The General Rule
The FCC's Over-the-Air Reception Devices (OTARD) rule protects your right to install antenna equipment including satellite dishes under 1 meter (about 40 inches) in diameter. HOAs may impose reasonable restrictions on placement — such as requiring installation in a less visible location — but cannot ban them outright, require permits that delay installation unreasonably, or impose costs that make installation impractical. Any HOA restriction that effectively prohibits reception is unenforceable regardless of what the CC&Rs say. The OTARD rule applies nationwide and preempts conflicting HOA provisions.
FCC OTARD Rule (47 CFR § 1.4000) applies in all 50 states. Preempts any conflicting HOA CC&R restriction.
Colorado-Specific Rules
Colorado HOAs cannot ban satellite dishes protected under federal OTARD rules. Colorado §38-33.3 governs HOA authority but defers to federal law on communications devices.
Why Your CC&Rs May Be Different
State law sets the minimum floor — but your community's CC&Rs, bylaws, and board-adopted rules may be stricter, may include exceptions, or may have been amended recently. The only way to know exactly what applies to your community is to read your specific governing documents.
Most CC&Rs are 40–120 pages of dense legal language. Finding the exact section that answers your question can take 20–30 minutes — if you can find it at all.
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