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What are the latest HUBZone residency and principal office requirements in October 2026?

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Hey everyone,

My company is a landscaping firm in Jacksonville, FL, and we are looking into applying for HUBZone certification. We've been doing well with city and school district grounds contracts, but I want to expand into federal work. I've been reading up on the program, and it seems like a good fit for us if we can meet the requirements.

I'm a bit confused about the employee residency rules and the principal office location. I know at least 35 percent of our employees need to be HUBZone residents, but I'm not sure if that means living in the HUBZone when they are hired or if they can move there after. Also, our main office is in a designated HUBZone, but we have a small satellite office just outside of it. Does the satellite office affect anything?

What are the latest HUBZone residency and principal office requirements in October 2026? I want to make sure we get this right before we start the application process with the SBA.

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asked Jordan P. First-year bidder, landscaping and grounds · Jacksonville, FL · 458 rep

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The latest HUBZone residency and principal office requirements in October 2026 state that at least 35 percent of your employees must qualify as HUBZone resident employees, and your principal office must be located in a HUBZone. The SBA rule at 13 CFR 126.200(d)(1) specifies the 35% employee residency requirement. This means your employees need to live in a HUBZone. The regulation does not distinguish whether they must live there at the time of hire or if they can move there later. The key is that they are residents at the time of certification and during the life of the certification.

Regarding your principal office, 13 CFR 126.200(c) requires that a HUBZone concern's principal office be located in a HUBZone. A small satellite office outside of a HUBZone will generally not affect your eligibility, as long as your principal office, where the majority of your employees work and core business functions are performed, is firmly within a designated HUBZone. The SBA looks at the firm's overall operations to determine where the principal office is located. Make sure your business case for the principal office location is clear before applying.

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answered Keisha W. Verified vendor8(a) firm founder, staffing and training · Atlanta, GA · 663 rep

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