Florida's first-ever HOA director education rule took effect this week — and the board must do the suspending
Florida's first-ever HOA director education rule took effect this week — and the board must do the suspending
2026-09-10 · Florida · Regulation
What happened. Florida now has an administrative rule governing the education of homeowners' association directors — the first of its kind. Rule 61B-19.004, F.A.C., “Educational Courses for Directors of Homeowners' Associations,” took effect on 7 September 2026.1
The rule's stated purpose is narrow: “This rule establishes the education and training requirements for directors of homeowners associations in accordance with section 720.3033, F.S.”
How it got here
The Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes published a Notice of Development on 28 August 2025 (Vol. 51/168), a Notice of Proposed Rule on 22 May 2026 (Vol. 52/100), held a public hearing on 25 June 2026, published a Notice of Change on 24 July 2026 (Vol. 52/143), and adopted the rule effective 7 September 2026.
What the rule requires
A board member certification course is defined as a Division-approved course “which includes training related to financial literacy and transparency, recordkeeping, levying of fines, and notice and meeting requirements.”
Course providers must file DBPR Form CO 6000-13 (effective August 2026) or, where the course is already approved as continuing education for community association managers under Rule 61E14-4.003, DBPR Form CO 6000-14 (effective June 2026). Provider approval “shall be valid for a period of two (2) years,” and an application with deficiencies must be cured within “thirty (30) days” or it “is deemed withdrawn.”
The rule defines an “education year” as “the period beginning July 1 and ending June 30.” Delivery methods are fixed — asynchronous, synchronous or hybrid. Instructors must hold a bachelor's degree plus two years' experience, an associate's degree plus four, six years' experience, or a Florida Bar licence with relevant experience. Providers must retain rosters and certificates for one year and produce them to the Division on request.
The enforcement mechanism, and who operates it
This is the part boards need to read carefully. On non-compliance, the rule provides:
“the board shall suspend the director from the board until compliant with the applicable requirement(s). The board may temporarily fill the vacancy during the period of suspension.”
The board does the suspending, not DBPR. The verb is “shall.” A board that knows a director is out of compliance and leaves them seated has not merely tolerated someone else's problem — it has failed to do the thing the rule directs it to do.
Keep reading with the Florida State Pass
The rest of this analysis — what an association can actually do, the recent bills and rulings, and how Florida compares nationally — is for subscribers. $49/month for every Florida topic on HOA Weekly.
$49/month, $449/year, or a $19.99 day pass.
What you unlock
- A live trap: the state's own free course does not count
- The parallel condominium rule, rewritten four days earlier
- What a board can do this month
and 2 more sections in detail
Already a subscriber? Sign in
Recurring monthly subscription · Cancel anytime · Need help?
Related Florida HOA Topics
- Rule 61B-19.004, F.A.C., Educational Courses for Directors of Homeowners' Associations, effective 7 September 2026 ↩
- Condominiums and Cooperatives — Education, Florida DBPR ↩
- Rule 61B-19.001, F.A.C., Board Member Certification and Continuing Education Courses, amended effective 3 September 2026 ↩
- Rule 61B-85.001, F.A.C., repealed effective 5 March 2026 ↩
Stay on top of Florida HOA law
Every week: new Florida legislation, court rulings, and regulatory developments affecting condos, planned communities, and property managers. Free.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.