Florida Rule 61B-19.001 (2026): Condominium Director Certification and Education Courses

Quick Answer

Florida Administrative Code Rule 61B-19.001, "Board Member Certification and Continuing Education Courses," is the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes rule on how education providers file and get approved for courses that condominium directors take. A new version took effect September 3, 2026. The Division's May 2026 notice says it implements section 718.112(2)(d)5.b.(II) and adds a requirement that the Division provide approved providers "a template certificate to issue to board of director members who have satisfactorily completed requirements."

We could not read the rule's text (the register posts it as a Word file that would not load). This page covers the rule's record, the Division's stated purpose, and the statute the rule implements. Read the rule on flrules.org before relying on any detail.

At a Glance

What the Rule Record Shows

The history note reads "New 12-10-09, Amended 2-15-15, 9-3-26." The register's table shows:

• August 21, 2025 (Vol. 51/163), development notice: amendments to "update the rule generally" and implement the board election and education provisions of section 718.112(2)(d).
• May 22, 2026 (Vol. 52/100), notice of proposed rule: comments May 22 to June 12, 2026. The purpose states the amendments implement section 718.112(2)(d)5.b.(II) "which addresses requirements for elections of the board of directors for condominiums, including educational and training programs [per HB 1021 (ch. 2024-244)]." The summary says the rule "sets forth the provider filing curriculum for educational and training programs for members of condominium boards."
• June 25, 2026, 1:30 p.m.: public meeting on the proposed amendments (noticed June 16, 2026).
• July 23, 2026 (Vol. 52/142): a notice of change titled "Provider Filing and Curriculum for Educational and Training Programs."
• September 3, 2026: final rule effective.

The Statute Behind the Rule

Section 718.112(2)(d)5.b. of the 2026 Florida Statutes sets the director requirements the rule's courses serve. A director of a residential condominium association shall:

• Certify in writing to the secretary that he or she "has read the association's declaration of condominium, articles of incorporation, bylaws, and current written policies," will work to uphold them, and will "faithfully discharge his or her fiduciary responsibility."
• Submit a certificate of having "satisfactorily completed the educational curriculum administered by the division or a division-approved condominium education provider." The curriculum "must be at least 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."

Timing and renewal, per the same text:

• A newly elected or appointed director must submit the written certification and educational certificate "within 1 year before being elected or appointed or 90 days after the date of election or appointment."
• Directors elected or appointed before July 1, 2024 had to comply by June 30, 2025.
• The certification and certificate are valid for 7 years and need not be resubmitted if the director serves without interruption.
• One year after the most recent submission, "and annually thereafter," a director must submit a certificate of at least 1 hour of continuing education on recent changes to chapter 718 and related administrative rules during the past year.
• A director who fails to timely file "is suspended from service on the board until he or she complies." The board may temporarily fill the vacancy. The association retains each director's certification for inspection by members for 7 years after election or the length of uninterrupted tenure, whichever is longer, and a missing certificate "does not affect the validity of any board action."

Section 718.501(1)(k) directs the Division to provide training and education for board members, allows it to review and approve provider programs and keep a list of approved providers, says the Division "shall provide the division-approved provider with the template certificate for issuance directly to the association's board of directors who have satisfactorily completed the requirements," and says the Division "shall adopt rules to implement this section." That template-certificate sentence matches the new requirement described in the Division's May 2026 notice.

What This Means in Practice

For boards

Our reading: the rule is aimed mostly at course providers (filing, curriculum, certificates), but directors depend on it because only a certificate from the Division or a division-approved provider satisfies the statute. Before a director pays for a course, confirm the provider is on the Division's approved list, and ask that the certificate be issued in the Division's template form once providers receive it.

For owners

The statute lets members inspect each director's certification and certificate for the retention period. Owners who want to verify compliance can ask to see them.

Open questions

• The final rule's content: curriculum filing steps, provider renewal, and how the Form CO 6000-12 is used.
• What the July 23, 2026 notice of change altered from the May proposal.
• Whether directors who hold certificates issued before September 3, 2026 need to do anything. The statute says certificates are valid for 7 years, and we found nothing in the sources that says otherwise.

Timeline

Related Florida Law

• Section 718.112: director certification and education
• Rule 61B-19.004: HOA director education
• Section 720.3033: HOA director education and duties
• HB 1021 (2024): condominium reform
• Chapter 718: the Condominium Act
• Florida HOA laws complete guide

Board Checklist

• Read Rule 61B-19.001 on flrules.org.
• Confirm each current director has a valid written certification and educational certificate on file with the secretary.
• Check the date of each certificate against the 7-year validity period.
• Diary the annual 1-hour continuing education certificate for each director.
• Use only the Division or a division-approved provider for courses.
• Retain certificates for at least 7 years or the length of the director's uninterrupted tenure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rule 61B-19.001?

A Division rule on provider filing and curriculum for condominium board member education, titled "Board Member Certification and Continuing Education Courses."

When did the latest version take effect?

September 3, 2026.

How long is the required director course?

The statute says at least 4 hours, with listed topics including milestone inspections, structural integrity reserve studies and elections.

How often must directors take continuing education?

Annually, at least 1 hour on recent changes to chapter 718 and related rules, starting one year after the most recent submission, per section 718.112(2)(d)5.b.

What if a director misses the deadline?

The director is suspended from service on the board until he or she complies. Board actions remain valid.

Does this rule cover HOA directors?

No. HOA directors are covered by section 720.3033 and Rule 61B-19.004.

Where This Comes From

We read the Florida Administrative Rules page for Rule 61B-19.001 (history notes, notice table), the Notice of Proposed Rule dated May 22, 2026, the 2026 text of section 718.112 on the Legislature's website, and the 2025 text of section 718.501 on the Florida Senate's website (the 2026 version did not load; confirm it is unchanged). The rule's text did not load. Official page: flrules.org, Rule 61B-19.001.

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Legal disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and associations differ. Confirm the current statute text and how it applies to your governing documents with a licensed Florida attorney before acting.