Caltrans Advisory on Interim Final Rule on DBE Program
WEBINAR: October 10, 2025, 1:00PM - 2:00PM PT [CLOSED]
On October 3, 2025, USDOT published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) related to the status of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, which the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) considers inconsistent with equal protection under the Fifth Amendment.
To address the impact of this ruling for California, Caltrans Division of Local Assistance (DLA) is hosting an important one-hour webinar this Friday (10/10) to discuss significant changes to both the DBE and Airport Concession DBE (ACDBE) programs (49 CFR Parts 23 and 26).
Caltrans Recommendations for LPAs:
- Review the IFR
- Attend this informational webinar to learn the latest details
- Monitor official Caltrans communications for updates & guidance
- Is your project affected? Check with your District Local Assistance Engineer
The DLA team is continuing to review and coordinate with USDOT. As this process continues, additional guidance, policy updates, and procedural instructions will be issued to ensure compliance and support for all recipients and stakeholders.
Below is the official advisory from the Caltrans Office of Civil Rights summarizing the key federal changes now in effect. This includes the suspension of DBE goal setting, reevaluation of certified firms, and new documentation requirements for certification.
Register to attend or read the official advisory
to learn about key federal changes now in effect
This Event is Closed
About the DBE Program
The USDOT's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE) was established by Congress in 1982 to ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts, help remove barriers to the participation of DBEs in DOT-assisted contracts, and assist the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside of the DBE program.
The DBE Program has reauthorized it in each subsequent surface and aviation authorization, most recently on November 15, 2021 in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
