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So  I am being told 1 or 2 years ago the FCC changed the way APs are certified.  That the manufactures certs the APs for either indoor or outdoor.  Can anyone confirm this? 

Does this mean an indoor AP can NOT be used outdoors?  Or does it mean a professional has to install it to meet the FCC outdoor rules (power and channels)?

thanks

You have probably seen this page already : 

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps272/data_sheet_c78-647116_ps8368_Products_Data_Sheet.html

Other countries have similar restrictions - and all together they can be a problem for manufacturers, and VAR's.

I forgot to mention that the FCC probably doesn't care where you "mount" the AP, as long as you don't use it in the wrong frequency range, or power, level for its location.   It is true that certain AP's cannot be sold here, but anything else should be fine.

Obviously nearby airports and military installations, etc. have special concerns.

I wouldn't advise putting indoor only AP's (i.e. most SOHO devices) outdoors, just from a weather point of view.  

Under some conditions NEMA rated enclosures may help in these locations.