How to Get a Florida CAM License and Start an HOA Management Company

If you manage homeowners associations in Florida for pay, you will likely need a Community Association Manager (CAM) license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). The company that runs those management contracts may also need its own CAM firm license, which is separate from your personal license. This guide walks through the order most new managers follow: confirm you need a license, complete the education and exam, form the company, license the firm, and set up the ongoing compliance calendar.

This content is informational, not legal or tax advice. Florida licensing rules change, and DBPR and the Legislature set the exact eligibility rules, fees, and application steps. Confirm every figure below on the agency page before you spend money or sign a contract.

Do You Need a Florida CAM License?

Florida does not issue a general statewide business license. The CAM license is different. It is a DBPR professional license for a specific activity: managing community associations for pay. As a general rule, you need the license when you are paid to manage an association that has more than 10 units or a budget over $100,000. If the association you plan to serve is small, unpaid, or falls outside those thresholds, confirm your status with DBPR before you assume you are exempt.

Do not confuse the CAM license with a local business tax receipt. The receipt is issued under Chapter 205 of the Florida Statutes, it is a tax, and it does not prove you are competent to manage associations. Not every county or city levies one, so check with the local tax collector or city hall where you will operate.

Materials and Requirements Checklist

Gather these before you start. Some items cost money, and some take weeks to schedule, so the list is ordered by when you will need each one.

• Your personal identification and the fingerprints DBPR requires for the CAM application
• A completion certificate from the 16-hour pre-licensing course, and confirmation that DBPR accepts the course provider
• A scheduled seat for the state CAM exam, with the testing provider and fee confirmed on the DBPR site
• A business name that is available on the Sunbiz name search
• A registered agent with a physical Florida street address (a P.O. Box will not work)
• $125 to file Articles of Organization, which includes the $25 LLC registered agent designation. Confirm the current DBPR application and license fees before you budget for them.
• A DBPR online account, which you will use for ongoing reporting
• A calendar for continuing education, the annual report, and association meeting attendance

Step-by-Step: From Education to a Licensed Firm

1. Confirm the license applies to you. Check the paid-management trigger (more than 10 units or a budget over $100,000) against each association you plan to serve. Write down the unit counts and budgets you are relying on. If you are unsure whether a volunteer or a board member role is covered, ask DBPR in writing and keep the reply.
2. Complete the 16-hour pre-licensing course. The course is a required part of the CAM path. Pick a provider that DBPR recognizes, and keep the completion certificate with your application records. Ask the provider how long the certificate stays valid, since a delay between course completion and application can cause problems.
3. Pass the state exam and submit fingerprints. Schedule the exam after you have studied the course material and the relevant Florida statutes. Submit fingerprints as DBPR directs. Confirm expected timing for results and background checks, the order of these steps and expected timing with DBPR before you plan your launch date.
4. Apply for your individual CAM license. File the application through DBPR's online portal at myfloridalicense.com. Answer every question accurately, pay the fee DBPR lists at the time you file, and track the application status in your account. An incomplete application delays everything that depends on it, including the firm license in step 8.
5. Form your LLC through Sunbiz. Most managers choose a Florida limited liability company because it separates business liabilities from personal assets, but confirm the structure with your attorney and CPA. The Articles of Organization cost $125 to file, which is the $100 filing fee plus the $25 registered agent designation. You can file through Sunbiz eFile at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/start-business/efile/fl-llc, or walk in at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, where most requests are completed while you wait. Sunbiz does not offer expedited filing, and no guaranteed turnaround is published. Online filings are processed in the order received, and images of electronically filed documents post within 3 business days of processing.
6. Get the name right. The LLC name must end with Limited Liability Company, LLC, or L.L.C., and it must be distinguishable from names already on the Department of State records. Search the Sunbiz name search before you commit. You can reserve a name for 120 days for $25, but do not treat any name as approved until you receive a filing acknowledgment.
7. Appoint a registered agent. Every Florida LLC must designate a registered agent with a physical Florida street address and no P.O. Box. The agent must sign to accept the appointment. Your company cannot serve as its own registered agent, but you or another owner or officer may serve if you meet the address requirement. The designation costs $25 for an LLC, and changing the agent later costs the same.
8. Apply for the CAM firm license. The company that manages associations needs a separate CAM firm license from DBPR. Ask DBPR what the firm application requires and how it connects to your individual license before you file, since the two applications can depend on each other. Confirm the firm fee on the DBPR site.
9. Set up your DBPR online account. Under HB 913 (2025, effective July 1, 2025), CAMs must keep a DBPR online account that lists their firm and each association they manage. Update the account within 30 days of any change, such as a new management contract, a dropped client, or a change in the firm's details. Set a recurring reminder for this, because a missed update is easy to forget during a busy season.
10. Register a fictitious name if you will trade under a different name. If your marketing name differs from the LLC name, file a Fictitious Name Registration with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, through Sunbiz. Registration costs $50 and is valid for 5 years. The renewal costs $50 and is filed between July 1 and December 31 of the expiration year. The name must also be advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of your principal place of business. No proof of that advertisement is filed, but the requirement still applies.
11. Check local business tax requirements. Call the county tax collector or the city where you will operate and ask whether a Business Tax Receipt applies to your office. Ask the Florida Department of Revenue whether any sales tax registration applies to your services, and confirm the answer for your specific fee structure with your CPA.
12. Build the compliance calendar. Once you are operating, the ongoing requirements are where many firms slip. File the annual report between January 1 and May 1 for $138.75. A late filing after May 1 adds a $400 late fee, for a total of $538.75. Failure to file by the third Friday in September leads to administrative dissolution. Complete 5 hours of HOA-specific continuing education every 2 years, with 3 of those hours on recordkeeping, under HB 1203 (2024, effective July 1, 2024). Each year, attend at least one member or board meeting in person, as required by s. 468.4337.

Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Taking paid management work before you hold the license. The paid-management trigger is the point where the license matters most. Confirm your timeline with DBPR before you sign a contract that starts before your license is issued.
• Assuming the LLC name is available. Wait for the filing acknowledgment before you order letterhead, sign a client contract, or print signage under that name.
• Using a P.O. Box for the registered agent. The registered agent needs a physical Florida street address. A P.O. Box filing can be rejected or left incomplete.
• Confusing the individual license with the firm license. You need both, and each has its own application. Filing only one can stall the other.
• Missing the 30-day DBPR account update. Under HB 913, the account must reflect the firm and every association you manage. Put each new contract on the calendar the week it is signed.
• Treating continuing education as optional. The 5 hours of HOA-specific education every 2 years, including 3 hours on recordkeeping, is a condition of keeping your license active. Schedule courses early, since a last-minute scramble leaves little room to choose.
• Skipping the in-person meeting. Attendance at one member or board meeting in person each year is required under s. 468.4337. Log each attendance with the date and association name.
• Missing the May 1 annual report deadline. The $400 late fee applies after May 1, and a missed September deadline can lead to administrative dissolution. Put the filing date on the calendar in January.
• Ignoring tax classification. An LLC taxed as a partnership or disregarded entity generally does not file a Florida corporate income tax return, but a Florida Partnership Information Return is required if one or more owners is a corporation. An LLC classified as a corporation for federal tax purposes pays the 5.5% Florida corporate income tax on Florida net income. Discuss the choice with a CPA before you file your first return.
• Forgetting insurance and bonding questions. This guide does not set out any insurance or bonding requirement. Ask DBPR and your insurance agent what coverage applies to your firm before you accept a management contract.

What Results to Expect

Completing these steps may help you operate as a licensed CAM and a licensed firm in Florida. Once the individual and firm licenses are in place and your DBPR account is current, you may be in a position to pursue management contracts for eligible associations. Results depend on the market in your area, your experience, your references, and how well you manage the calendar described above. Many new firms spend their first months building a client base, so plan your cash flow for a slow start rather than assuming contracts will arrive quickly.

Expect the early work to be paperwork-heavy. Keep copies of every application, filing receipt, and acknowledgment in one folder, and save the DBPR confirmation for each change you report. A clean record makes renewals, audits, and future client due diligence much easier.

Next Steps and When to Get Professional Help

Start with DBPR. Confirm whether your planned associations trigger the license, then look up the current pre-licensing course, exam, fingerprint, and fee details on the agency site. Next, reserve your LLC name and file the Articles of Organization once you have the registered agent in place. If your structure, tax classification, contracts, or insurance questions are complicated, consult a qualified Florida attorney and a CPA before you file. For general state resources, the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) and the DBPR licensing portal are the two official sites you will use most.

Disclaimer: This article is informational only and is not legal, tax, or professional licensing advice. Florida requirements, fees, and deadlines can change. Verify every requirement with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Florida Department of State before you act, and consult a qualified attorney or CPA for your specific situation.