TxDOT Form 1818, officially designated D-9-USA-1, is the notarized Material Statement that a supplier or contractor submits to certify that steel, iron, and other materials on a Texas Department of Transportation project meet contract specifications and federal Buy America requirements.1Texas Department of Transportation. 2024 Specifications – Item 6 Control of Materials To submit it correctly: download the fillable PDF from TxDOT’s Materials Forms page, fill in the project and material information from your contract documents, sign it in front of a notary, attach the mill test reports and other required documentation, and deliver the notarized original to the Area Office before the materials are incorporated into the work. The prime contractor is responsible for collecting a completed form from each supplier, and an incomplete or improperly executed submission will be rejected.
Check Whether You Still Need Form 1818
Two boundaries matter before you fill anything in.
For projects let in December 2025 or later, TxDOT no longer requires a project-level certification like Form 1818 when the material appears on the Material Producer List (MPL) with a confirmed Buy America status.2Texas Department of Transportation. Section 3 – Buy America The MPL is TxDOT’s registry of pre-approved products, materials, and producers.3Texas Department of Transportation. Material Producer List If your item is listed there with an active Buy America designation, the Area Office verifies compliance through the MPL. Materials not on the MPL, or listed without a Buy America status, still require Form 1818.4Texas Department of Transportation. Form 2806, Construction Materials Buy America Certification
Form 1818 covers iron and steel. For other construction materials brought under the Build America, Buy America Act—non-ferrous metals, plastic and polymer-based products, glass, lumber, and engineered wood—TxDOT uses a separate form, Form 2806, Construction Materials Buy America Certification.4Texas Department of Transportation. Form 2806, Construction Materials Buy America Certification
Download the Form and Gather Your Project Information
Get the form from TxDOT’s Materials Forms page at txdot.gov. It is a fillable PDF that throws an error if opened directly in a browser, so save it to your desktop first and open it from there.5Texas Department of Transportation. Materials Forms
Before typing anything, pull the contract documents and collect:
- The Control-Section-Job (CSJ) number. The control section uses a four-digit control number and a two-digit section number, such as 0115-02, with a job number appended. This identifier ties the material statement to the correct project account.6Texas Department of Transportation. Control Section Maps
- The project name and county, both taken from the contract cover sheet.
- The producer or supplier name and the physical address of the facility that actually manufactured the material. TxDOT verifies the supply chain from this address, and an incorrect one is a common reason for rejection.
Filling In the Material Details
Describe the material precisely. Enter the standardized TxDOT material codes that correspond to Departmental Material Specifications (DMS), which define quality requirements for products ranging from cementitious materials and construction fabrics to pavement markings and asphaltic products.7Texas Department of Transportation. Departmental Material Specifications List exact quantities in the units used on the delivery tickets, typically tons or cubic yards. Discrepancies between the form and the delivery documentation are one of the fastest ways to get a submission kicked back.
Identify the specific use of the material on the project and the applicable specification item number from the contract. Where the material has been sampled and tested, reference the test results. TxDOT’s Guide Schedule of Sampling and Testing sets the minimum testing frequencies. Embankment materials, for example, require gradation testing every 10,000 cubic yards and density checks every 5,000 cubic yards with at least one test per lift, and the Engineer can increase the frequency if variability is high or results are near specification limits.8Texas Department of Transportation. Guide Schedule of Sampling and Testing for Design Bid-Build Projects
Complete the Buy America Certification
The core of Form 1818 is a certification that iron and steel products meet federal Buy America requirements under 23 CFR 635.410.9eCFR. 23 CFR 635.410 – Buy America Requirements For any federally assisted highway project, all manufacturing processes for steel and iron, from the initial melting of raw materials through the application of any protective coating, must occur in the United States.10eCFR. 23 CFR 635.410 – Buy America Requirements The person signing the form is attesting that the origin information is accurate.
A narrow exception applies to minimal use of foreign iron or steel. If the cost of foreign materials does not exceed one-tenth of one percent of the total contract cost or $2,500, whichever is greater, the Buy America restriction does not apply.9eCFR. 23 CFR 635.410 – Buy America Requirements The cost figure for this calculation is the value of the materials as delivered to the project site.
Attach the Supporting Documentation
Form 1818 does not travel alone. TxDOT’s Material Inspection Guide specifies that the completed form should include attachments such as mill test reports, certifications of compliance, and galvanizing reports where applicable.11Texas Department of Transportation. Material Inspection Guide These documents provide the physical and chemical analysis behind the certification on the form.
Who collects the attachments depends on how the material is handled. For steel and iron items that TxDOT’s Materials and Tests Division (MTD) inspects directly, MTD obtains the completed Form 1818 and supporting documentation from the supplier. For items the Project Engineer receives and samples in the field, the contractor submits the form with all attachments to MTD for testing. For items the Project Engineer inspects and accepts independently, the Project Engineer collects the completed form and attachments directly from the supplier.11Texas Department of Transportation. Material Inspection Guide
Get the Form Notarized
This is where contractors most often stumble. Form 1818 must be submitted as a notarized original. TxDOT’s Item 6 specification is explicit: “Submit a notarized original FORM D-9-USA-1 (Department Form 1818) with the proper attachments for verification of compliance.”1Texas Department of Transportation. 2024 Specifications – Item 6 Control of Materials A form that arrives without a notary seal and signature, or that is otherwise incomplete, will not be accepted.12Texas Department of Transportation. Documentation Requirements for Buy America
An authorized representative of the supplier signs the form, and a notary public witnesses the signature and applies their seal. Plan the notarization ahead of a delivery date rather than trying to handle it the same day. The signer is certifying under penalty of law that the information is true and correct.
Where and When to Submit
The Area Office is the primary collection point. It collects the material statement, material sourcing information, and applicable certifications.2Texas Department of Transportation. Section 3 – Buy America Before your first submission on a project, confirm with the Project Engineer which office and individual should receive the form, because district-level procedures vary.
Because the specification calls for a notarized original, submissions are often hand-delivered or sent by courier. If the project office accepts an electronic copy for initial review, the notarized paper original still needs to follow, and any scanned version should be a high-quality PDF with clearly visible signatures and notary seal.
Timing matters. The form and its attachments should be in place before the materials are incorporated into the work, and Item 6 requires that you secure the Engineer’s approval of the proposed material source before delivery.1Texas Department of Transportation. 2024 Specifications – Item 6 Control of Materials Late documentation can stop inspections, delay progress payments, and expose the contract to liquidated damages under TxDOT’s daily-rate schedule tied to contract size.13Texas Department of Transportation. Special Provision – Schedule of Liquidated Damages
Keep Copies for the Retention Period
Federal regulations under 2 CFR 200.334 require project records to be kept for at least three years from the date the final expenditure report is submitted. Current TxDOT Advanced Funding Agreement templates provide for retention of seven years, and the longer period controls when the agreement specifies it.14Texas Department of Transportation. Records Retention Keep every submitted Form 1818 and its attachments for the full period specified in your project’s agreement. Missing records can create serious problems during a federal or state audit years after the work is complete.
Penalties for False Information
Falsifying information on Form 1818 is a criminal offense, not a paperwork problem. Under Texas Penal Code Section 37.10, tampering with a governmental record is a Class A misdemeanor by default, which carries up to one year in county jail. If the person acted with intent to defraud or harm another, the offense rises to a state jail felony.15State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 37.10 – Tampering with Governmental Record A state jail felony means confinement of 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and a possible fine of up to $10,000.16State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 12.35 – State Jail Felony Punishment Beyond the criminal exposure, a false Buy America certification can result in the withholding of federal funds from the entire project.