It is the policy of the RTAA to ensure that DBEs, as defined in Part 26, have an equal 

opportunity to receive and participate in DOT-assisted contracts. It is also the policy of 

the RTAA to engage in the following actions on a continuing basis: 

• Removing barriers to the participation of DBEs in DOT-assisted contracts; 
• Promoting the use of DBEs in all types of federally assisted contracts and procurement activities conducted by the Department’s recipients; 
• Ensuring that only firms fully meeting the eligibility standards are permitted to participate; 
• Assisting the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside the program; and 
• Providing appropriate flexibilities to recipients of federal financial assistance in establishing and providing opportunities to DBEs. 

Please use the following links to access federal regulations guiding the implementation of the Federal DBE Program. 

49 CFR Part 26 outlines rules that guide the implementation of the Federal DBE Program for recipients of USDOT funds, including RTAA. 

49 CFR Part 26 – Official Q & A. USDOT offers a Q&A document to provide additional guidance to agencies receiving USDOT funds and implementing the Federal DBE Program.
Click to find more information in the DBE Certification Criteria and 49 CFR Part 26. 

Interim Final Rule. USDOT released an Interim Final Rule effective October 2025 that affects how fund recipients should implement different aspects of the Federal DBE Program, including determining which firms should be considered eligible for DBE certification. Access the Interim Final Rule. 

Your business might be eligible for DBE certification if it is owned and operated by a member of a group that U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) considers to be disadvantaged. DBE certification requirements were updated on October 3, 2025, via an Interim Final Rule. The USDOT published guidance with steps Unified Certification Programs (UCPs) and applicants must follow after the October 3, 2025 Interim Final Rule (IFR), and state/airport UCPs are the primary source for certification and recertification instructions. 

• UCPs must reevaluate and recertify all currently certified DBE and ACDBE firms under the new, individualized standards; some firms will be decertified until they meet the new criteria. 
• The IFR removed race- and sex-based presumptions and requires individualized determinations of social and economic disadvantage; certification now requires detailed, objective documentation of disadvantage and control. 
• Recertification and review may require suspension or temporary modification of DBE contract goals while UCPs complete the process; recipients should prepare for changes in DBE availability and reporting impacts. 
• Immediate re-evaluations began with the IFR; timelines vary by UCP and may cause temporary reductions in certified DBE counts and suspension of contract goals until recertifications are complete. For additional guidance and UCP Instruction please see: DBE IFR Guidance.10-03-2025.pdf 

If you think that your business meets the criteria for DBE certification, you should contact the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Office of Civil Rights or Harry Reid International Airport. Both entities are certified authorities for DBE certification and accept, review, and approve or deny all DBE certification applications on behalf of the Nevada Unified Certification Program (NUCP). To access the certification site and the DBE certification application, click here.

Please note: This is a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Entities and individuals seeking DBE (or ACDBE) certification must check this site regularly for updates and consult their certifying UCP or the Nevada DOT Office of Civil Rights for the latest official guidance. The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority will update and include its DBE Program Policy overview as additional guidance becomes available from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Stakeholders are encouraged to check back regularly for updates.

Please contact RTAA’s DBE liaison with any questions:
Gary Probert, P.E.
Chief Planning & Infrastructure Officer
Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority
2001 E. Plumb Lane, Reno, NV 89502
(775) 328-6459
gprobert@renoairport.com 

Your business might be eligible for ACDBE certification if it is owned and operated by a member of a group that USDOT considers to be disadvantaged. For full requirements for ACDBE certification, click here. If you think that your business meets the criteria for ACDBE certification, please visit the Nevada Unified Certification Program (NUCP) website to learn more about the certification process. For additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation following the October 3, 2025 Interim Final Rule affecting ACDBE certification, click here.

Learn more about small business concessions at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Please note: This is a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Entities and individuals seeking DBE (or ACDBE) certification must check this site regularly for updates and consult their certifying UCP or the Nevada DOT Office of Civil Rights for the latest official guidance. The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority will update and include its DBE Program Policy overview as additional guidance becomes available from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Stakeholders are encouraged to check back regularly for updates.

TO QUALIFY AS A LOCAL EMERGING SMALL BUSINESS, THE APPLICANT MUST: 

Submit a completed application to the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development; 

• Be a Local Business; 
• Be in existence, operational and operating for a profit; 
• Maintain its principal place of business in Nevada; 
• Be in compliance with all applicable licensing and registration requirements; 
• Be qualified as either a Tier 1 Local Emerging Small Business or a Tier 2 Local Emerging Small Business. 
• Not be a subsidiary or parent company belonging to a group of firms that are owned or controlled by the same persons if, in aggregate, the group of firms does not qualify pursuant to program requirements; 

Learn More

In June 2001, the Nevada UCP submitted its program to the Department of Transportation. Key points of the UCP include the following: 

The UCP will meet monthly to review/approve/disapprove DBE applications. This means that it is unlikely that last minute certifications will occur during the bidding process. 

1. The Nevada Dept. of Transportation will officially maintain the DBE Directory on its website at www.nevadadbe.com. 
2. DBE applications will be assigned to a “Processing Agency,” based on the agency which initially receives the DBE application. There are three Processing Agencies in the state of Nevada: Nevada Department of Transportation, the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (Reno), and the Clark County Dept of Aviation (Las Vegas). The Processing Agency will be responsible for maintaining the DBE file, No-Change Affidavits, and responding to any informational requests about the DBE firm. 
3. The Nevada UCP began October 1, 2001.