Add owner to distribution list

SCARBOROUGH, Helen 0 Reputation points
2026-08-18T19:55:44.1266667+00:00

I own several distribution lists and would like to add an additional owner; however, when I try to do so, I keep receiving an error message.

Exchange | Exchange Server | Management
Exchange | Exchange Server | Management

The administration and maintenance of Microsoft Exchange Server to ensure secure, reliable, and efficient email and collaboration services across an organization.

0 comments No comments

1 answer

Sort by: Oldest
  1. Hendrix 970 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-18T20:39:38.4133333+00:00

    Hi Helen,

    For your concern, being a distribution list owner does not always mean you can add another owner and this often needs an Exchange admin or on-premises admin action:

    • If the distribution list is synchronized from on-premises Active Directory, changes to owners cannot be made directly in Exchange Online. It must be managed in the on-premises environment, such as on-prem Exchange Admin Center, Exchange Management Shell, or related on-prem tools.
    • If the distribution list is cloud-only and you're already an owner, adding another owner may require elevated Exchange permissions and you need to contact your Exchange administrator to perform the ManagedBy property in Exchange Online PowerShell to define the group owner.

    That said, the most appropriate next step for your concern is to reach out to your IT's department and ask for their help. In case you do not know who is your IT admin, kindly refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support   

    As this is a user-to-user community forum, I do not have the ability to directly access or modify your account or service. However, I can provide guidance, recommend next steps, share applicable resources, and direct you to the appropriate support channels so the issue can be investigated further. 

    Hope this information will help you move forward smoothly. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to share them in the comment below. I'm very happy to help.  


    If the answer is helpful, please click 'Yes' and kindly upvote it.

    Note: Please follow the steps in the forum documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.