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Interim Final Rule (IFR) and Personal Narrative FAQ

The information below covers some frequently asked questions about the Interim Final Rule (IFR) issued by USDOT in October 2025, and the Personal Narrative requirement to establish social disadvantage and maintain your certification in the DBE Program. Federal updates and additional IFR information can be found on the USDOT website.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for a glossary of terms and acronyms.

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Personal Narrative Guidelines

Re-evaluation Instructions

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Interim Final Rule (IFR) apply to businesses with OMWBE State Certification?

  • No. The IFR is a federal rule change affecting all DBE and ACDBE certified businesses. There are no new requirements for State Certification (MWBE, MBE, WBE, CBE, SEDBE, LGBTQBE, PWSBE) or Federal Small Business Enterprise (SBE) certification.
  • If your business is certified in both our State and Federal Certification programs, your federal DBE or ACDBE certification requires you to submit a re-evaluation application along with a Personal Narrative and current Personal Net Worth statement.
  • Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are not required to submit a Personal Narrative.

My business is headquartered outside of Washington state. Do I need to submit a re-evaluation application to OMWBE to keep my DBE or ACDBE certification?

  • No. If your business obtained DBE or ACDBE certification in another state, that is your Jurisdiction of Original Certification (JOC).
  • You must complete the re-evaluation process in your JOC first, then submit an Interstate Request application to OMWBE.

When is the deadline to submit my Re-evaluation Application to OMWBE?

  • February 4, 2026, marks the end of our 30-day timeframe to collect Personal Narratives and Personal Net Worth statements from DBE and ACDBE certified businesses.

Will my business be decertified as a DBE or ACDBE if I do not submit my re-evaluation application before Feb. 4, 2026?

  • No, your business will not be decertified for missing the deadline; however, DBEs and ACDBEs that do not submit a Re-evaluation Application will be delisted from our public directory and hidden from view.
  • If your annual DBE or ACDBE renewal date occurs after February 4, 2026, and you did not submit a Personal Narrative and updated Personal Net Worth statement to us—your business will not be eligible for renewal.

Who will evaluate my Personal Narrative?

  • OMWBE staff will evaluate all Personal Narratives submitted to us by Washington state DBEs and ACDBEs. We are following the process established by the IFR, which requires Unified Certification Programs (UCPs) like OMWBE to evaluate all submissions.

Is the Personal Narrative requirement different from a standard annual Declaration of Eligibility (DOE)?

  • Yes. The Personal Narrative requirement established by the IFR is different from your annual renewal. It does not change the federal requirement that DBE and ACDBEs must submit an annual Declaration of Eligibility (DOE) with your business’s most recent gross receipts. Renewing annually allows us to declare that your business meets the eligibility requirements for DBE or ACDBE certification.

Is there a connection between DBE and SBE certification?

  • SBE is a race- and gender-neutral certification, that does not rely on social disadvantage—just economic disadvantage. Firms that are certified as DBEs automatically meet the criteria for Federal SBE certification.
  • Federal SBE certification does not require a Personal Narrative statement. You will keep your SBE certification, even if you opt out of DBE certification.
  • SBE certification does not count towards DBE goals.

Can I opt out, if I do not want to submit a Personal Narrative?

  • Yes. We encourage every DBE and ACDBE owner to submit a Re-evaluation Application, but we recognize that some may want to be removed from the DBE or ACDBE programs instead. If you do not intend to submit a Re-evaluation Application and would rather be decertified from the DBE or ACDBE programs, please:

Will my Personal Narrative and Personal Net Worth statement become public record?

  • OMWBE follows all applicable state and federal laws for public records disclosure and confidentiality. When drafting your Personal Narrative, you may refer to job titles (i.e. “my supervisor”) or organizations (i.e. “a state agency”) rather than referring to them by name. Naming individuals or organizations is not necessary for OMWBE to evaluate your submission.
  • See CFR 49 § 26.109 and Chapter 42.56 RCW for details.

Technical Assistance Providers

OMWBE for IFR and Certification support:

Tabor 100 for IFR support:

APEX Accelerator for general DBE support:

Glossary of Terms & Acronyms

  • IFR - Interim Final Rule
  • UCP - Unified Certification Program
  • JOC - Jurisdiction of Original Certification
  • DOE - Declaration of Eligibility
  • PN - Personal Narrative
  • PNW - Personal Net Worth
  • DBE - Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
  • ACDBE - Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
  • SBE/FSBE - Federal Small Business Enterprise
  • SEDO - Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Owner
  • OMWBE - Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises
  • WSDOT - Washington State Department of Transportation
  • USDOT - United States Department of Transportation