Heads up
Verify DBE status carefully right now: under the USDOT Interim Final Rule issued October 3, 2025, existing DBE and ACDBE certifications are being re-evaluated and may not be counted toward contract goals until a firm is recertified. Confirm a firm's current status before relying on it. All CUCP agencies began re-evaluating California's certified DBE and ACDBE firms on March 2, 2026, and new DBE applications are paused until that work is done.
California state directories
Start with the official state directory. It lists firms California has certified, and it is the source public buyers and prime contractors use to confirm a firm counts toward state and federally funded contract goals.
Cal eProcure Certified SB/DVBE Supplier Search
The Department of General Services public search of state-certified Small Business (SB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) suppliers, filterable by certification type, keyword, NAICS and UNSPSC codes, and service area.
Open the directory ↗California UCP DBE Directory
The California Unified Certification Program portal with a public vendor search of DBE and ACDBE firms certified by the ten CUCP certifying agencies, including Caltrans.
Open the directory ↗Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council
The regional National Minority Supplier Development Council affiliate serving California. Corporate buyers source certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) through its network.
Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council ↗Federal set-aside firms in California
For federal contracts and subcontracting plans, search SAM.gov and filter by location and socioeconomic status: 8(a), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB), and HUBZone. These are separate from the state and council certifications above, and buyers count them differently.
Verify before you rely on a certification
A certificate on its own is not proof. Before you count a California supplier toward a diverse spend goal or a subcontracting plan:
- Confirm the record is active, not expired, in the issuing directory above.
- Check the certification type matches what your program counts. MBE, DBE, WOSB, and CBE are not interchangeable.
- Keep a dated screenshot or export of the directory record for your compliance file.
More California resources
- California certification and contracting programs on SupplierDiversity.com.
- The national directories (NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, Disability:IN, NaVOBA) for suppliers certified outside California.
- Every certifying body, what it certifies, and how to verify.