How to get HUBZone certification
Updated November 10, 2026. Facts from official pages read on that date (listed under Sources). EasBid is an independent bid search service and is not affiliated with any government agency. Certification is free to apply for on the official sites.
HUBZone certification is the U.S. Small Business Administration's approval for a small business whose principal office sits in a Historically Underutilized Business Zone and whose workforce largely lives in one, which lets it compete for HUBZone set-aside contracts and earn a price preference on open federal competitions. The program exists to steer federal spending into communities that need it most. Unlike most certifications, it is mostly about place: where your main office is and where your employees live. This guide explains each test in plain words, how to check addresses on the official HUBZone Map, how to apply, what you gain on bids, and what you must do to stay certified. Figures come from SBA's certifications page and Title 13, Part 126 of the Code of Federal Regulations, read November 10, 2026.
Who qualifies for HUBZone certification?
SBA lists four core requirements. Your business must:
- Be a small business under SBA size standards.
- Be at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, or by a Community Development Corporation, an agricultural cooperative, an Alaska Native corporation, a Native Hawaiian organization or an Indian tribe.
- Have its principal office located in a HUBZone.
- Have at least 35% of its employees living in a HUBZone.
The full criteria are in 13 CFR Part 126, Subpart B. Two of those words, principal office and living in, have specific legal meanings that trip up many applicants, so they get their own sections below.
The principal office test
Under the regulation's definitions, your principal office is not simply the address on your letterhead. It is the location where the largest number of your employees at any one site do their work. If most of your staff work out of a warehouse outside a HUBZone while your registered office is inside one, the warehouse is likely your principal office for this program. The regulation also expects proof that you hold the location, such as a deed or an active lease. Map the place where your people actually work, not just your mailing address.
The 35% employee residency test
At least 35% of your employees must reside in a HUBZone. Any HUBZone counts; it does not have to be the same zone as your office. The regulation defines reside as living at a location full time and for at least 90 calendar days immediately before the date of review. To decide where someone lives, SBA looks first at the address on a driver's license or other government-issued ID, and may consider other documents such as a lease when the ID does not settle it.
Once you hold a HUBZone contract, you must attempt to maintain the 35% level. The regulation describes that as real, documented recruiting effort, such as written job offers, job ads and job fairs. It also sets a floor: if fewer than 20% of your total employees live in a HUBZone while you perform a HUBZone contract, you are treated as having failed to attempt to maintain the requirement.
How to use the HUBZone Map
SBA's official HUBZone Map is where you check whether your principal office and each employee's home address fall inside a designated zone. Enter each address one at a time and save the results with the date you checked, since designations change.
SBA updates HUBZone designations every five years so the program keeps serving the areas in most need. Most areas stay the same, but some change. SBA says the map was last fully updated in 2023, that it is due for changes at some point in 2026 to reflect expiring Redesignated Areas, that Governor-designated covered areas and Qualified Disaster Areas can be added or expire during any year, and that the next big update for Qualified Census Tracts and Qualified Non-Metropolitan Counties is due in July 2028. If your office or staff sit in an area marked as redesignated, read SBA's map change guidance before you plan around it.
How to apply, step by step
- Confirm you are small under the size standard for your primary NAICS code.
- Register in SAM.gov so your business has an active federal registration. See our SAM.gov registration guide.
- Map your principal office and every employee address on the HUBZone Map, and count how many employees live in a zone.
- Gather proof: the deed or lease for the principal office, employee lists and residence documents, and ownership records.
- Create an account on SBA Certifications (certifications.sba.gov), use its checklists and eligibility check, then submit the HUBZone application.
The regulation says SBA will not start processing until it has every required document and a completed HUBZone representation, and it will not process incomplete packages.
How long does HUBZone approval take?
Under 13 CFR Part 126, SBA will make its decision within 60 calendar days after it receives a complete package. The burden of proof is on the applicant. If you do not answer SBA's requests for information in the time allowed, the regulation lets SBA assume the missing information would have shown you are not eligible.
What HUBZone certification gets you on bids
- HUBZone set-asides. Agencies limit some competitions to certified HUBZone firms.
- A 10% price evaluation preference in full and open competitions, which SBA lists as a core benefit.
- Stacking. HUBZone firms can still compete in other socio-economic programs they qualify for, such as 8(a) or women-owned set-asides.
The federal government's goal is to award 3% of prime contracting dollars to HUBZone small businesses each year, according to SBA's goals table. To find work you could bid on today, browse HUBZone set-aside bids on EasBid.
How to keep HUBZone certification
You must recertify every three years. There is no limit on how long a business can stay in the program as long as it keeps qualifying. You must tell SBA if your business is part of a merger or acquisition. SBA may also visit unannounced and run program examinations to check what you stated in your application or recertification. When SBA examines a firm, the regulation says it will decide within 90 calendar days after receiving everything it asked for, when practicable.
Common reasons HUBZone applications fail
- The wrong principal office. The site where most staff work is outside a zone.
- Residency under 35%, often because an employee has lived at a HUBZone address for fewer than 90 days or their ID shows a different address.
- An incomplete package, which SBA will not process.
- Map changes. An area that qualified when you planned may not qualify on the date SBA reviews you.
- Ownership that does not meet the 51% rule.
Frequently asked questions
What is HUBZone certification?
It is SBA approval for a small business with its principal office in a Historically Underutilized Business Zone and at least 35% of employees living in one. It allows the firm to bid on HUBZone set-asides and get a 10% price evaluation preference in open federal competitions.
What percentage of employees must live in a HUBZone?
At least 35% of employees must reside in a HUBZone. Under the regulation, residing means living there full time for at least 90 calendar days before the review date.
What counts as the principal office for HUBZone?
The location where the greatest number of the firm's employees at any one site perform their work, not just the registered address.
How do I check if an address is in a HUBZone?
Use SBA's official HUBZone Map at maps.certify.sba.gov and enter the principal office and each employee's home address.
How long does HUBZone certification take?
The regulation says SBA will decide within 60 calendar days after it receives a complete application package.
How often do HUBZone firms recertify?
Every three years. There is no limit on how long a firm can participate while it stays eligible.
Can a HUBZone firm also be 8(a) or women-owned certified?
Yes. SBA says HUBZone firms can still compete for awards under other socio-economic programs they qualify for.
Sources
- SBA business certifications: 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB (sba.gov, read November 10, 2026)
- 13 CFR Part 126: HUBZone Program (ecfr.gov, read November 10, 2026)
- HUBZone Map (maps.certify.sba.gov, read November 10, 2026)