When I first started managing community associations, operations were simpler, and associations were fewer. Now I work with associations across the country, and I can tell you that Florida’s community association industry has become one of the largest in the country. 

Florida now has roughly 49,800 community associations serving about 9.524 million residents. Only California exceeds those numbers. I have seen the numbers grow year after year, particularly in cities like Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville, where condominiums and master planned communities have expanded rapidly to meet demand. 

Here is what that growth means: these associations handle enormous amounts of money. In my experience working with boards and reviewing budgets, monthly HOA management fees range from $100 to $350 for most associations. Large communities with pools, clubhouses, and recreation facilities often pay $400 to $800 per month. When it comes to monthly assessments in major Florida cities, it falls between $200 and $500 per unit. Multiply those figures across 48,000 associations, and you will start to see why professional oversight matters so much. 

Homeowners expect transparency, responsiveness, and professional oversight over their funds. On the flip side, most volunteer board members take on the role without management skills and expect and deserve professional expertise from the managers they hire. That is exactly why Florida regulates who can manage community associations. You cannot legally work as a condo, HOA, or community manager in Florida without the proper license from the DBPR, through the Regulatory Council of Community Association Managers. 

Let me walk you through exactly what you need to know about CAM licensing requirements and how to get yours.

Understanding who qualifies as a community manager under Florida law

Under Florida law, a community association manager is an individual licensed by the DBPR to provide management services to an association. These associations include condominiums, cooperatives, and mandatory residential homeowners associations. I can tell you from experience that this work requires specialized knowledge, sound judgment, and strong managerial skills. In my years managing communities, I have handled all the core CAM duties, including:

• Drafting meeting notices and agendas 
• Preparing budget and financial documents 
• Controlling and disbursing association funds 
• Determining statutory notice periods 
• Preparing estoppel certificates and assessment certificates 
• Calculating amounts due to the association 
• Collecting assessments before civil action is filed 
• Determining quorum requirements and vote thresholds 
• Coordinating maintenance and day-to-day operational services 

Here is what I want you to understand: the CAM is the central point of coordination. Most information flows through the manager first. Even when attorneys and accountants handle an issue directly, I am still tracking it, responding to it, and communicating updates to the board and owners. You become the bridge between the board and the residents, and between the association and third parties. 

That is why Florida law requires CAMs to perform their duties loyally, skillfully, and diligently. This includes acting in good faith, dealing honestly and fairly, maintaining full disclosure with the association, properly accounting for funds, and avoiding unreasonable and excessive fees.

When a CAM license is required

A CAM license is required when you perform management for associations with more than 10 units or associations with an annual budget exceeding $100,000. 

Let me clarify something, though: not everyone working for an association needs a license. Individuals performing clerical and ministerial tasks under the direct supervision of a licensed CAM are exempt. Maintenance staff are also exempt as long as they don’t perform any of the specialized management functions defined by the statute. 

It is also worth mentioning that Florida doesn’t mandate associations to hire a professional manager in Chapter 718 (Florida Condominium Act) or Chapter 720 (Florida Homeowners’ Association Act). I have seen associations of any size choose to self-manage. That said, once an association hires someone to act as its manager, whether an individual or a management company, licensure is mandatory.

Florida CAM license application process

If you plan to present yourself as qualified to manage a community association in Florida, here is my step-by-step guide on how to obtain your license from the DBPR.

1. Complete the required pre-licensure education.

Before you can sit for the state exam, you must complete 16 hours of DBPR-approved CAM pre-licensure education. You need to finish this course within 12 months before your exam date. Florida allows you to complete this education entirely online through state-approved providers such as Gold Coast schools, as well as other online options. Your course certificate remains valid for one year from the date of completion.

2. Submit your license application

Before applying for a license, you need two things: you must be at least 18 years old and possess a U.S. Social Security number. Florida residency isn’t required, so you can apply and obtain your CAM license from anywhere. 

You can apply online or mail a printed form to DBPR. In my experience, the application review usually takes about 10 days. If approved, DBPR will email you a confirmation along with your candidate identification number. You will use this ID to schedule your exam.

3. Submit fingerprints for a background check

After submitting your license application, provide fingerprints through a Livescan. Note that the service provider for this Livescan must be registered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. You need to submit your license application before fingerprints are taken. Once you submit fingerprints, FDLE conducts both state and national criminal history checks, and the results are transmitted to DBPR within five business days.

4. Schedule and pass the Florida CAM exam

After receiving your approval email and candidate ID, book your exam. Florida contracts with Pearson VUE to administer CAM licensing tests. Exams are offered daily at Pearson VUE testing centers throughout the United States. Register through the Pearson VUE website or call 888-204-6230. Here are the exam details:

• 100 multiple-choice questions
• 3 hours to complete
• Passing score: 75%
• Question format: four choices of A-D

The good news? If you fail, simply retake the exam as many times until you pass. You only need to wait 24 hours before rescheduling.

License cost breakdown 

To obtain a CAM license in Florida in 2026, expect total costs to be around $562. Here is the breakdown:

• Pre-licensure course: $249
• Background fingerprint criminal check: $58.12 
• License application fee: $205.50 
• State examination fee: $49.50

When applying online, pay via credit card or electronic check. For mailed applications, include a check payable to the DBPR. If you’re a military veteran, your spouse is, or you are a Florida National Guard member, you may qualify for fee waivers, reimbursements, or discounts.

Exam retake

If you fail the exam, your original exam approval remains valid for one year. During that period, you may retake the exam. However, you will need to submit a re-examination application before scheduling another test with Pearson VUE. Each retake means you pay another exam fee.

CAM license by endorsement

If you are a qualified community association manager, Florida law allows you to obtain a license by endorsement instead of starting from scratch. To use this pathway, you must hold an equivalent license in another jurisdiction. Here is what you need:

• Submit a current, active CAM or substantially similar license in another US state or territory 
• Have held the license for at least 5 years before applying in Florida 
• Be at least 18 years old 
• Complete a criminal background check, including fingerprint submission

CAM licensure for military personnel, veterans, and military spouses

Florida provides an expedited and flexible licensing pathway for active-duty service members, honorably discharged veterans, military spouses, and surviving spouses. If you hold a valid CAM license in another state, the District of Columbia, any US territory or possession, or a foreign jurisdiction, you won’t need to pass Florida’s examination. To use this pathway, here is what you need to provide:

• Active-duty military members: copy of current military orders
• Veterans: NGB-22 or DD-214 showing honorable discharge 
• Military spouses: Copy of the service member’s military orders if currently serving or DD-214 or NGB-22 if formally served. You will also need to provide a marriage certificate proving the marriage occurred during the period of active duty.
• Surviving spouses: Marriage certificate showing the marriage occurred during active duty, and a DD-1300 report of casualty. 

All applicants will still need to complete a fingerprint-based background check. There is no application fee for this category. However, once you obtain a license, you will need to comply with Florida’s standard renewal requirements, including continuing education and renewal fees.

CAM license expiration and renewal 

All Florida CAM licenses follow a fixed renewal cycle. The licenses expire on September 30th of every even-numbered year. DBPR opens the renewal window 90 to 120 days before expiration and sends notices by email. I have seen managers miss deadlines because they assumed DBPR would extend them, but they always don’t. Here are the renewal requirements:

• Complete the required continuing education
• Pay the applicable renewal fee

Let me break down the rules and fees depending on whether your license is active, inactive, or delinquent.

Renewal requirements for current licenses

If your license is current and active, you must complete 15 hours of continuing education to renew it as active. If you renew your active license on time, you will only pay $50. However, if you renew your active license after the September 30th deadline, you will pay $75. 

The same applies to an inactive license renewal: $50 when you do it on time, and $75 when you do it after September 30th. If your license is active and you choose to move to an inactive status, you must submit the DBPR form CAM4. If you do it on time, you pay $50. But if you do it after September 30th, you will pay $90. 

On the other hand, if your license is inactive and you want to reactivate, you need to submit the DBPR form CAM4 and pay $75, along with meeting continuing education requirements.

Renewal requirements for delinquent licenses

Once your license becomes delinquent, costs increase significantly. To renew a delinquent license as active, you will need to meet the 15 hours of continuing education and pay $175. If you want to renew a delinquent license as inactive, you only pay $175 without having to undertake the 15 hours of continuing education. 

In case your license is delinquent and active, and you want to renew as inactive, you will pay the $175 and submit the DBPR form CAM4. Finally, if your license is delinquent and inactive, and you want to reactivate it, you will submit the DBPR form CAM4 and pay a higher fee of $200.

Continuing education requirements for CAMs

You have heard me mention continuing education again and again, but let me break it down for you what it means. The total duration of continuing education must be 15 hours:

• 3 hours of seminars learning about legal updates 
• 3 hours of learning financial management and insurance related to community associations 
• 3 hours for learning human resource topics such as managing relations between residents, vendors, and employees, and disaster preparedness 
• 3 hours focus on the operational side of the community association, such as physical property 
• 3 hours for learning any subject listed under Rule 61E14-4.001, Florida Administrative Code, or directly related to community association management 

The continuing education processing fee is $105, and the courses must come from DBPR-approved providers.

Final thoughts

Florida law treats the CAM as an agent of the association, which carries legal weight. However, I have learned that your actual authority as an agent depends mainly on your written contract with the association, not just the statutes of Florida law. 

I have seen situations where associations assumed the CAM was responsible for something never outlined in the contract, or where CAMs took on responsibilities they were never authorized to handle. In most cases, these problems stem from the association hiring a CAM but failing to clearly discuss expectations and duties before signing an agreement, or failing to document everything in writing. Here is my advice to both association boards and CAMs: get a contract that clearly defines:

• That CAM’s duties and limits of authority 
• Compensation terms, both monthly and annual 
• Contract length and renewal options 
• Cancellation and termination rights

I also recommend changing and updating these contract terms as communities grow and evolve. Finally, remember to put everything in writing. Documentation prevents confusion and protects everyone involved. Getting your CAM license is just the beginning. The real work, and the real reward, comes from helping communities thrive.