Most rebate applications that get rejected are not rejected on the fixture. They are rejected because the photometric file, the model number on the invoice and the model number in the DLC listing do not quite agree.
What the rebate desk actually checks
DLC listing status on the date of purchase. A product delisted in March does not qualify for an April invoice, even if the box says DLC Premium.
LM-79 and LM-80 reports for the specific model — not the family.
A photometric file that matches the ordered optic. This is where most packages fall down: the IES file is for the 40° version and the invoice is for the 25°.
A checklist that clears first time
Pull the IES file from the manufacturer at the moment you specify, not at closeout.
Record the exact DLC model string, including suffixes.
Keep the invoice model number identical to the DLC listing. If the distributor appends a suffix, get it explained in writing.
Attach the point-cloud or lighting-calculation output if the program asks for illuminance levels — some do, and they ask for footcandles and watts per square foot.
If you send us the project address and fixture list, we will pull the files, check them against the current DLC database, and flag anything that will not clear before you submit.