DBE Certification and Re-evaluation in Puerto Rico

What it's for

The Puerto Rico Unified Certification Program (PR UCP) certifies Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) in Puerto Rico. The Civil Rights Office (Oficina de Derechos Civiles) of the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT) is the main certifier. Other UCP certifiers named in official documents are the Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA), Aerostar Airport Holdings and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority. DBE certification lets a firm count toward DBE goals on USDOT-funded contracts. The Ports Authority also runs an ACDBE (airport concession) program.

Where this state stands

• DOT's UCP status page shows Puerto Rico's re-evaluation as not complete (page last updated Oct 2, 2026). DOT lists ACT's Civil Rights Office DBE page as the lead UCP website.
• We couldn't verify that page. It did not load for us because of a security-certificate error on the site.
• No Puerto Rico notice dates, deadlines, narrative format rules or upload steps could be verified. Ask the ACT Civil Rights Office directly.
• Federal deadlines (final rule, effective Sep 25, 2026): UCPs must finish re-evaluations by Dec 24, 2026, with one possible three-month extension. Firms that haven't submitted by Mar 24, 2027 are disqualified (DOT final-rule FAQ, Q17 and Q22).
• Under the federal rule, owners must submit a personal narrative (PN) and a personal net worth (PNW) statement. DOT says the PN "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

Puerto Rico's own list couldn't be verified. Under the federal rule, expect:

• Personal narrative (PN) written by the disadvantaged owner.
• Personal net worth (PNW) statement on the DOT form.
• Any supporting records the UCP asks for.

Steps

Already certified (re-evaluation):

1. Check your mail and email for a re-evaluation notice from the ACT Civil Rights Office or your certifying agency.
2. If you haven't received one, call the ACT Civil Rights Office at (787) 721-8787, ext. 51740 or 51741, and ask what it needs from you and by when.
3. Prepare your PN and PNW.
4. Submit them the way the office tells you. Keep copies.
5. The UCP decides.

New applicants:

1. Contact the ACT Civil Rights Office (or AMA, Aerostar or the Ports Authority for transit or airport work) to get the current application and instructions.
2. Complete the application, including the PN and PNW.
3. Answer any follow-up questions quickly.

After you're certified

• Federal rules require a new Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) every year on your certification anniversary, with your latest gross receipts (49 CFR 26.83). Puerto Rico's own steps couldn't be verified.
• Report material changes within 30 days, with a signed DOE (49 CFR 26.83).
• Interstate certification: not addressed on the pages we could read.

Watch out for

• The contact details above come from a June 2024 ACT brochure. They may have changed. Confirm before relying on them.
• ACDBE (airport concession) questions: the Ports Authority's liaison is listed at (787) 729-8715, ext. 2269 or 2364 (date of that document not published).
• Help from the UCP is free.

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.federalregister.gov/d/2026-19688
• www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-26/subpart-E/section-26.83
• act.dtop.pr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2BROCHURE-DBE_.pdf
• docs.pr.gov/files/Puertos/Avisos/Avisos%20Individuales/Puerto%20Rico%20Ports%20Au

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.