Civil Rights

ⓘ Announcement on the DBE Program

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Office of Civil Rights (OCR), is committed to expanding opportunities for Small Business (SB), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) firms in federal- and state-funded contracting and procurement.

Under the new Federal DBE regulations (IFR issued October 3, 2025), certifications must now be based on individualized demonstrations of social and economic disadvantage, with no reliance on race- or sex-based presumptions. All currently certified DBE/ACDBE firms will be reevaluated under these standards, and those that do not meet the new criteria may be decertified. During the reevaluation period, recipients may not set DBE contract goals nor count DBE participation toward goals.

Caltrans is working with the Unified Certification Program agencies to reprocess the more than 6000 DBEs as soon as practicable. DBE firms will be contacted by their certifying agency regarding additional requirements to get recertified.

OCR ensures non-discrimination in the execution of contracts and promotes positive external customer relations. Contact Civil Rights

Important Notice for DBE Firms - Cybersecurity and Reevaluation Scams

DBE firms are advised not to click on any links, open attachments, or respond to emails, texts or messages that request information about the DBE reevaluation process unless they clearly come from your official certifying agency (for example, Caltrans or another CUCP member).

Official correspondence about DBE reevaluation will be sent directly from your certifying agency using its normal, verified communication channels. If you receive a suspicious message, do not respond or provide any personal, financial, or business related information. Instead, contact your certifying agency using the phone number or email address listed on its official website to verify authenticity of the communication. 

Please practice strong cybersecurity awareness to protect your firm from phishing attempts and fraud.