Florida DBPR Offers Free Condominium Board Certification Course to Help Directors Comply with New Education Requirements

By: Colby Keefe, Esq.

The 2024 legislative session introduced a slew of new laws for the community association world in Florida. Not the least of these changes are the new education requirements which make certain courses mandatory for directors in both HOAs and condominiums.

But, there is some good news for condominium directors. The Florida Division of Business and Professional Regulation (“DBPR”) will be providing a free condominium board member course online on August 15, 2024, from 10:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST. To sign up for this free course, register here.

The Division does not currently have registration open for an HOA course. However, education providers throughout the state, including Henderson Franklin, are awaiting approval on proposed curriculum to begin teaching certification courses to directors in HOAs and condominiums.

What are the new education requirements?

For both HOAs and condominiums, a new director has always been required to satisfy some basic “new director” onboarding training. However, historically, a director could satisfy the requirements by completing either of the following within 90 days of being elected or appointed: (i) certifying in writing that he or she has read all of the governing documents of the community and will work to uphold such documents and policies to the best of the director’s ability, and will faithfully discharge his or her fiduciary responsibility to the members of the association; or (ii) completing a board certification course taught by a Division-approved provider.

With the passage of House Bill 1021 and House Bill 1203, completion of a board certification course is now mandatory, rather than optional for new directors who are elected or appointed after July 1, 2024. A summary of the new education requirements for condominium and HOA directors is as follows:

HOAs:

• Directors elected or appointed after July 1, 2024, must take an education course administered by the Florida Division of Business and Professional Regulation or a Division-approved course, which will remain valid for four years before the director shall take another board certification course.
• Directors in HOAs with less than 2,500 parcels must compete at least four (4) continuing education hours annually.
• Directors in HOAs with 2,500 parcels or more must complete eight (8) hours of continuing education annually.

Condominiums:

• Directors elected or appointed after July 1, 2024, must take an education course administered by the Florida Division of Business and Professional Regulation or a Division-approved course, which must be at least four (4) hours long and include instruction on milestone inspections, structural integrity reserve studies, elections, recordkeeping, financial literacy and transparency, levying of fines, and notice and meeting requirements. Existing board members will have until June 30, 2025, to comply with this requirement.

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