Yes and no. Property management companies or a company that sells or rents property on behalf of another must be licensed. Anyone dealing with the public in the renting or leasing property in the state must have a valid license issued by the state.
Bookkeepers, handymen, and strictly office staff do not need a license. Anyone talking about terms and conditions and pricing needs a license. Surprisingly, companies engaged in the management of homeowner associations do not currently need a license, nor do any of their employees.
Certification is being talked about, and at some point, it may be a required form of professionalism soon. But right now, no license of any kind is necessary. Two agencies provide training in the homeowner association field, one California based only, and the other is nationwide. The California based organization is called the California Association of Community Managers, while the national organization is called the Community Association Institute. Both hold classes followed by exams for property management companies. CACM, as the state entity is called, offers one professional designation, the CCAM, while the national entity offers three levels of certification.
