Rule 61B-19.001: A New Framework for Condominium Board Education

Effective September 3, 2026, revised Rule 61B-19.001, Florida Administrative Code, establishes the procedures used to administer Florida’s education requirements for residential condominium directors.

Section 718.112, Florida Statutes, creates the underlying certification and continuing education obligations; the revised rule defines important terms, establishes a uniform education year, regulates instructor approval and course delivery, identifies how directors document compliance, and assigns specific responsibilities to the association.

The following discussion focuses on the actions, definitions, and procedures established or clarified by the revised rule rather than repeating the broader statutory requirements.

Defines the Two Types of Education

The rule distinguishes between two forms of condominium director education:

• Board Member Certification, or BMC: The initial Division-approved course covering milestone inspections, structural integrity reserve studies, elections, recordkeeping and inspection of official records, financial literacy and transparency, levying fines, and notice and meeting requirements.

• Continuing Education, or CE: Ongoing education primarily focused on recent changes to Chapter 718 and applicable Division rules during the preceding education year.

This distinction matters because a course should be approved for the purpose for which the director intends to use it. A program may provide valuable information without qualifying as either BMC or annual CE

Establishes a Uniform “Education Year"

The rule defines an education year as the period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the following calendar year.

This creates a common compliance period for condominium director education rather than requiring each association to calculate a separate rolling year for every director.

The education year serves two principal purposes:

• It establishes the period in which annual CE must be completed; and
• It provides the unit by which the seven-year validity of a BMC certificate is measured.

Clarifies the Initial BMC Submission Window

The amended rule incorporates the statutory timing options for initial certification. A director may submit the BMC certificate:

• Within one year before being elected or appointed; or
• Within 90 days after being elected or appointed.

This means a candidate or prospective appointee may complete the approved course in advance. If the course was completed within the preceding year, the person does not need to wait until after joining the board to submit the certificate.

The rule also establishes a separate deadline when BMC renewal becomes necessary. The renewed certificate must be submitted within 90 days after the beginning of the education year in which renewal is required.

Because the education year begins July 1, this generally creates a renewal period beginning July 1 and extending for 90 days.

Measures BMC Validity by Seven Education Years

The rule provides that a completed BMC certificate is valid for seven education years, provided the director continues serving without interruption.

This is more specific than simply treating the certificate as valid for 84 months from its completion date. The rule measures validity through defined July 1–June 30 education years.

The association should therefore record:

• The certificate-completion date;
• The education year in which the certificate was completed;
• The director’s continuity of service; and
• The education year in which renewal will be required.

Because a certificate may be completed partway through an education year, associations should not automatically assume that every certificate remains valid for exactly seven full calendar years after the completion date.

Establishes the Annual CE Cycle

The rule requires a condominium director to complete at least one hour of CE during each education year in which the director does not complete BMC.

This provides a more workable compliance cycle:

• If the director completes BMC during an education year, the BMC course satisfies the education requirement for that education year.
• In each subsequent education year in which BMC is not completed, the director must complete at least one hour of qualifying CE.
• The CE certificate must be submitted on or before June 30, the final day of the applicable education year.

For example, if a director completes BMC in December 2026, that occurs during the July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027 education year. The director’s next annual education period would begin July 1, 2027, and the required CE would be due by June 30, 2028.

This clarification replaces the need to calculate annual CE solely from each director’s individual certificate-submission anniversary.

Assigns Responsibility to the Association Secretary

The rule makes the association secretary, or equivalent officer, responsible for:

• Ensuring director compliance with the education requirements; and
• Maintaining the association’s education records.

Directs the Board to Suspend a Noncompliant Director

If a director fails to satisfy an education requirement by the applicable deadline, the rule directs the board to suspend the director until the director becomes compliant.

During the suspension:

• The individual should not participate as a serving director;
• The board may temporarily fill the vacancy; and The suspension continues until the applicable requirement is satisfied.
• The suspension continues until the applicable requirement is satisfied.

The association should therefore have a procedure for identifying an approaching deadline and notifying the director before noncompliance results in suspension.

Requires Reasonable Steps to Verify Completion

Before issuing a certificate, an instructor must take reasonable steps to ensure that the participant satisfactorily completed the approved course in its entirety.

This standard recognizes that verification methods may differ based on how the course is delivered. A live classroom, live webinar, self-paced program, and hybrid course may use different verification procedures, but each must reasonably demonstrate complete participation.

Merely registering, signing in briefly, or receiving the course materials does not establish satisfactory completion.

Conclusion

Revised Rule 61B-19.001 transforms condominium director education into a more uniform and trackable compliance system. It establishes a July 1–June 30 education year, measures initial certification through seven education years of uninterrupted service, places annual CE on a common statewide cycle, defines instructor qualifications and verification responsibilities, and requires the association secretary to  monitor compliance and maintain the records.

For condominium boards, the practical direction is clear: use properly approved courses, preserve valid certificates, track education by the defined education year, monitor continuity of service, and address missed deadlines before they result in a director’s suspension.