Status as of October 26, 2026. The nomination window closed on October 28, 2026 for any further changes. Treasury certification is pending, and no national designated list has been published.
The 2025 law replaced the one-time 2018 designations with a permanent cycle. Governors nominate census tracts, Treasury certifies them, and each round runs ten years. The first round takes effect January 1, 2027. Here is where the process stands and what each step means for projects.
The timeline
| Step | Date | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible tracts published | Apr 6, 2026 | Rev. Proc. 2026-14 lists 25,332 eligible tracts (8,334 entirely rural), using 2020–2024 ACS 5-year data | Rev. Proc. 2026-14 §3.01 |
| Nomination window opens | Jul 1, 2026 | Governors may nominate up to 25% of their state's eligible tracts | Rev. Proc. 2026-14 §2.02(3)(e) |
| Original deadline | Sep 28, 2026 | 90 days after opening | Rev. Proc. 2026-14 §5.03 |
| Final deadline (with extension) | Oct 28, 2026 | "Any request to modify such a nomination after October 28, 2026, will be denied" | Rev. Proc. 2026-14 §5.03 |
| Certification | By Nov 27, 2026, or Dec 28, 2026 if extended | Treasury certifies the nominations | Rev. Proc. 2026-14 §2.02(3)(f) |
| Designated list | Before Jan 1, 2027 (expected) | The IRS expects to issue guidance identifying designated zones | IR-2026-45 |
| Designations take effect | Jan 1, 2027 | First 10-year round begins | Rev. Proc. 2026-14 §2.02(3)(g) |
| Round ends | Dec 31, 2036 | Next round follows | IRC §1400Z-1(e) as amended |
One commonly repeated date is wrong: some secondary sources give December 27, 2026 as the certification deadline. The revenue procedure says December 28.
How the 25% cap works
Each state may designate up to 25% of its eligible tracts, rounding up. A state with 197 eligible tracts may designate 50. A state with fewer than 100 eligible tracts may designate 25, and a state with fewer than 25 may designate all of them. Existing 2018 zones do not reduce a state's 2027 allowance. Puerto Rico, which previously had every eligible tract designated automatically, now nominates under the same 25% rule (Rev. Proc. 2026-14 §2.02(3)(c)–(d)).
Off-list nominations. A state could nominate a tract that is not on the eligible list if it provided "a detailed analysis, including current data collected at the census tract level" (§5.04). Secondary sources report that Treasury added 128 tracts in 32 jurisdictions under an Alternate Framework around September 28, 2026. That raised eligible tracts to 25,460 and lifted caps in 20 states. Treasury has not published these figures. We treat them as provisional.
States with published nomination lists
Only nominations confirmed by a state's own publication are counted here. All other states are pending or unconfirmed.
| State | 2018 zones | 2027 eligible (rural) | Nominated | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 628 | 2,420 (524) | 608 | Governor's office list |
| Indiana | 156 | 501 (120) | 126 | State announcement |
| Massachusetts | 138 | 410 (58) | 104 | State announcement |
| Washington | 139 | 394 (147) | 99 | State announcement |
| Colorado | 126 | 360 (101) | 91 | State announcement |
| Nebraska | 44 | 112 (28) | 28 | State release |
| Idaho | 28 | 80 (32) | 25 | Certification reported Oct 2, 2026 (secondary: Idaho Business Review) |
Each state's page shows its figures with sources and the date of the last check: browse state pages →
What this means for projects
- Before certification, a nominated tract is a strong indication, not a designation. For any closing after December 31, 2026, make inclusion of the tract in the IRS designated list a condition of closing.
- A tract that is new for 2027 gives no benefit for property acquired before January 1, 2027. Time the acquisition accordingly.
- A 2018 zone not nominated for 2027 faces the December 31, 2026 working-capital-plan deadline for post-2026 acquisitions. See the transition rules →
- Rural nominations carry the 30% step-up for Qualified Rural Opportunity Funds and the 50% substantial-improvement threshold. See rural zones →
Why the list matters more than the map
Each published map of "new Opportunity Zones" so far shows either eligible tracts (the 25,332 in Rev. Proc. 2026-14) or a state's nominations. Neither is a designation:
- An eligible tract gives no benefit at all unless it is nominated and certified.
- A nominated tract is very likely to be designated. Until certification, though, a closing that depends on it is a closing on an expectation.
Two practical consequences follow for transactions scheduled around the turn of the year:
- Closing conditions. For acquisitions after December 31, 2026, make the tract's appearance in the IRS designation notice a condition precedent, or price the risk explicitly.
- Document the source and date. A feasibility study or credit memorandum should record the status source (eligible list, state nomination or IRS notice) and its date. When the notice arrives, the file can then be updated without re-diligencing the site.
What to watch
- The IRS Opportunity Zones page and the designation notice.
- Treasury's data-transparency page and the CDFI Fund Opportunity Zones page. The CDFI Fund "is assisting Treasury with the Opportunity Zone nomination and designation process."
- Comments on Notice 2026-55 (due November 23, 2026). These may shape rules on single-family construction, working-capital safe harbors and other implementation details.
We update this page weekly until certification. The site screen switches every tract to its final status the day the IRS list is published.
How we verify this page
- Author
- Robert Mitchell
- Updated
- October 26, 2026
- Next update
- Update weekly until Dec 28, 2026; rewrite the state table from the IRS notice when published.
- Sources
- Numbered list below
Sources
Primary:
- Rev. Proc. 2026-14 (April 6, 2026), §§2.02(3), 3.01, 5.03 and 5.04.
- IR-2026-45 (April 6, 2026).
- IRC §1400Z-1 as amended by P.L. 119-21.
- State nomination publications (Texas, Indiana, Massachusetts, Washington, Colorado, Nebraska).
Secondary, as labeled:
- OpportunityZones.com (Alternate Framework figures).
- Idaho Business Review (Idaho certification).
General information, not tax or legal advice.