13 CFR § 126.500 - How does a concern maintain HUBZone certification?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t13/s126.500"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "13 CFR § 126.500 - How does a concern maintain HUBZone certification?"
title_number: 13
title_name: "Business Credit and Assistance"
section_number: "126.500"
section_name: "How does a concern maintain HUBZone certification?"
chapter_name: "SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION"
part_number: "126"
part_name: "HUBZONE PROGRAM"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "15 U.S.C. 632(a), 632(j), 632(p), 644 and 657a."
regulatory_source: "63 FR 31908, June 11, 1998, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "126"
---


# 126.500 How does a concern maintain HUBZone certification?

(a) *Recertification.* (1) Any concern seeking to remain a certified HUBZone small business concern in DSBS (or successor system) must recertify to SBA that it continues to meet all HUBZone eligibility criteria (*see* § 126.200) every three years. In order to recertify—

(i) A certified HUBZone small business concern that was not awarded a HUBZone contract during the 12-month period preceding its recertification must represent that, at the time of its recertification, at least 35% of its employees reside in HUBZones and the concern's principal office is located in a HUBZone.

(ii) A certified HUBZone small business concern that was awarded a HUBZone contract during the 12-month period preceding its recertification must represent that, at the time of its recertification, it is attempting to maintain compliance with the 35% HUBZone residency requirement and the concern's principal office is located in a HUBZone.

(2) The concern's recertification must be submitted in the 90 calendar days before the triennial anniversary of its HUBZone certification date.

(3) If a concern fails to recertify, SBA will decertify the concern at the end of its eligibility period. However, if a concern is able to recertify its eligibility within 30 days of the end of its eligibility period, SBA will reinstate the firm as a certified HUBZone small business concern.

(4) For a certified HUBZone small business concern that is also a certified WOSB or SDVOSB, the firm may have to recertify less than three years after its previous recertification in order to align certification date.

(b) *Program examinations.* SBA will conduct a program examination of each certified HUBZone small business concern at least once every three years to ensure continued program eligibility, but may conduct more frequent program examinations using a risk-based analysis to select which concerns are examined.

[89 FR 102501, Dec. 17, 2024]