a small price compared to losing enforcement powers.
Does SB 406 apply to condo associations too?
Yes. SB 406 amends both Title 43 and Title 44 of the Georgia Code, covering property owners' associations (HOAs) and condominium associations. If your community is governed by a declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions, this law applies.
When does my HOA need to comply?
New POAs created on or after July 1, 2026 are automatically subject to the Georgia Property Owners' Association Act. Existing associations need to decide whether to register and make any required governing document updates. Registration deadlines will be set by the Secretary of State's office once the law is signed. We recommend beginning your compliance review immediately. Registration guide →
How long does the compliance check take?
The free compliance scan returns results in under 60 seconds. The full report is typically delivered within a few hours of payment. Both are based on the document text you provide — the more complete your governing documents, the more precise the analysis.
Is this legal advice?
No. Covenant is an AI-powered compliance analysis tool. Reports identify potential gaps between your governing documents and SB 406's requirements and suggest remediation steps, but they do not constitute legal advice. Consult qualified legal counsel before amending your governing documents or taking enforcement action based on this analysis.
Free resources

Everything your board needs to understand SB 406

📜
Complete SB 406 Guide
Plain-English breakdown of every requirement, what changed from existing law, and what your board needs to do.
✅
Free Compliance Checklist
12-category printable checklist for Georgia HOA boards. Walk through every SB 406 requirement and track your progress.
🏛️
How to Register with the GA Secretary of State
Step-by-step guide to the registration process, what documents you need, and what happens to enforcement authority.
🔍
Governing Document Review Guide
What to look for in your CC&Rs and bylaws, which clauses need updating, and how to amend governing documents in Georgia.