Wisconsin expands recertification process for DBE firms

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is expanding the United Certification Program to help recertify Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms both inside and outside of the state.

The state wants to recertify DBE firms after the U.S. Department of Transportation revoked certification for firms across the U.S. and stripped race- and gender-based requirements from the program.

Launched in the early 1980s, the DBE Program connects small firms owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to federally funded highway and airport projects.

The program was revived under former President Joe Biden’s administration, but the USDOT’s approach changed under the second Trump administration.

Under an Interim Final Rule, DBE firms must recertify the program without using race or sex as means to prove disadvantage. Owners are required to submit a personal narrative instead and share personal experiences they have had to prove social or economic disadvantages.

WisDOT asked firms both inside and outside of the state to apply for recertification under a three-step process. For firms headquartered in the state, that includes updating contact information, documenting personal net worth, completing paperwork describing personal experiences and submitting it to the state for evaluation.

On July 1, WisDOT opened applications for interstate firms, but it appears those firms must be recertified with their home states too.

All firms that are new or previously certified must submit the following for an interstate DBE application with WisDOT:

1. A cover letter that specifies you are applying for interstate certification in Wisconsin and identifies all UCPs your firm is certified with after October 2025.
2. A signed copy of the U.S. DOT form Declaration of Eligibility.
3. A screenshot of your firm on your home state’s UCP directory.
4. Send all submissions to [email protected] with “Interstate Certification” in the subject line.

Earlier this year, the state focused on recertifying firms based in Wisconsin before moving on to firms out of the state. There were nearly 1,300 DBE businesses active in the state in October 2025.

State works toward setting DBE goals again

In June, WisDOT officials said they were submitting re-evaluation documents to the Federal Highway Administration and would eventually start calculating new DBE goals on state highway projects.

The agency looks at how many DBE firms are available, the type of work and location when setting goals.

“Once we submit our calculated WisDOT DBE goal, we will need USDOT approval,” a WisDOT spokesperson said. “Once we get USDOT approval of our DBE goal, we will be able to set goals on WisDOT projects.”

It’s not clear yet when new goals will roll out. Other local governments in Wisconsin, such as Milwaukee County, must follow a similar path to set DBE goals on its projects.

In spring, the state recorded a low number of eligible firms that applied for recertification between mid-February and early April.

It’s likely that DBE goals will be affected by the low number of firms reentering the program, however project goals are typically set on a case-by-case basis.

Case that challenged DBE Program shelved

In May, a lawsuit challenging the DBE Program ended after a federal judge determined the USDOT’s recently changed policy satisfied the plaintiff’s arguments.

In 2023, Mid-America Milling Co. and Bagshaw Trucking sued USDOT and argued they had lost work to DBE firms due to their race and sex.

Under the Biden administration, USDOT fought the case at first. However, when the second Trump administration arrived, the agency sided with the complainants.

After USDOT made its Interim Final Rule, the judge overseeing the case declared the plaintiffs argument moot. None of the parties involved appealed the decision.

Tiffany Nesbitt, freelance writer for The Daily Reporter, contributed to this report.