In 1983, Congress enacted the first disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) statutory provision. This provision required the Department to ensure that at least 10% of the funds authorized for the highway and transit financial assistance programs be expended with DBEs. In 1987, Congress re-authorized and amended the statutory DBE program. In the transportation legislation of that year, Congress, among other changes, added women to the groups presumed to be disadvantaged. Since 1987 DOT has established a single DBE goal, encompassing both firms owned by women and minority group members.

Primarily, three major DOT operating administrations are involved in the DBE program. They are the Federal Highway Administration, The Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. The DOT DBE program is carried out by the state and local transportation agencies under the rules and guidelines in the Code of Federal Regulations. (Title 49, Part 26).

Certification for purposes of the DBE and ACDBE programs should be limited to eligible DBEs and ACDBEs that intend to bid on work as prime contractors or subcontractors on Federal-assisted DOT contracts or airport concessions, this includes construction work in the transportation industry at large. Federal DOT funding recipients may emphasize this information to applicant firms in State and local agencies and make inquiries into the nature of firm's work and what the firm seeks to achieve with certification. Firms seeking certification which perform work in the transportation industry should complete a DBE/ACDBE Uniform Certification Application and a DBE/ACDBE Personal Net Worth Statement for the Social and Economically Disadvantaged owners. These forms, along with the required documentation, should be submitted to the Alabama Unified Certification Program for review.