DBE Certification and Re-evaluation in Kansas

What it's for

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is the lead agency for DBE certification in Kansas, per DOT's UCP status page. DBE certification lets a firm count toward DBE goals on contracts paid for with U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) money. Whether KDOT also certifies Airport Concession DBEs (ACDBEs), and which other agencies take part: couldn't verify.

Note: KDOT's DBE page returned an access error (403) when we tried to read it on 2026-10-03. Most Kansas-specific details below are marked "couldn't verify." Check the KDOT DBE page directly.

Where this state stands

• DOT's UCP status page (updated Oct 2, 2026) shows Kansas' re-evaluation is not yet complete.
• KDOT's notice dates, deadlines, how it contacts firms, and its narrative format rules: couldn't verify.
• Federal deadlines (final rule, published 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 send the narrative and PNW statement. After that they are "automatically disqualified" (49 CFR 26.111). DOT's final-rule FAQ (Q17, Q22) says the same.
• The federal rule says the personal 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."

Have this ready

Federal requirements (Kansas-specific checklist couldn't be verified):

• Personal narrative (PN) describing the owner's own social and economic disadvantage.
• Current Personal Net Worth (PNW) statement on the USDOT form.
• New applicants: the Uniform Certification Application and the supporting documents KDOT asks for.

KDOT's FAQ page lists a personal net worth limit of "under $2.047 million, excluding equity in the applicant business and the owner's primary residence." The UCP decides eligibility.

Steps

Already certified (re-evaluation):

1. Check your email for notices from KDOT's Office of Civil Rights Compliance.
2. Visit the KDOT DBE page for KDOT's instructions and portal link.
3. Write your personal narrative yourself and complete a current PNW statement.
4. Submit the way KDOT directs, by the date in your notice.
5. Answer any follow-up. The UCP decides eligibility.

New applicants:

1. Get the application and checklist from the KDOT DBE page.
2. Include the personal narrative and PNW statement.
3. KDOT must decide within 90 days after it has all required information.

After you're certified

• Federal rules require a new Declaration of Eligibility every year on your certification anniversary.
• Report material changes within 30 days (49 CFR 26.83).
• Interstate certification: couldn't verify KDOT's process.

Watch out for

• Kansas has not finished re-evaluation. Respond to any KDOT notice promptly; under the final rule, firms that have not submitted by Mar 24, 2027 face automatic disqualification.
• KDOT's FAQ page says KDOT-certified DBEs are eligible for supportive services; it names Motsinger CPA Tax & Accounting (Lawrence, KS) as the main provider (current status unverified). Your narrative must still be your own.
• Help from the UCP is free. Application fee: couldn't verify.
• 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/sites/dot.gov/files/2026-09/DBE_Final%20Rule_FAQs%2009-28-2026_0.pdf
• www.transportation.gov/UCPstatus
• www.ksdot.gov/about/our-organization/divisions/chief-counsel/civil-rights-complianc
• www.ksdot.gov/about/advanced-components/list-detail-pages/faq-list
• 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.