CPO Certification in Florida
Florida requires anyone who services a public pool to be certified through a Department of Health approved course. The PHTA CPO is on that list.
Florida regulates public pools under Chapter 514 of the Florida Statutes and Chapter 64E-9 of the Florida Administrative Code. Rule 64E-9.018 covers the people who look after the pool: anyone who services a public pool by maintaining its cleanliness, water quality and chemical balance “shall be certified.”
Certification has to come from a course the Department of Health approves. The DOH list includes the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPO) Certification Program, along with a handful of others such as NRPA’s Aquatic Facility Operator.
Permits and inspections run through your county Department of Health office. If you are not sure whether your pool counts as a public pool, that office is the one to ask.
One online course and one live test day.
You do the PHTA CPO Fusion coursework online at your own pace, about 6 hours for most people, then join Samuel on Zoom for one live test day. Test days run every Tuesday and Saturday at 9:00 AM Pacific (noon Eastern (11 AM in the Central-time Panhandle)). Pass the 50-question exam and Samuel issues your certificate the same day from the PHTA instructor portal. It is good for five years.
The DOH list marks one course on it as classroom only. The PHTA CPO program carries no such restriction, and the card you earn online is the same PHTA CPO card a classroom student gets.
$395 covers the course, the printed PHTA handbook, the live test day, the proctored exam, the certification, two retakes proctored by Samuel (PHTA charges $75 per retake), a free copy of The Pool Operator Playbook, and lifetime access to the CPO PRO operator community.
Get certified from Florida.
$395 all-in. Certificate the day you pass.
Sources. Last reviewed September 22, 2026. This page summarizes public rules and is not legal advice. Local health departments can add their own requirements, so confirm with yours.