How to apply for Women-owned small business (WOSB) (2026)
SBA handles this certification process. Apply through the official MySBA Certifications (certifications.sba.gov) portal.
Official application steps
- Use SBA's eligibility checker
SBA provides an "Am I Eligible" tool to confirm the basic women-ownership criteria before you start.
- Gather documents from the preparation checklist
Review SBA's preparation checklist and collect the required ownership, control, and business documents.
- Create an account
Create a MySBA Certifications account to start the application.
- Complete the ownership questionnaire
Complete the women ownership section, with an individual questionnaire for each owner whose ownership supports the 51 percent requirement.
- Submit the complete package
Submit the application with all required documents through the portal.
What to expect
“Whenever practicable, SBA will make its determination within 90 calendar days after receipt of a complete package.”
Fee: Free through SBA's online certification process. SBA-approved third-party certifiers may charge their own fee.
- An active SAM.gov registration, updated annually
Check the official source: Self-certification ended December 22, 2024. SBA has consolidated applications into certifications.sba.gov; older references to certify.sba.gov point to the previous portal.
Prepare before you apply
Official sources
Check which certifications appear relevant to your business.
Use the free pre-screener to compare your answers with the published program requirements.
See which certifications appear relevant