Florida licenses the people who manage condominium, homeowners' and cooperative associations for pay. If you want a career running communities, or you already help one and want to do it professionally, the Community Association Manager (CAM) license is the door. The process isn't complicated, but the order matters, and doing steps out of sequence is the most common reason applications stall.

Who needs a CAM license?

Under Chapter 468, Part VIII of the Florida Statutes, you need a license to provide community association management services for compensation when the association has more than 10 units or an annual budget over $100,000. Those services include running meetings, preparing budgets and financial statements, collecting assessments and coordinating maintenance.

To apply you must be at least 18 and show good moral character. The application asks about criminal history and prior discipline, and DBPR runs a fingerprint background check. You do not need to live in Florida.

Step 1: Confirm you're eligible

Gather your ID and personal information, and be ready to disclose any criminal history completely. An incomplete answer delays approval far more than an honest one.

Step 2: Complete the 16-hour pre-licensure course

Florida requires 16 hours of DBPR-approved pre-licensure education, taught in person or live and interactive. Pre-recorded, self-paced courses do not qualify. The state also sets how the hours are divided:

  • Meetings, notice and conduct of association meetings: 25%
  • Budgets and finances: 25%
  • State and federal laws, governing documents and corporation law: 20%
  • Management and maintenance: 18%
  • Insurance: 12%

Timing matters: the course must be completed within the 12 months before the date you pass the exam.

Step 3: Apply to DBPR

Submit the application for initial licensure by examination (form CAM 1) through DBPR Online Services at MyFloridaLicense.com and pay the fee shown on the application.

Step 4: Get fingerprinted, after you apply

Have electronic fingerprints taken by a Livescan provider registered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). FDLE requires your application to be on file first, and results can take up to five days to reach DBPR.

Step 5: Pass the state exam at Pearson VUE

Once DBPR approves your application, schedule the computer-based exam with Pearson VUE. Your exam approval is valid for one year. If you don't pass, file a re-exam application before scheduling again, and keep an eye on your 12-month course window.

Step 6: Get licensed, and keep it current

CAM licenses expire September 30 of every even-numbered year. Each two-year cycle you complete at least 15 hours of continuing education: 3 hours each of legal update, insurance and financial management, physical property operations and human resources, plus 3 elective hours. Managers who serve HOAs complete 5 additional HOA hours, 3 of them on recordkeeping.

The license is the floor, not the ceiling. Boards hire managers who can read a budget, explain the law in plain words and keep records audit-ready.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Getting fingerprinted before applying
  • Letting the 12-month course window lapse before passing the exam
  • Choosing a self-paced course that doesn't qualify
  • Leaving out background information on the application

Legal background

Sources: Fla. Stat. §§ 468.431 and 468.433; Fla. Admin. Code R. 61E14-1.001 (pre-licensure education) and R. 61E14-4.001 (continuing education, amended November 2024); DBPR's CAM licensing pages. Fees and procedures change, so confirm on MyFloridaLicense.com before you apply.