DBE Certification and Re-evaluation in Georgia

What it's for

The Georgia Unified Certification Program (GUCP) certifies DBEs in Georgia. Two agencies certify: the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) statewide, and MARTA for Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties. DBE certification lets a firm count toward DBE goals on USDOT-funded contracts. ACDBE (airport concession) details were not found on the GDOT page reviewed.

Where this state stands

• DOT's UCP status page lists Georgia's re-evaluation as not complete (page last updated Oct 2, 2026).
• GDOT: "All currently certified state of Georgia DBE firms MUST submit a Personal Narrative (PN) and a Personal Net Worth (PNW) statement for reevaluation by December 24, 2026."
• GDOT: "Failure to submit the PN and PNW statement by the December 24, 2026 deadline will result in the firm's disqualification." GDOT's page also refers to the final rule's 180-day mark (Mar 24, 2027) for non-responsive firms.
• How firms are contacted: not stated on the page reviewed.
• Upload: GDOT's Personal Narrative Form web portal, which also holds the PNW statement. Each form page has a "help" button. The portal could not be checked (it blocks automated access).
• Narrative format: GDOT published no page limit or template outside its online form. 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."

Have this ready

As listed by GDOT:

• Personal Narrative (PN) Form, completed online by each disadvantaged owner.
• Personal Net Worth (PNW) Statement, completed within the same online form.
• Supporting documents GDOT requests.

Steps

Already certified (re-evaluation):

1. Go to https://applications.dot.ga.gov/team/eeo/dbe.
2. Each disadvantaged owner completes their own PN in the form. Use the "help" button on each page.
3. Complete the PNW section.
4. Submit before Dec 24, 2026.
5. Call the DBE Help Desk at (404) 631-1273 if you get stuck.
6. The UCP decides. GDOT says a decertified firm may appeal under 49 CFR 26.89.

New applicants:

1. GDOT's page says: "Georgia DOT is currently not accepting DBE Interstate applications or Uniform Certification applications." DOT says UCPs may not refuse new applications. Call (404) 631-1273 to ask how to apply.

After you're certified

• File a new Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) every year on your certification anniversary, with your latest gross receipts (49 CFR 26.83).
• Report any material change within 30 days, with a signed DOE (49 CFR 26.83).
• Interstate: GDOT is not accepting interstate applications right now.

Watch out for

• Dec 24, 2026 is GDOT's deadline. GDOT says missing it "will result in the firm's disqualification."
• 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. Ask GDOT how this applies to you.
• Free supportive services: GDOT links a DBE Supportive Services program (gadbesupport.com) and a DBE toolkit in English and Spanish. GDOT posted interim-rule webinars. Help from the UCP is free.

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.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/pages/DBE.aspx

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.