All fees paid to Black United States® Pageant and/or YM Productions are non-refundable and non-transferrable. Refunds for entry fees are NOT provided for any reason including, but not limited to, payments made on behalf of the delegate by advertisers and sponsors and any fee, and all fees paid to Black United States® Pageant and/or YM Productions by delegates, supporters, sponsors, or advertisers.

DEADLINE TO ENTER : APRIL 1, 2027

NATIONAL ENTRY FEE

$ 1,100 USD

The national entry fee may be paid in one-lump payment or in installments: 1) $500 title reservation & deposit within 15 days of title award, 2) the balance of $600 is due no later than 90 days/3 months after title acceptance OR April 1, 2027, whichever comes sooner. A minimum payment of $100 must be made every 30 days after accepting and paying the title reservation fee. Failure to maintain the payment plan will forfeit ALL FEES PAID TO DATE and title will be awarded to the next applicant.

The state crown, sash and welcome box will be ordered and subsequently sent to titleholder upon the national office receiving payment in full for national entry fee.

THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSIONS ON DEADLINES GIVEN TO CONTESTANTS. PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

Any participant awarded a title after February 1, 2027 must pay the full national entry fee at the time of accepting a preliminary/local/state/regional title.

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The NATIONAL ENTRY FEE covers the cost of:

• Crown

• Embroidered title sash with 2 rows of AB rhinestones along with "Welcome Box" including business cards, thank you notes and more.

• Swag bag at national pageant

• Entry to all required areas of competition during national pageant

• Admission to all required seminars/trainings/events leading up to and during the national pageant

• Transportation to/from service project event & outing(s) during the national pageant

• 2 lunches and 2 dinners during the national pageant

• One full page ad in the program book

The national entry fee assists with covering the production costs associated with the operation of the Black United States® Pageant including but not limited to the cost of doing business, venue rental, transportation, meals, lighting, sound, audio/visual, advertising, insurance, judges' stipends, administrative costs, etc.

The national entry fee DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• Pageant t-shirts, hoodies, jackets or any other branded merchandise required at the national pageant

• Wardrobe for required and/or optional areas of competition, rehearsals, outings, or opening number

• Hair and make-up services for titleholder during the national pageant

• Hotel / Air BNB accommodations during the national pageant

• Transportation to/from airport to the host hotel / venue during the national pageant

• Transportation to/from titleholders starting location to host city of the national pageant

• Transportation to/from any unofficial events organized by any organization other than the Black United States® Pageant that titleholder may want to attend while visiting the host city before/during/after the national pageant

• Entry/registration fees for any optional competitions/seminars/training offered during the national pageant

• Tickets for friends/family to any events during the national pageant

• Copies of the Official Pageant Magazine

• Replacement of lost or damaged state/regional sash and/or crown

RETURNING CONTESTANT NATIONAL ENTRY FEE - $550

Returning contestant discount is only offered for ONE consecutive pageant year. If a "gap year" is taken, all "returning contestant" discounts are forfeited.

If a returning contestant is taking a new at-large title, there is an additional fee of $125 for a new sash.

The RETURNING CONTESTANT NATIONAL ENTRY FEE covers the cost of:

• Swag bag at national pageant

• Entry to all required areas of competition during national pageant

• Admission to all required seminars/trainings/events leading up to and during the national pageant

• Transportation to/from service project event & outing(s) during the national pageant

• 2 lunches and 2 dinners during the national pageant

• One full page ad in the program book

RULES & REGULATIONS

• Be female and identify as female.

• All participants must be of good moral standing as determined by Black United States® Pageant and/or YM Productions.

• All participants may have never appeared nude in any form of media within the last 10 years.

• Currently reside in the United States or in a U.S. territory (ex., Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands) and have resided in the U.S. or a US territory for at least 5 years prior to the date of application submission. Active duty military families and/or students studying abroad are exempt from the 5-year prior residency requirement.

• Clearly, openly and have ALWAYS identified as a Black woman and be of at least 25% African / African-American / Afro-Latina / Afro-Caribbean / Afro-Asian descent.

• Applying to represent your state or regional title or winning your state title at a state or regional pageant, is a commitment to attending the national pageant and assuming all responsibility for payment of fees, including the timely submission of all payment and paperwork to meet deadlines.

• A state titleholder, may not currently hold an international or national title within another pageant organization. If a state title within another organization is held, application may not be submitted until titleholder is within 90 days of said title completion.

• State titleholders are required to make a minimum number of 2 appearances per month and submit photos to the national office. NOTE: Applicants are not considered "state titleholders" until all fees are paid in full. Once fees are paid in full, the state crown and sash will be ordered and titleholder should receive their welcome box within 45 days of final entry fee payment.

• May not currently hold an international / national / ambassador title with another pageant organization, if crowned with a national Black United States® pageant title.

• All fees paid to Black United States® Pageant and/or YM Productions are non-refundable and non-transferrable. No refunds are provided for any reason including, but not limited to, payments made on behalf of the delegate by advertisers and sponsors and any fee, and all fees paid to Black United States® Pageant and/or YM Productions by delegates, supporters, sponsors, or advertisers.

• Entry fees may NOT be carried over from one pageant year to the next, if a state titleholder withdraws from the national pageant at any point or does not compete at the national pageant.

• Winners of the Mrs. Black United States® title that file for legal separation and/or divorce during their reign will immediately, as of the date of filing, forfeit the title and all prizes to the runner-up.

• National titleholders will receive any prizes incrementally during their reign based upon satisfactorily meeting all contract obligations. If contract obligations are not fulfilled titleholder will forfeit any remaining prizes not yet distributed by Black United States® Pageant and/or YM Productions.

• Black United States® Pageant and/or YM Productions reserves the right to change the date, location, and competition details of the national pageant at its discretion.

• Black United States® Pageant and/or YM Productions is not responsible for prizes forfeited by sponsors.

• Winners are determined by the official panel of judges and NOT by Yolanda Stennett and/or staff of the Black United States® pageant.

• Returning contestants wishing to utilize their "returnees discount" MUST participate in the next consecutive pageant year. If a "gap year" is taken by any contestant, the "returnees discount" may not be used and is forfeited.

• Delegates with outstanding balances must pay full balance in order to compete at the national competition.

  SCORING

  Each preliminary/local/state/regional titleholder will be evaluated during the national pageant by the 5-7 person selection panel.

  Each member of the selection panel will assign a numerical score to each participant in each area of competition on a scale of 1 - 10. The scale does allow for scoring with quarter points with 1 being the lowest score assigned and 10 being the highest. The the average score of all judges in each category will be added together to determine a contestant's final score.

  Electronic scoring & tabulation via FACS PAGEANT PRO will be utilized and all scores & comments will be released to all participants at the conclusion of the competition. YMProductions and the Black United States® pageant does NOT have the ability to alter/tamper with scores. This is a functionality of FACS PAGEANT PRO that prohibits directors from having access to make score changes.

  By registering to participate in this pageant you are acknowledging, accepting and agreeing that you have read the rules herein and agree to the following rules and regulations.

  Your participation in the Black United States® Pageant indicates that you agree to all the rules and regulations set forth by our program are aware of have read and signed the PARTICIPANT CODE OF CONDUCT AGREEMENT AND TITLE PROMOTION GUIDELINES. FAILURE TO SUBMIT A SIGNED COPY OF THE PARTICIPANT CODE OF CONDUCT AGREEMENT AND TITLE PROMOTION GUIDELINES WILL TERMINATE ANY PRELIMINARY/LOCAL/STATE TITLE AND PARTICIPANT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE AT THE NATIONAL PAGEANT.