Blog · Licensing · Updated August 3, 2026 · 14 min read

How to Become a Community Association Manager in Florida (2026)

The complete, step-by-step roadmap to earning your Florida CAM license — the required course, background check, state application, and licensing exam — with real costs, salary data, exam content, renewal rules, and the mistakes that trip applicants up.

Short answer: To become a Community Association Manager in Florida, you must be at least 18, complete a state-approved 16-hour CAM pre-licensure course, pass a background check (electronic fingerprints), submit your application to the Florida DBPR, and pass the state CAM exam (100 questions, 75% to pass). Most people finish in 4–8 weeks for a total cost of roughly $485–$675.

The process at a glance

1. Complete a 16-hour pre-licensure course (online, self-paced).
2. Get fingerprinted for your background check through IdentoGO.
3. Submit your application and fee to the Florida DBPR.
4. Pass the state exam at a Pearson VUE test center (100 questions, 75% to pass).

What does a Community Association Manager do?

A Community Association Manager (CAM) is the licensed professional who runs the day-to-day operations of condominiums, homeowners' associations (HOAs), cooperatives, and other community associations. If you've ever wondered who collects assessments, manages the reserve budget, coordinates vendors and maintenance, runs board meetings and elections, keeps the official records, and makes sure the community follows its governing documents and Florida law — that's the CAM.

The role sits at the intersection of finance, law, operations, and people management. In a single week a CAM might prepare a budget variance report, enforce a parking rule, get three bids for a roof repair, mediate a dispute between neighbors, and run a legally-compliant board meeting. It's varied, people-heavy work, and it rewards organization and level-headedness more than any particular background — which is why so many people move into it from customer service, hospitality, real estate, administration, and the military.

It's also a stable, in-demand career in a state with one of the highest concentrations of community associations in the country. Florida has tens of thousands of condo and HOA communities, and every one that crosses a certain size is legally required to be managed by a licensed CAM. That legal requirement is exactly why the license is worth having: it's a real barrier to entry that protects the people who hold it.

Do you actually need a CAM license in Florida?

Not every property manager needs one — but most who work with community associations do. Under Florida law, a CAM license is required whenever someone is paid to manage a community association with more than 10 units and/or an annual budget greater than $100,000. Below both of those thresholds, a license isn't required; the moment an association crosses either line, management must be handled by a licensed CAM.

In practice, that covers the overwhelming majority of paid association-management work in Florida. A handful of activities fall outside licensing — purely clerical or ministerial tasks, or the work a volunteer board member does for their own community without pay. But if you plan to manage condos or HOAs professionally, whether independently or for a management company, you'll almost certainly need the license.

CAM vs. real estate license: These are two different credentials. A real estate license lets you buy, sell, and lease property. A CAM license lets you manage community associations. If your job is running condo/HOA operations, the CAM license is the one you need — and you do not need a real estate license to become a CAM.

Eligibility requirements

The bar to entry is refreshingly low, which is part of why CAM is such a popular career change. To qualify, you need to be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number, and be of good moral character (the background check confirms this). You do not need to be a Florida resident, and you do not need to be a U.S. citizen — though you must be authorized to work in the United States.

Notably, there's no college degree requirement and no prior property-management experience required to start. The state's position is that the required course and exam ensure you know the material, so it doesn't gatekeep on résumé. That's why career changers with zero property background regularly earn the license and start working within a couple of months.

The 4 steps to becoming a licensed CAM

Step 1 — Complete the 16-hour pre-licensure course

Florida requires 16 hours of state-approved CAM pre-licensure education before you can sit for the exam. The course is built to map directly to what the state exam tests, so treating it as real preparation — not a box to check — is the single biggest thing you can do to pass on the first try.

The most convenient option is an online, self-paced course you can finish on your own schedule — often in a single weekend. When you complete it, you receive a certificate of completion that stays valid for one year, giving you plenty of time to finish the remaining steps. This is the step Florida CAM Online handles for you, with practice questions, two full-length practice exams, and an instant certificate.

Step 2 — Complete your background check (fingerprints)

Florida requires a criminal background check via electronic fingerprints (Livescan). You'll schedule an appointment with an authorized IdentoGO location, have your prints taken electronically, and the results are submitted directly to the state. When booking, use the CAM licensing ORI number FL921932Z so your results are routed to the correct board — booking under the wrong ORI is a surprisingly common cause of delay.

Get this done early. Fingerprint results are only valid for a limited window, and doing them at the start of the process keeps your application from stalling later.

Step 3 — Submit your application to the DBPR

File your application with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the state agency that licenses CAMs, using the DBPR CAM 1 application. You can apply online or by paper form and pay the application fee (about $205.50as of 2026). Online applications are generally processed faster than paper. Processing typically takes around 10 days once everything is in order, after which you'll be cleared to schedule your exam.

Step 4 — Pass the Florida CAM state exam

The exam is administered by Pearson VUE. It's 100 multiple-choice questions with a 3-hour time limit, taken on a computer, and you need a score of 75 to pass. You get your result immediately on screen when you finish. If you don't pass on the first try, you can retake it after a 24-hour waiting period. This is the one step that isn't online — you take it in person at a testing center. (More on exactly what's tested below.)

Start with Step 1 today. Our state-approved 16-hour course is 100% online and self-paced — with practice exams and an instant certificate. $299, with a 7-day refund guarantee. Enroll in the CAM course →

What the 16-hour course covers

The pre-licensure curriculum is organized around the core competencies a CAM uses every day. A quality course walks through each of these in depth, with examples drawn from real association scenarios:

• The CAM role & licensing law— what a manager can and can't do, fiduciary duties, and the statutes that govern the profession (Chapter 468, Part VIII).
• Community association governance — governing documents, the roles of the board and officers, and the legal framework for condos (Ch. 718), HOAs (Ch. 720), and cooperatives (Ch. 719).
• Meetings, elections & records — noticing and running compliant board and member meetings, election procedures, and official-records access and retention.
• Financial management — operating budgets, reserve funding and reserve studies, assessments and collections, and financial reporting.
• Insurance & risk management — the coverage associations carry, claims, and how a manager mitigates liability.
• Physical property & maintenance — vendor contracts, competitive bidding, maintenance planning, and oversight of common elements.
• Exam preparation— practice questions and full-length practice exams that mirror the real test's format and pacing.

What's actually on the state exam

The Florida CAM exam is 100 multiple-choice questions drawn from the same practice areas the course covers — governance and law, financial management, insurance and risk, human resources, and physical property management. The state does not publish a fixed number of questions per topic, and the exact mix can vary between test forms, so the smart strategy is to be comfortable across all the areas rather than betting on one.

A few things consistently trip people up:

• Statute-specific details— questions often hinge on specific rules in Chapters 718, 719, 720, and 468, such as notice periods, quorum and voting requirements, and records-access timelines. These reward memorization, and they're where practice questions pay off most.
• Financial math — expect to calculate things like reserve contributions, budget figures, and assessment allocations. Nothing beyond basic arithmetic, but you need to know which numbers go where.
• "Best answer" wording — several options may be plausible; the exam wants the most correct one. Timed practice exams train you to read carefully under the 3-hour clock.

Exam day, what to bring: two forms of ID with signatures (one a government-issued photo ID) and your reservation confirmation number. The test is on a computer and your score appears on screen the moment you finish — no waiting for results in the mail.

Background check & criminal history

A common worry: "I have something on my record — can I still get licensed?" In most cases, yes. A criminal conviction, whether felony or misdemeanor, does not automatically disqualify you. The DBPR reviews each application individually and looks for a "substantial connection" between any past offense and the responsibilities of a CAM — particularly anything involving fraud, theft, embezzlement, or financial misconduct, which gets heightened scrutiny because CAMs handle association money.

If you have a record, disclosure is mandatory — you must report all convictions and guilty or no-contest pleas, including cases where adjudication was withheld. Trying to omit something is far more damaging than the record itself. Applicants with history are generally asked to provide a written explanation describing the circumstances and rehabilitation, certified copies of court dispositions for each charge, and proof that all sanctions (probation, fines, community service) were completed. Character reference letters are optional but help. When in doubt about a specific situation, the DBPR's CAM board can be reached at (850) 487-1395.

Mistakes that delay applicants (and how to avoid them)

Most delays aren't about eligibility — they're avoidable paperwork problems. The most common ones:

• Fingerprinting under the wrong ORI number. Use FL921932Z so results reach the CAM board. The wrong code sends your prints into a void.
• Letting the course certificate or fingerprints expire. Both have shelf lives. Do them close together and don't sit on your application for months.
• Incomplete criminal-history documentation. Missing court dispositions or an unaddressed old charge stalls the review immediately.
• Name mismatches. The name on your application, ID, and fingerprints should match exactly — a maiden name or missing middle name can flag your file.
• Submitting by paper when online is available. Paper applications generally take longer to process.

None of these are hard to avoid — they just require doing the steps in the right order and reading the fine print. That's largely why doing your course with a provider that walks you through the full process pays off.

How much does it cost to get a Florida CAM license?

Here's the realistic all-in cost as of 2026. Individual fees can change, so treat these as close estimates and confirm current amounts with the DBPR.

The course is the one line item you control. Florida CAM Online's course is $299 — and because it includes two full-length practice exams, it also lowers the odds you'll pay the $49.50 to retake the state exam. Failing once and re-testing is the hidden cost most people forget to budget for, so good prep is genuinely cheaper than cheap prep.

How long does it take? A realistic week-by-week timeline

Most people go from "starting the course" to "licensed" in about 4 to 8 weeks, though a motivated applicant can move faster. Here's a typical pace:

The two things that set your timeline are the DBPR processing window and how quickly you schedule your exam. Move promptly on fingerprints and your application and the whole thing can be wrapped up in under a month.

How much do CAMs make in Florida?

Community Association Manager pay in Florida commonly falls in the $41,000–$59,000 range for salaried roles, with meaningful upside from there. Experienced managers, portfolio managers who oversee multiple associations, and those running large or luxury communities earn well above that band. Compensation rises with experience, the number and size of associations you manage, and specialized credentials.

Beyond base salary, many CAM roles include benefits, and on-site managers of larger communities sometimes receive housing or vehicle allowances. Because the license is legally required for most association management, it functions as a real barrier to entry — which supports steady demand and gives licensed managers negotiating leverage.

Is getting a CAM license worth it?

For most people weighing it, the math is favorable. The all-in cost is under $700 and the timeline is a matter of weeks — a tiny investment against a credential that opens a licensed profession with salaries starting in the $40Ks and climbing. There's no degree requirement, the exam is passable with focused study, and Florida's sheer density of condo and HOA communities means the work is genuinely there. For career changers, it's one of the faster, lower-cost paths into a stable professional role. The honest caveats: it's people-intensive work that can include evening board meetings and the occasional difficult resident, and you'll carry real responsibility for other people's money and property. If that mix appeals to you, the license pays for itself quickly.

Ready to get started?Step 1 is the course — and it's the only step you can knock out this weekend. Get state-approved education, two practice exams, and your certificate in one place. Start the 16-hour CAM course →

Renewing your Florida CAM license

Once you're licensed, CAM licenses renew on a two-year (biennial) cycle, expiring September 30 of the renewal year, with a renewal fee of about $105. To renew, you complete state-approved continuing education (CE):

Managers who don't handle HOAs need 15 hours of CE, typically split across legal updates, insurance and financial management, physical property management, human resources, and electives. Managers who do handle HOAs need 17 hours, including additional HOA-specific coursework such as HOA recordkeeping. CE hours are reported to the DBPR electronically (allow a few business days), after which you apply and pay the renewal fee online before the deadline. Because these hour breakdowns are periodically updated, confirm the current requirement with the DBPR each cycle.

Key terms glossary

CAM (Community Association Manager)

The licensed professional who manages the operations of community associations for pay.

DBPR

Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation — the state agency that licenses and regulates CAMs.

Pre-licensure course

The 16 hours of state-approved education you must complete before sitting for the CAM exam.

IdentoGO

The vendor that captures electronic fingerprints for Florida background checks.

ORI number

A code that routes your fingerprint results to the correct licensing board. For CAM, it's FL921932Z.

Reserve study / reserves

Funds an association sets aside for major future repairs and replacements, and the analysis that sizes them.

Governing documents

The declaration, bylaws, articles, and rules that define how a particular association operates.

Chapters 718 / 719 / 720

The Florida statutes governing condominiums (718), cooperatives (719), and homeowners' associations (720).

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Florida CAM pre-licensure course?

It's 16 hours of state-approved education. Online, self-paced courses let you complete those hours on your own schedule — many students finish in a weekend. Your completion certificate is valid for one year.

Can I get my Florida CAM license entirely online?

Almost. The course, background-check scheduling, and application are all handled online. The one in-person step is the state exam, which you take at a Pearson VUE testing center.

Do I need to live in Florida to get a CAM license?

No. Florida does not require CAM applicants to be state residents or U.S. citizens. You do need a valid Social Security number and authorization to work in the United States.

What score do I need to pass the CAM exam?

You need a score of 75. The exam is 100 multiple-choice questions with a 3-hour limit, taken on a computer, and you get your result immediately. If you don't pass, you can retake it after a 24-hour waiting period.

Can I get a CAM license with a criminal record?

Often, yes. A conviction doesn't automatically disqualify you. The DBPR reviews each case individually, with extra scrutiny on financial crimes, and expects full disclosure plus documentation of the disposition and any rehabilitation.

When is a CAM license legally required?

When you're paid to manage a community association with more than 10 units and/or an annual budget over $100,000. Below both thresholds, a license isn't required.

How much does the whole process cost?

Roughly $485–$675 all in, covering the course, fingerprints, the DBPR application, and the exam fee. The course is the portion you control on price.

Do I need a real estate license too?

No. A CAM license and a real estate license are separate. To manage community associations, the CAM license is the one you need.

How often do I renew, and is there continuing education?

CAM licenses renew every two years for about $105. You complete 15 hours of continuing education (17 if you manage HOAs) before the September 30 renewal deadline.

Your first step is the easiest step. Knock out the 16-hour requirement this weekend, with practice exams and an instant certificate. $299 · 7-day refund guarantee. Enroll now →

Florida CAM Online is a private education provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the State of Florida, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, or any government agency. Fees, requirements, and continuing-education rules are set by the state and may change; always verify current details with the Florida DBPR before applying. This guide is for informational purposes and is not legal advice.