In Illinois, community association management is a state-licensed profession regulated by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Individuals who hold themselves out as providing community association management services generally must be licensed as a Community Association Manager (CAM), unless an exemption applies under Illinois law.
When selecting a management firm for your association, the first threshold issue is whether the firm is properly licensed. Just as important is confirming that the specific manager assigned to your association—and any designated backup—also holds the required individual license.
1) The Management firm must be a Licensed (Community Association Management Firm)
Illinois requires Community Association Management Firms engaging in the business of community association management to be licensed, effective June 2, 2023.
A licensed firm must have a Designated Community Association Manager (DCAM) responsible for supervision of the firm’s community association management activities. The DCAM role exists to ensure there is a licensed, accountable professional responsible for oversight and compliance.
2) The individual manager must be licensed (CAM)
A Community Association Manager (CAM) is an individual license issued by IDFPR. Illinois’ licensing framework includes baseline eligibility and education requirements (for example, minimum age and required pre-licensing coursework).
Why this matters: If someone is performing CAM work without the required Illinois license, the association may have fewer practical protections—and less leverage through IDFPR’s disciplinary and enforcement process—than it would if the work is being performed by properly licensed professionals.
3) How to verify a license (do this before signing or renewing a contract)
Boards and owners can verify licensure through the State’s official tools:
- Use the IDFPR License Lookup / Check License pages to confirm the manager’s CAM status and (if applicable) the firm’s license status.
- Require license information as part of the RFP. Request the full legal name and license number for:
- the management firm
- the assigned manager, and
- any backup manager(s) who may conver your property.
- Then confirm each license is active and in good standing (not inactive, expired, suspended, or non-renewed).
- Check for disciplinary history. Review IDFPR disciplinary information for both the firm and the individual licensees. Public listings generally identify whether discipline occurred only but this should be sufficient to accept or deny the firm or individual.
4) “Certifications” are not the same as an Illinois license
Some managers and firms advertise professional credentials from private industry organizations. These may be meaningful as training signals, but they are not a substitute for an Illinois CAM license and do not confer legal authority to provide community association management services in Illinois. They also do not, by themselves, verify that a person or firm is qualified to manage a property.
Practical takeaway: Treat certifications as “nice to have,” but verify the state license first. Do not sign a contract with a firm that only advertises alternative certifications and cannot be verified through IDFPR as properly licensed.