To become a licensed community association manager (CAM) in Florida, you must enroll in a course and pass an exam. Every two years, you must also complete 15 hours of continuing education. To complete these hours, you need to attend CAM license courses in Florida. 

While these classes were usually in a classroom format, nowadays you can easily participate in them virtually. 

This article will go through everything you need to know about online CAM license courses in Florida. You will also learn where you can find these classes and sign up for them for free. 

What are CAM licenses courses?

CAM stands for Community Association Manager in Florida.  The role of a CAM is to manage community associations such as homeowners associations (HOAs) and condo associations (Condos).  

Individuals who are interested in becoming community association managers must enroll in a pre-license CAM course and then pass the state exam. 

1. Pre-licence CAM courses

CAM candidates must complete 16 hours of classroom or online instructions. These classes will help them get ready for passing the Florida CAM state exam. Upon completion of the course, the candidates must submit their certificate of completion before they can take the evaluation. The exam is a multiple-choice format with 100 questions. You need a score of 75 to pass it. 

2. License renewal courses (CE classes)

After passing the exam, you will receive your CAM license. However, to keep your license active you must complete at least 15 hours of continuing education every two years. 

The deadline for completion is usually on September 30 of every even-numbered year. These courses must be state-approved, so keep an eye out for that when you sign up to them. 

The requirements for these 15 hours are in general split between 5 different topics of 3 hours each. All of these topics are related to community association management. 

• Legal update (LU) – 3 hours
• Insurance and financial management (IFM) – 3 hours
• Physical property (OPP) – 3 hours
• Human resources (HR) – 3 hours
• Elective in any area mentioned above (ELE) – 3 hours

This article will mainly focus on license renewal courses, also called CEU or CE classes.  This is because these classes are continuous and are an important aspect of being a community association manager

What are the differences between in-person and online CAM license courses in Florida?

In terms of content, there isn’t any difference between in-person and online classes. You will get the same knowledge from any of these two formats. Both in-person and online allow you to engage during the class and ask questions. 

The only difference depends on what your preference is. If you enjoy being in a classroom setting with proximity to the instructor and other classmates then, in-person might be better. It is also the best option if you want to network. 

On the other hand, if you are busy and always on the go, attending an online class from wherever you are might suit you better. It gives you more flexibility, and you can still ask questions and network. You can also learn from specialist professionals who don’t live near you.

Are online CAM licenses courses in Florida free?

Several companies and CE classes instructors host online free classes every now and then. You may not find these classes easily if you look for them on search engines (ex: Google). The best way to know about these classes is to sign up for industry newsletters such as FCAP or CAI. These newsletters often include information about CE Classes. 

However, some schools offer paid packages that facilitate the whole process. In general, they include a platform where you can watch the 15 hours of classes at your convenience. They also submit your completed hours (credits).

How is attendance checked during online CAM license courses in Florida?

In general, you have to sign up on a registration form when you want to participate in a CE class. The form will normally ask you questions such as:

• Name and last name
• Phone number
• Email address
• CAM license number 

Most online meeting platforms such as Zoom register the time that participants enter and leave the meeting platform. Some platforms can even register how focused a participant is during the event. They capture if the participant is replying to questions and participating in polls. Some even track if you click on another tab.

The entry and leave time is the key factor that instructors use to confirm attendance. If the time registered is not enough, they won’t be able to submit the credits to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).

How are my credits submitted when I attend an online CAM license course in Florida?

The instructor and their team will be responsible for submitting your credits to the DBPR. Once the class is over, they will be able to download an attendee report from the platform. This report will have all information they need to apply your credits. In general, this report includes all the information participants filled in the registration form and how long they have watched the class. 

Can I attend an online CAM license course even though I’m not licensed?

Normally, anyone can attend free online CE classes. But you need a CAM license number to get credits.  However, you can ask for a certificate of attendance. 

A lot of times, HOA board members decide to participate in these free classes to learn about specific topics in community association management. This is often the case for board members in self-managed communities. Participating in these classes helps them gain new skills to manage their associations more efficiently and compliantly. 

Are online CAM licenses recorded so participants can re-watch them?

Sometimes they are. This depends on the speaker’s willingness to share the recording. Some are willing to share them only with attendees while others don’t mind uploading them to Youtube so everyone can watch and learn from them. Sometimes, the instructors don’t want to share the recordings but they do share the presentation slides. They may also share some educational materials that can help you when you have a doubt about a specific topic. 

However, it is important to note that watching a CE class recording usually doesn’t make you earn credits for your CAM license renewal. These recordings are used to help community association managers and board members in case of doubts.

Where can I find online CAM licenses courses in Florida for free?

The best way to find out about upcoming CE classes is by signing up for companies’ or organizations’ newsletters. Here below, we listed two companies that regularly host free online CE classes.

1. Vinteum

Vinteum hosts one to two CE classes per month, along with other sponsors. The topics are very diverse but the classes are often about legal updates, physical property, and financial management. A great thing about these classes is that many companies in the industry also attend. This makes it a good networking opportunity with other CAMs and vendors, and learn from them. 
It is also very easy to sign up and log in to the classes. We also send several reminders so that you don’t forget. Click here to sign up and receive information about upcoming online free CE classes.

2. Campbell Property Management

Campbell Property Management is an association management services company.They host online CEU classes as well on a variety of topics. By signing up for their newsletter, you will receive news about their company and services. Most importantly, you will receive information about the CEU classes they host, so you can easily sign-up for them. 

Bonus: FCAP newsletter 

FCAP (Florida Community Association Professionals) sends a newsletter on every second Friday. This newsletter is full of great articles and materials about hot topics in the industry. They also often send information about upcoming CE classes and other interesting webinars.