When does Florida require a CAM license?
Florida law requires a license for anyone who manages a community association for pay when the association, or the group of associations served, has more than 10 units or an annual budget above $100,000. A community association covers condominiums, cooperatives, homeowners' associations, mobile home parks and similar developments where the association can impose a fee that may become a lien on the property.
Licensed work includes controlling or disbursing association funds, preparing budgets and financial documents, helping notice or run meetings, and coordinating maintenance. The statute also lists drafting meeting notices and agendas, preparing estoppel certificates, and negotiating contract terms that the board must approve. Volunteer board members who are not paid do not need a license. Neither do staff who do clerical work under a licensed manager's direct supervision, or who only perform maintenance.
What the CAM license does not cover
DBPR says plainly that the CAM license does not apply to apartment buildings, commercial property or single-family homes. Florida has no separate state license for those property managers, though a real estate license may be required. If your goal is apartment or commercial management, the CAM license is the wrong credential.
Management firms need a license too. A firm managing more than 10 units or a budget of $100,000 or more must hold a community association management firm license. Under the statute, the firm may employ only licensed people to deliver management services, and its license is canceled automatically if it has no active licensed manager.
Exam timing and the 12-month rule
DBPR delivers the exam on computer through its vendor, Pearson VUE, at testing sites that run daily. You have to pass within 12 months of finishing your pre-licensure course, and that window includes any retakes. DBPR says it cannot extend the deadline for illness or hardship. If the window closes, you take the 16-hour course again.
Plan your timing before you enroll. Because retakes count against the same 12 months, a failed first attempt shortens the time you have left. Pearson VUE sends results to DBPR within 48 hours. A criminal record does not bar you automatically. DBPR reviews each application on its own facts, and you should send papers showing how every charge was resolved.
Keeping the license once you have it
CAM licenses expire on September 30 of every even-numbered year. To renew, you complete 15 hours of continuing education: 3 hours of legal update, 3 on insurance and financial management, 3 on operating the physical property, 3 on human resources, and 3 more in any approved subject. Managers who serve homeowners' associations must include 5 hours on HOA topics, 3 of them on recordkeeping. DBPR's FAQ puts their total at 17 hours.
If you were first licensed 24 months or less before a renewal date, you skip CE for that cycle. Within 30 days of getting licensed, and within 30 days of any change, you must list in your DBPR online account the firm you work for and each association where you are the designated onsite manager.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. From BLS OEWS May 2025, moved to 2026 with the Employment Cost Index. BLS has no separate series for community association managers, so these figures cover property, real estate and community association managers together. Number of communities managed, onsite or portfolio role, and firm size all move pay. Refer to the HOA & Community Association Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- AgeYou must be at least 18 years old.
- Pre-licensure educationYou need 16 hours of CAM pre-licensure education from a DBPR-approved provider. You can take it in person, by correspondence or online.
- FingerprintsYou submit electronic fingerprints taken by a vendor approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The vendor sets its own fee.
- FeesThe total is $205.50: a $50 nonrefundable application fee, $50.50 for the exam, $100 for the license and $5 for unlicensed activity. Fingerprinting costs extra.
- Good moral characterDBPR reviews each applicant's background. If you have convictions, send papers showing how every charge was resolved.
- State examYou must pass the computer-based state exam within 12 months of finishing your pre-licensure education. That window includes retakes.
- RenewalYou complete 15 hours of CE every two years and pay the renewal fee before September 30 of each even-numbered year. DBPR's FAQ lists the fee as $100, rising to $125 after September 30.
How to get there
- Before you startConfirm you need the licenseCheck that the work involves paid management of associations with more than 10 units or budgets above $100,000.
- Week 1-2Complete the 16-hour courseEnroll with a provider on DBPR's approved pre-licensure list. Online and correspondence options count. Your 12-month exam clock starts when you finish.
- Week 2-4Apply and get fingerprintedFile the CAM 1 application (initial license by examination), pay $205.50, and submit electronic fingerprints through an FDLE-approved vendor.
- Within 12 months of the coursePass the state examOnce DBPR approves you, schedule the exam with Pearson VUE. Results reach DBPR within 48 hours.
- Within 30 daysSet up your online accountWithin 30 days of getting licensed, list your management firm and each association where you are the onsite manager.
- Every 2 yearsRenew every two yearsComplete 15 hours of CE and renew by September 30 of each even-numbered year. If you were licensed 24 months or less before the renewal date, CE is waived for that first cycle.
Questions people ask
Do I need a CAM license to manage an apartment complex in Florida?
No. DBPR says the CAM license does not apply to apartment buildings, commercial property or single-family homes. Florida has no separate property manager license, though some of that work may require a real estate license.
How many pre-licensure hours does the Florida CAM license require?
You need 16 hours of approved CAM pre-licensure education. You can take the course in person, online or by correspondence, as long as the provider is DBPR-approved.
How long do I have to pass the CAM exam?
You must pass within 12 months of finishing your pre-licensure education, and that includes retakes. DBPR will not extend the deadline for illness or hardship.
How much does the Florida CAM license cost?
The application total is $205.50: $50 for the application, $50.50 for the exam, $100 for the license and $5 for unlicensed activity. Fingerprinting is extra and the price depends on the vendor.
Do HOA board members need a CAM license?
Not if they are unpaid. Florida law does not require an association to hire a licensed manager, and unpaid board members and officers can manage without a license. Anyone paid to do management work, including an owner or officer, needs one once the association passes the size threshold.
How much continuing education do Florida CAMs need?
You need 15 hours every two-year cycle, split across legal update, insurance and finance, physical property, human resources and electives. Managers who serve homeowners' associations must include 5 HOA-specific hours, 3 of them on recordkeeping.
