How do you approve or correct the minutes of a previous meeting?

Short answer

The chair asks, "Are there any corrections to the minutes?" Members offer corrections, and the chair handles them. When no one has more corrections, the chair declares the minutes approved. A formal motion and vote are usually not needed. This is done by unanimous consent, which means "if no one objects, it's done" (RONR §4, §48).

What to do

1. Take up the minutes at the right time. In most meetings, approving the minutes comes near the start, right after the call to order and opening items (RONR §41).
2. Read or skip the reading. If members got the draft minutes ahead of time, they don't need to be read aloud unless someone asks. Otherwise, the secretary reads them.
3. Ask for corrections. The chair asks if there are any corrections.
4. Handle each correction. A member states the change, such as "The vote on the budget was 7 to 4, not 7 to 3." If no one objects, the chair says the change is made. If someone disagrees, the chair takes a quick majority vote on that correction. It works like an amendment (RONR §12).
5. Declare the minutes approved. Once there are no more corrections, the chair says the minutes are approved "as read" or "as corrected."
6. Finish the record. The secretary makes the changes, writes "Approved" with the date, and signs or initials the minutes. Approved minutes become the official record (RONR §48).

What the chair says

The secretary will read the minutes of the last meeting.

Or, if they were sent out in advance:

The minutes of the last meeting were sent out ahead of time. Are there any corrections to the minutes?

After a correction is offered:

Is there any objection to making that correction? Hearing none, the correction is made. Are there any further corrections?

To finish:

If there are no further corrections, the minutes stand approved as corrected.

The motion

A motion is not required. But if a member moves "to approve the minutes," here is how it works:

• Needs a second? Yes
• Debatable? Yes
• Amendable? Yes. Corrections are offered as amendments.
• Vote needed? Majority
• Can it interrupt a speaker? No

Most chairs just use unanimous consent, which is faster and gives the same result (RONR §4).

Common mistakes

• Putting speeches in the minutes. Minutes record what was done, such as motions, who made them, and results. They are not a transcript of what was said. A correction should not add someone's comments (RONR §48).
• Stopping absent members from speaking up. A member who missed the last meeting can still offer corrections and vote on approving the minutes.
• Fixing approved minutes the wrong way. Once minutes are approved, they can still be corrected later, even years later. But this takes the motion to amend something previously adopted. It needs a two-thirds vote, a majority vote if notice was given, or a majority of the whole membership (RONR §35).

When your own rules say otherwise

Your bylaws, special rules of order, or standing rules can change these steps. For example, they may require a formal vote, set a deadline for corrections, or name who approves minutes between meetings (RONR §2). Small boards often handle minutes more informally, but the basic steps are the same (RONR §49). If you are a public body like a city council or school board, state open-meetings or public-records law may set rules too. These can include how fast draft minutes must be posted and what the minutes must contain. Check those rules before relying on the general practice described here.