DBE Certification and Re-evaluation in Maine

What it's for

The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) certifies all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) in Maine under 49 CFR Part 26. MaineDOT is also re-evaluating Maine-based Airport Concession DBEs (ACDBEs). DBE certification lets a firm count toward DBE goals on contracts paid for with U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) money.

Where this state stands

• DOT's UCP status page (updated Oct 2, 2026) shows Maine's re-evaluation is not yet complete.
• MaineDOT: "MaineDOT is conducting the reevaluation of Maine-based DBEs and ACDBEs in accordance with the U.S. Department of Transportation's revised DBE and ACDBE regulations." Its page notes "The Final Rule is effective September 25, 2026."
• MaineDOT's page does not give its own deadline, notice dates, or how it contacts firms. Check your email and contact Sherry Tompkins if you have not heard from MaineDOT.
• Where to submit: by mail or email to Sherry Tompkins at the MaineDOT Civil Rights Office (address above).
• Narrative format: MaineDOT publishes no page limit or template. It says the narrative must show disadvantage "by a preponderance of the evidence." DOT's final-rule FAQ, posted on MaineDOT's page, says "Certifiers must not enforce page limits, mandate topics, or impose any other limitations on an owner's PN outside of what is expressly permitted in the regulations."
• The federal rule says the narrative is "a statement of the owner's own experiences, not a technical or legally complex document to be written by consultants or legal experts."
• Federal deadlines (49 CFR 26.111, final rule Sep 25, 2026): UCPs must finish re-evaluations by Dec 24, 2026 (DOT may grant "a one-time extension of up to 90 days"). Firms that have not responded get a written notice of nonresponse and have until Mar 24, 2027 (or 90 days after a UCP's extended deadline) to submit, after which they are "automatically disqualified."

Have this ready

Re-evaluation (MaineDOT list, for each applicable owner):

• "A Personal Narrative (PN) of Social and Economic Disadvantage."
• "A current Personal Net Worth (PNW) Statement."
• "Any other financial information the owner considers relevant."

New applications (MaineDOT forms):

• Uniform Certification Application
• Declaration of Eligibility
• Personal Net Worth Statement
• Supporting Documents Checklist
• Personal narrative.

Steps

Already certified (re-evaluation):

1. Check your email for a MaineDOT notice. If none, contact sherry.tompkins@maine.gov or (207) 624-3066.
2. Write your personal narrative yourself, about your own experiences.
3. Complete a current PNW statement. Add any other financial information you consider relevant.
4. Email or mail both to: Maine Department of Transportation, Attn: Sherry Tompkins, Civil Rights Office, #16 State House Station, 24 Child Street, Augusta, ME 04333-0016.
5. Answer any follow-up. The UCP decides eligibility.

New applicants:

1. Download the four forms from MaineDOT's DBE page.
2. Gather the documents on the checklist and write your narrative.
3. Send everything to the Civil Rights Office by mail or email.
4. MaineDOT must decide within 90 days after it has all required information.

Firms certified in another state: send your home state's re-evaluation letter or an active directory screenshot (existing interstate firms), or a Declaration of Eligibility, a cover letter saying you are applying for interstate certification, and your home UCP directory image (new interstate applicants).

After you're certified

• Annual review: MaineDOT asks for a Declaration of Eligibility and "Proof of gross receipts for your company's most recently completed fiscal year, calculated on a cash basis." Cover letters must state the submission type and list all UCPs where you are certified.
• Report material changes within 30 days (49 CFR 26.83).
• Your annual DOE is separate from the re-evaluation, per DOT's FAQ.

Watch out for

• MaineDOT: "MaineDOT staff cannot draft, edit, or advise on narratives or financial statements, but can answer procedural questions." Procedural help is free.
• MaineDOT's directory is a PDF dated Oct 1, 2026. Check it to confirm your listing.
• Application fee: not published.
• This is a process guide, not legal advice. The UCP decides who qualifies.

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

Sources

• www.transportation.gov/UCPstatus
• www.maine.gov/dot/doing-business/civil-rights/dbe
• www.maine.gov/dot/sites/maine.gov.dot/files/inline-files/DBE%20and%20ACDBE%20Final%
• www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-19688
• www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-26/subpart-D/section-26.83
• www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-26/subpart-F/section-26.111

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.