Licensure of community association managers and community association management firms; exceptions.

(1) A person shall not manage or hold herself or himself out to the public as being able to manage a community association in this state unless she or he is licensed by the department in accordance with the provisions of this part. However, nothing in this part prohibits any person licensed in this state under any other law or court rule from engaging in the profession for which she or he is licensed.

(2) A community association management firm or other similar organization responsible for the management of more than 10 units or a budget of $100,000 or greater shall not engage or hold itself out to the public as being able to engage in the business of community association management in this state unless it is licensed by the department as a community association management firm in accordance with the provisions of this part.

(a) A community association management firm or other similar organization desiring to be licensed as a community association management firm shall apply to the department on a form approved by the department, together with the application and licensure fees required by s. 468.435(1)(a) and (c). Each community association management firm applying for licensure under this subsection must be actively registered and authorized to do business in this state.

(b) Each applicant shall designate on its application a licensed community association manager who shall be required to respond to all inquiries from and investigations by the department or division.

(c) Each licensed community association management firm shall notify the department within 30 days after any change of information contained in the application upon which licensure is based.

(d) Community association management firm licenses shall expire on September 30 of odd-numbered years and shall be renewed every 2 years. An application for renewal shall be accompanied by the renewal fee as required by s. 468.435(1)(d).

(e) The department shall license each applicant whom the department certifies as meeting the requirements of this subsection.

(f) If the license of at least one individual active community association manager member is not in force, the license of the community association management firm or other similar organization is canceled automatically during that time.

(g) Any community association management firm or other similar organization agrees by being licensed that it will employ only licensed persons in the direct provision of community association management services as described in s. 468.431(3).

(h) A person who has had his or her community association manager license revoked may not have an indirect or direct ownership interest in, or be an employee, a partner, an officer, a director, or a trustee of, a community association management firm during the 10-year period after the effective date of the revocation. Such person is ineligible to reapply for certification or registration under this part for a period of 10 years after the effective date of a revocation.

(3) A licensee must create and maintain an online licensure account with the department. Each community association manager must identify on his or her online licensure account the community association management firm for which he or she provides management services and identify each community association for which he or she is the designated onsite community association manager. A licensee must update his or her online licensure account with this information within 30 days after any change to the required information. A community association management firm must identify on its online licensure account the community association managers that it employs to provide community association management services. If a community association manager has his or her license suspended or revoked, the department must give written notice of such suspension or revocation to the community association management firm and the community association for which the manager performs community management services.