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.
North Carolina state directories
Start with the official state directory. It lists firms North Carolina 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.
NC eVP Vendor Search (NCSBE)
The state's official vendor directory inside the electronic Vendor Portal. Historically underutilized business (HUB) listings predate the office's July 2026 elimination and are no longer being certified; treat any HUB status found here as historical, not current. NC Small Business Enterprise registrations continue under the Division of Purchase & Contract.
Open the directory ↗NCDOT Directory of Firms
NCDOT's real-time consolidated list of DBE, ACDBE, MBE, WBE, SBE, and Small Professional Services Firms, searchable by certification type, firm name, and work code. NCDOT's DBE certification is separate from the state HUB program.
Open the directory ↗Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council
The regional National Minority Supplier Development Council affiliate serving North Carolina. Corporate buyers source certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) through its network.
Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council ↗Federal set-aside firms in North Carolina
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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina resources
- North Carolina certification and contracting programs on SupplierDiversity.com.
- The national directories (NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, Disability:IN, NaVOBA) for suppliers certified outside North Carolina.
- Every certifying body, what it certifies, and how to verify.