DBE Certification and Re-evaluation in Alabama

What it's for

The Alabama Unified Certification Program (ALUCP) certifies Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) in Alabama. The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), through its Construction Bureau DBE Section, runs the program. DBE certification lets a firm count toward DBE goals on USDOT-funded contracts. ALDOT's page also covers the ACDBE (airport concessions) program. A full list of ALUCP member agencies was not found on the pages reviewed.

Where this state stands

• DOT's UCP status page lists Alabama's re-evaluation as not complete (page last updated Oct 2, 2026).
• How firms are contacted: ALDOT says it will "send informational packets to all Alabama home-state DBEs." Packets include a cover letter, affidavits, guides and the required forms.
• Due date: ALDOT's FAQ (issued Mar 31, 2026) does not set one. It notes UCPs "can set a date" for submissions. Watch your packet for a date.
• Federal deadline: UCPs must finish re-evaluations by Dec 24, 2026. DOT may grant one 90-day extension.
• Submitting: ALDOT accepts email submissions if all 3 years of tax documents are current and "the notary seal or stamp must be clearly visible."
• Narrative format: ALDOT published no page limit or template. Each owner of a multi-owner firm submits a separate narrative. DOT's FAQ says certifiers "must not enforce page limits, mandate topics, or impose any other limitations" on a narrative.
• DOT says the narrative is "a statement of the owner's own experiences," not a document "to be written by consultants."
• Until ALUCP finishes, DOT says recipients cannot count DBE participation toward DBE goals.

Have this ready

As listed by ALDOT for re-evaluation:

• Personal Narrative (PN) from each disadvantaged owner.
• Personal Net Worth (PNW) Statement, with tax information for the previous 3 years.
• Declaration of Eligibility (DOE), notarized.
• Tax returns showing gross receipts.

New applicants (per ALDOT's page):

• DBE/ACDBE Uniform Certification Application.
• PNW Statement for every disadvantaged owner.
• Personal Narrative.

Steps

Already certified (re-evaluation):

1. Look for ALDOT's informational packet. Read the cover letter for any due date.
2. Gather your PN, PNW Statement, 3 years of tax documents and a notarized DOE.
3. Email the package to DBEProgram@dot.state.al.us, or mail it to 1409 Coliseum Boulevard, Montgomery, AL 36110. Make sure the notary seal is readable.
4. Answer any follow-up request quickly.
5. The UCP decides. If denied, you may appeal under 49 CFR 26.89.

New applicants:

1. Download the application, DOE and checklist from https://www.aldot.gov/programs/DBE.html.
2. Complete the application, PNW Statement and PN.
3. Submit to ALUCP by email or mail (see contact above).

After you're certified

• File a new DOE every year on your certification anniversary, with gross receipts for your latest fiscal year (49 CFR 26.83).
• Report any material change within 30 days, with a signed DOE (49 CFR 26.83).
• Interstate certification: ALDOT links to a separate interstate page. Details were not reviewed.

Watch out for

• No Alabama due date was published. Don't wait: the UCP must finish by Dec 24, 2026.
• Federal deadline: a firm that still hasn't sent its narrative and net worth statement by Mar 24, 2027 gets a Notice of Decision disqualifying it (DOT final-rule FAQ, Q17 and Q22). Don't wait for that date.
• DOT says UCPs may not refuse or pause new applications during re-evaluation.
• Help from the UCP is free. Call (888) 297-5305.

What changed nationally, plus DOT's narrative and net worth checklists →

Sources

• www.transportation.gov/UCPstatus
• www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-19688
• www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2026-09/DBE_Final%20Rule_FAQs%2009-28-2026_0.pdf
• www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-26/subpart-E/section-26.83
• www.aldot.gov/programs/DBE.html
• wwwhost.dot.state.al.us/programs/pdf/DBE/ALDOT_DBEProgramReevaluationFAQs.pdf

FindMyBids isn't affiliated with USDOT or any certifying agency, and this isn't legal advice. Your state's UCP decides who qualifies. FindMyBids never writes personal narratives and never asks for your net worth figures.