In 2025, CAI tracked legislation impacting community association manager licensing in eight states, Washington D.C., and at the federal level. With 2025 state legislative sessions officially adjourned CAI is pleased to report no legislation negatively impacting community association manager licensing requirements or regulations was passed due to our legislative action committees and advocacy initiatives.

Occupational or professional licensing, also called licensure, is a legal requirement and a form of government regulation requiring a license to pursue a particular profession for compensation. Government regulation of professions is typically at the state or province level, which requires earning a credential or passing an exam to practice a profession. The regulations theoretically exist to protect consumers being served by their respective profession.

CAI supports educated and competent community managers through its education and designation programs. CAI does not support state licensing of community association managers for a variety of reasons. The substantial costs associated with licenses create higher consumer prices, a barrier to entry into a labor market already strained, and a governmental tendency to rely on unrelated subject-matter experts to develop the competency assessment (exam) for community managers.

The current political trend for occupational licensing is licensing reform, which requires states to defend their licensing laws, amend licensing laws to support individuals with a criminal record to reenter the labor market, and reciprocity of licenses from state to state.

Currently Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, and Virginia require a license to practice as a community association manager. California has a voluntary licensure program that requires certain standards for private certifications like CAI’s and the Community Association Managers International Certification Board’s certifications and credentials including the Certified Manager of Community Association (CMCA®) certification and CAI’s Professional Community Association Managers (PCAM®) designation, etc. Click here to view each of these states’ regulations.

2025 State Legislative Landscape Report

In 2025, seven states and the District of Columbia addressed community association manager licensing:

California AB 519 – This legislation requires licensing of community association managers as real estate brokers.

Status: CAI’s California Legislative Action Committee successfully opposed this legislation and continues to monitor the issue and engage and lead ongoing conversations with legislators and stakeholders.

District of Columbia B25 0639/B16-0156 – This legislation requires the licensing of community association managers as property managers under D.C.’s real estate commission.

Status: CAI’s District of Columbia Legislative Action Committee did not pass in 2025 and will be carried over into the 2026 legislative session.

Hawaii HB 252/HB 591/SB 801 – This legislation requires managing agents for residential condominium properties over 75 feet in height to have commercial property management experience.

Status: CAI’s Hawaii Legislative Action Committee opposed this legislation for not aligning with CAI’s manager licensing public policy. These bills will be carried over into the 2026 legislative session.

Hawaii HB 1447/SB 1623 – This legislation required individual managing agents and employees of entity managing agents to be licensed and imposes certain duties on these individuals.

Status: CAI’s Hawaii Legislative Action Committee opposed this legislation for not aligning with CAI’s manager licensing public policy. These bills will be carried over into the 2026 legislative session.

Hawaii HB 1312 – This legislation created regulations for requirements for association managers who oversee daily operations of a condominium unit owners’ association. It will require licensure of association managers by the Real Estate Commission beginning July 1, 2027.

Status: CAI’s Hawaii Legislative Action Committee opposed this legislation for not aligning with CAI’s manager licensing public policy. This bill will be carried over into the 2026 legislative session.

Hawaii HB 475 – This legislation created regulation requirements for managers of homeowners associations, planned community associations, cooperative housing corporations, and condominium unit owners associations. It would require licensure of association managers beginning July 1, 2027, and establish an association manager licensing board within the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Status: CAI’s Hawaii Legislative Action Committee opposed this legislation for not aligning with CAI’s manager licensing public policy. This bill will be carried over into the 2026 legislative session.

Indiana HB 105 – This legislation requires a person who manages property on behalf of a homeowners association to obtain a broker license. It also provided that a managing broker that works for a person who manages property on behalf of a homeowners association is not subject to a two-year licensing prerequisite until June 30, 2028, if certain conditions are met.

Status: CAI’s Indiana Legislative Action Committee successfully opposed this legislation, which died upon adjournment.

Maryland HB 303 – This legislation requires the licensing of community association managers and does not recognize CAMICB or CAI credentials. It created a financial burden on managers and consumers and is a barrier to entry within the profession.

Status: CAI’s Maryland Legislative Action Committee opposed this bill, which died upon adjournment.

Montana HJ 55 – This legislation creates a study committee for property manager licensing to gather stakeholders from across industry sectors to review the current state of Montana’s property licensure program for rental property managers. CAI monitored this legislation closely to ensure the legislative language was not amended to run counter to CAI’s licensing public policy.

Status: This bill passed and ended up not directly impacting community association manager licensing.

New Jersey A 2450 – This legislation requires licensure of community management entities that contract to conduct management services for planned real estate development associations.

Status: CAI’s New Jersey Legislative Action Committee negotiated language within this bill to better align with CAI’s public policy during its 2024-2025 legislative session. This legislation did not pass.

New York SB 71 – This legislation required residential real property managers or any firm employing a property manager, contracting with a property manager, or contracting to provide a property manager to file a registration statement with the secretary of state and to be certified from an approved certifying organization. This legislation did not align with CAI public policy.

Status: CAI’s New York Legislative Action Committee opposed this legislation, which was not passed during the 2025 legislative session. This legislation will be carried over into the 2026 legislative session.

Utah HB 337 – Property Manager Licensing. CAI’s Utah Legislative Action Committee successfully amended Utah’s property manager licensing law to fully exempt all community association managers from these licensing requirements. Previously, the law was vague, and it was unclear if homeowners association and condominium managers were exempt from these requirements.

Status: Successfully amended by CAI’s Utah Legislative Action Committee and passed.

2025 Federal Legislative Report

Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (H.R. 1151/S. 756). This legislation allows the use of funds in a qualified tuition program, commonly known as a 529 account, to pay expenses associated with obtaining or maintaining recognized postsecondary credentials like the CMCA certification.

Status: The bill was strategically amended into H.R. 1 in 2025 and successfully passed on July 4. Implementation continues to be developed by the IRS and Congress, with more information to come in the coming months. Learn more about this education financing opportunity here.

Click here to review current state and federal legislation impacting community association manager licensing.