Civil Code Definitions & Foundations
General Delivery and General Notice
Chapter 1 · General Provisions · Preliminary Provisions
Text current as of 2026-07-07 · Last amended by SB 392, eff. 2022-01-01
The code says CIV §4045
(a) If a provision of this act requires “general delivery” or “general notice,” the document shall be provided by one or more of the following methods:
(1) Any method provided for delivery of an individual notice pursuant to Section 4040.
(2) Inclusion in a billing statement, newsletter, or other document that is delivered by one of the methods provided in this section.
(3) Posting the printed document in a prominent location that is accessible to all members, if the location has been designated for the posting of general notices by the association in the annual policy statement prepared pursuant to Section 5310.
(4) If the association broadcasts television programming for the purpose of distributing information on association business to its members, by inclusion in the programming.
(5) If the association maintains an internet website for the purpose of distributing information on association business to its members, by posting the notice on the association’s internet website in a prominent location that is accessible to all members if designated as a location for posting general notices in the annual policy statement prepared pursuant to Section 5310.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if a member requests to receive general notices by individual delivery, all general notices to that member, given under this section, shall be delivered pursuant to Section 4040. The option provided in this subdivision shall be described in the annual policy statement prepared pursuant to Section 5310.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 640, Sec. 4. (SB 392) Effective January 1, 2022.)
In plain English
Editorial summary — not the statute’s text.
“General notice” is the low-formality channel: newsletter or billing insert, a posting location you named in the annual policy statement, association TV programming, or the association website. But any member can demand individual delivery of general notices — and then you must send those the formal way.
What this means for you
Editorial summary — not the statute’s text.
- Designate your posting location and website in the annual policy statement or they don’t qualify.
- Keep a list of members who opted into individual delivery for general notices.
- When in doubt about which notice level applies, individual delivery always satisfies general notice.
How courts have read this
No case law is mapped to this section yet. As decisions are added, they’ll appear here.