To become a community association manager (CAM) in Georgia, you need to meet a few requirements. One of them is to get your CAM license by following a course and passing a state exam. Another one is to attend continuing education classes to renew your license. 

This article will cover what you should know about CAM license Georgia. You will also find a quick overview of how to become a CAM in other states. 

1. What is a CAM and a CAM License?

A community association manager (CAM) is responsible for managing community associations such as homeowners associations (HOA) and condo associations (Condo). Their main role is to supervise the maintenance of common areas and amenities in communities. Their other tasks include:

• Monitoring income and expenditures
• Assist with tax filling 
• Conduct property inspections
• Deal with external vendors 
• Provide management expertise

2. What are the requirements to get a CAM license in Georgia?

To be eligible for the licensing exam, you need to be at least 18 years of age and you need to have a high school diploma. According to the Georgia Real Estate Commission, you need to meet one of the following educational requirements:

• Complete a 25-hour pre-license course approved by the Georgia Real Estate Commission
• Complete 2 semester hours of course work eligible for a major in real estate from a US or Canadian University
• Provide a certificate of completion of a minimum of 25 hours of a pre-license course approved by the real estate regulatory agency of another state or province of Canada

3. Pre-license course

One of the requirements to become a community association manager in Georgia is to successfully complete a 25-hour pre-license course. It is a common way for professionals to enter the community association management industry either in Georgia or in some other states. The purpose of the course is to prepare candidates for the examination that the Georgia real estate commission sets.The examination fee is $121. In the course, candidates will learn about:

• The community association management industry
• Maintenance, budgeting, and financial management
• Rule enforcement
• Fair housing laws & Georgia Condominium Act

4. License Renewal courses (Continuing Education) 

CAM licensees in Georgia have to renew their licenses every four years.  You can do this online up to 120 days before the due date. To renew your license you must complete at least 36 hours of continuing education courses. Out of these 36 hours, 3 of them must be about license law. 

5. Does a CAM license in Georgia has reciprocity with other states?

It is important to highlight that each US state has its own regulations and specificities. As of 2012, nine states have regulations for the community association manager’s profession. These states are:

• Alaska
• California
• Connecticut
• The District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Nevada
• Virginia 

This means not every state requires community association managers to be licensed to perform their role. 

Those who are licensed in one of the states mentioned above may also not be able to work in other states. This depends on the reciprocity. 

In this case, Georgia offers license by reciprocity for professionals from other states. So if you have a CAM license in Florida, you should be able to get a reciprocal license without having to take an exam. To do that, you need to present proof of a valid license. 

On the other hand, if you have a CAM license in Georgia and want to work in another state, you need to make sure they have reciprocity. As an example, Florida does not have reciprocity with other states for community association managers. 

Getting your CAM license in Georgia can be a challenging process but the outcome is rewarding. Working as a community association manager allows you to be part of an engaged community.  Contributing to residents’ and boards’ satisfaction is always an enriching experience.