Florida Statutes 718.112(2)(d): Condominium Director Certification and Education

Quick Answer

Under section 718.112(2)(d)5.b. of the Florida Statutes, every director of a residential condominium association must file a written certification that he or she has read the governing documents and a certificate of completing a division-approved course of at least four hours. New directors must file within 1 year before or 90 days after election or appointment, and everyone must complete one hour of continuing education each year after that. A director who does not file on time is suspended from the board until he or she complies. The requirement comes from 2024 House Bill 1021, effective July 1, 2024.

At a Glance

What the Law Says

A director of a residential condominium association must:

• Certify in writing to the secretary that he or she has read the declaration of condominium, articles of incorporation, bylaws and current written policies, will "work to uphold such documents and policies to the best of his or her ability," and will "faithfully discharge his or her fiduciary responsibility to the association's members."
• Submit an educational certificate showing satisfactory completion of the curriculum administered by the Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes 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 rules in the statute:

• A newly elected or appointed director must file both items "within 1 year before being elected or appointed or 90 days after the date of election or appointment."
• A director elected or appointed before July 1, 2024 had to comply by June 30, 2025.
• The certification and certificate are valid for 7 years after issuance and "do not have to be resubmitted as long as the director serves on the board without interruption during the 7-year period."
• One year after the most recent submission, "and annually thereafter," the director must submit a certificate of at least 1 hour of continuing education from the division or an approved provider on recent changes to chapter 718 and the related rules during the past year.
• A developer-appointed director may use an earlier educational certificate for any later developer appointment to a board within 7 years of the most recent certificate, including after a break in service or an appointment in another association.

Consequences and records: a director who fails to file on time "is suspended from service on the board until he or she complies," and the board "may temporarily fill the vacancy." The secretary must keep each director's certification and certificate for inspection by members for 7 years after election or for the director's uninterrupted tenure, whichever is longer.

Other eligibility rules in the same paragraph

Paragraph (2)(d)3. contains the eligibility and term rules that often come up with certification:

• A board member "may not serve more than 8 consecutive years unless approved by an affirmative vote of unit owners representing two-thirds of all votes cast in the election" or unless there are not enough eligible candidates. Only service on or after July 1, 2018 counts toward the limit. This does not limit terms on nonresidential or timeshare condominium boards.
• A person suspended or removed by the division, or delinquent in any assessment, is not eligible to be a candidate. A person is delinquent if a payment is not made by the due date in the governing documents (or the first day of the assessment period if none is identified).
• A person convicted of a felony is ineligible unless civil rights have been restored for at least 5 years.
• In residential condominium associations of more than 10 units (or without timeshare units), co-owners of a unit may not serve on the board at the same time unless they own more than one unit or there are not enough eligible candidates.

What This Means in Practice

For boards

The secretary is the filing point. Build a director file for each seat with the signed certification, the course certificate and the issue date, and diary two dates: the 7-year expiration and the annual one-hour update. A newly elected director has until 90 days after election, but a certificate dated up to one year before election also counts.

A missed filing triggers suspension, not invalidity. The statute says that lacking the paperwork "does not affect the validity of any board action." The board can temporarily fill the seat during the suspension.

For owners and candidates

A candidate can complete the course before running. Check that the provider is the division or division-approved. Members may inspect the certification file for 7 years.

Open questions (our reading)

• The Senate summary of House Bill 1021 says directors (except timeshare) must certify on a division-provided form that all directors have met the certification and education requirements. We did not locate that provision in section 718.112(2)(d); it may sit in another section. We do not describe its mechanics here.
• We did not read the Division's rule on approved courses. Confirm the current approved-provider list.
• The history line of section 718.112 also lists chapter 2025-175 and chapter 2026-14 as later amendments. We read the current text as it stands but did not trace what those chapters changed in this paragraph.

Timeline

Related Florida Law

• 2024 House Bill 1021
• Section 720.3033: HOA director certification.
• Rule 61B-19.001
• Section 718.112 overview
• Florida chapter 718 overview
• Florida HOA laws complete guide

Board Checklist

• List every sitting director and the date of each certification and course certificate.
• Collect any missing written certifications and certificates at once.
• Diary each director's 7-year expiration and annual one-hour update.
• Have the secretary retain the file for inspection by members.
• Tell candidates about the 1-year-before and 90-days-after window.
• If a director misses the deadline, document the suspension and any temporary appointment in the minutes.
• Track the 8-year term limit using service from July 1, 2018 forward.
• Check assessment delinquency before accepting a candidate's notice of intent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours of training must a Florida condo director complete?

At least 4 hours for the initial educational curriculum, then at least 1 hour each year on recent changes to chapter 718 and the related rules.

How long is the certificate good for?

Seven years after issuance, with no need to resubmit as long as the director serves without interruption, subject to the annual one-hour update.

What happens if a director does not file the certification?

The director is suspended from service on the board until compliance, and the board may temporarily fill the seat.

Do board decisions become invalid if a director has no certificate on file?

No. The statute says failure to have the certification and certificate on file "does not affect the validity of any board action."

When did directors already on the board need to comply?

By June 30, 2025, for directors elected or appointed before July 1, 2024.

Does this apply to HOA boards?

No. Section 718.112 covers condominium associations. HOA directors have a certification under section 720.3033, which section 720.303 references for website posting.

Is there a term limit for condo directors?

Yes, for residential condominium boards: 8 consecutive years unless two-thirds of votes cast approve or there are not enough eligible candidates, counting service from July 1, 2018 on.

Where This Comes From

We read the full text and history line of section 718.112 in the 2026 Florida Statutes (section 718.112), the Florida Senate's bill page for CS/CS/CS/HB 1021 (2024) and its bill summary. Quotations are from the statute text. We did not read the Division's rules.

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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.