Missed the May 1 PMTP Deadline? What California Park Managers Must Do Now
If your park missed the May 1, 2026 Park Manager Training Program (PMTP) deadline, the answer is simple: get a certified manager in place now, because compliance did not become optional when the date passed — it became overdue. Under California Code of Regulations, Title 25, Division 1, Chapter 2.3 and Health and Safety Code section 18876.1, every mobilehome and RV park in the state must have at least one HCD-certified, trained manager. The deadline came and went on May 1. The requirement did not.
Here is what most park owners and operators are realizing this summer: the consequences of non-compliance are no longer hypothetical. They are now tied directly to your park's annual permit to operate. If you are behind, this is the month to fix it.
The Deadline Passed — But the Requirement Is Permanent
A lot of operators treated May 1 as a one-time hurdle. It was not. The PMTP standard is an ongoing condition of running a mobilehome park in California, established by Senate Bill 869, which created the Mobilehome and Recreational Vehicle Park Manager Training Act. At least one person per park must hold a valid HCD park manager certification at all times.
That means three groups of operators are out of compliance right now: parks that never started the training, parks whose only certified manager has left, and parks that assumed an exemption applied without filing the paperwork to claim it. All three carry the same exposure. The clock that started May 1 is still running, and it now runs against your permit, not toward a future date.
How Non-Compliance Threatens Your Permit to Operate
This is the part that changes the math. Local Enforcement Agencies and HCD verify that a park has a certified manager as part of the annual permit-to-operate process. No certified manager, no clean permit. A park's permit to operate can be suspended for failure to meet PMTP requirements — and suspension is not a quiet administrative note. It is the legal authority to run your park.
The financial penalties stack on top. Once HCD issues a notice of non-compliance, management generally has 60 days to comply before civil penalties apply. Separately, late permit-to-operate applications carry escalating fees: a permit submitted 30 days past due is increased by 10 percent of the established fee, and one submitted 60 or more days late is increased by 100 percent — double. For a multi-park portfolio, those increases compound fast. The cost of certifying a manager is a rounding error next to a doubled permit fee or a suspended permit.
The Fastest Path Back to Compliance
Good news: catching up is measured in days, not months. The initial PMTP course runs 6 to 8 hours, followed by a 50-question exam requiring 75 percent to pass. That is a single focused day of work for one manager. Continuing education is light — 2 to 4 hours every two years — so this is a one-time lift that keeps your park clean going forward.
A few rules to get right while you catch up:
New hires must comply by May 1, 2026, or within one year of their hire date, whichever is later — so a manager hired this spring may still have runway, but do not assume it.
Multi-park operators train a manager once; the HCD submission is then coordinated per park, so one certified manager can cover a portfolio efficiently.
The real estate license exemption still exists for managers holding an active California real estate license — but it is not automatic. You must file for the Certificate of Exemption and keep it posted. An unclaimed exemption is the same as no exemption in an audit.
Every park also pays a $350 annual HCD Certificate of Compliance or Exemption fee, collected alongside permit-to-operate fees. Budget for it now so it is not a surprise at renewal.
If you are unsure whether a training provider counts, verify it against HCD's official approved-provider list before you pay. California manufactured housing compliance only counts when the certification comes from an HCD-approved source — an impressive-looking website is not the same thing as HCD approval.
Get Certified Fast With The MH Trainer
The MH Trainer is an HCD-approved education provider (Provider No. ED 1618575) built to get California park managers compliant quickly and correctly. The Park Manager Training Program is taught by Yvette Hitchens — a California-licensed real estate broker, ARELLO-credentialed CDEI instructor, and nearly 30-year veteran of the manufactured housing industry. You enroll instantly, complete the course and exam, and we notify HCD electronically so your certificate is issued without you chasing paperwork.
No membership is required, there is no waiting list, and the mobilehome park regulations are explained by someone who has spent three decades inside this industry — not read about it. If you missed the deadline, this is the fastest, most reliable way back to good standing. Enroll in the Park Manager Training Program at themhtrainer.com/courses.
Don't Let a Missed Date Become a Suspended Permit
A missed PMTP deadline is a problem you can solve this week. A suspended permit to operate is a problem that can shut down your park. The gap between those two outcomes is one certified manager and a single day of training. California's manufactured housing rules are not getting looser, and Title 25 enforcement through the permit-to-operate process is now the mechanism that makes them real.
If you have questions about where your park stands, what the exemption requires, or how to certify managers across a portfolio, reach out at themhtrainer.com. Nearly 30 years in this industry has taught me one thing above all: compliance is the floor, not the ceiling — and getting there is always cheaper than the alternative.
