EBT Cards by State: Eligibility, Purchases, and Penalties

EBT cards are issued state by state, but they all draw from the same federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Every state, along with the District of Columbia, distributes SNAP benefits on a plastic card that works like a bank debit card at the grocery register. What changes from state to state is the name on the card, the agency that takes your application, and some details around asset limits and reporting. What stays the same is federal: who qualifies, what you can buy, how benefits are calculated, and how the card works when you cross a state line.

What Your State Calls Its EBT Card

SNAP is one program with many local names. California issues CalFresh. Oregon uses the Oregon Trail Card. Illinois has the Link Card and Michigan the Bridge Card. Texas calls its card the Lone Star Card, Louisiana uses Louisiana Purchase, and Vermont brands the program 3SquaresVT. Several states share the Quest Card name. Others simply say SNAP or EBT without a local label.

The brand does not change what you can buy or how much you receive. Every state-branded card runs on the same federal SNAP infrastructure and follows the same purchasing rules. The name matters most when you are hunting for your state’s application portal or customer service line: searching for “CalFresh application” will land you in the right place faster than searching for SNAP in California.

Using Your Card in Another State

Federal regulations require every state’s EBT system to be interoperable with every other state’s. Your card works at any authorized SNAP retailer nationwide, no matter which state issued it. The Quest logo on the back signals that the card meets national technical standards and will work at any terminal displaying the same mark.¹

Traveling with your card is fine. Moving with it is not. If you relocate permanently, close your case in the old state and reapply in the new one. Collecting benefits from two states at once is treated as an intentional program violation, and the federal National Accuracy Clearinghouse exists specifically to catch duplicate participation.² The disqualification for that offense is 10 years.³

Who Qualifies

SNAP eligibility runs on two income tests plus a resource test, and it applies to your household as a group. The federal definition of “household” is people who live together and customarily buy and prepare meals together.⁴ A roommate who shops and cooks separately is not in your SNAP household even if they share your address.

For October 2025 through September 2026, the monthly income limits are:⁵

Gross income at 130% of poverty: $1,696 for one, $2,292 for two, $2,888 for three, $3,483 for four, $4,079 for five, $4,675 for six, plus $596 for each additional person.
Net income at 100% of poverty: $1,305 for one, $1,763 for two, $2,221 for three, $2,680 for four, $3,138 for five, $3,596 for six, plus $459 for each additional person.

Gross income is everything coming in before deductions. Net income is what remains after SNAP-allowable deductions for childcare, shelter, and medical expenses for elderly or disabled members. You have to fall under both thresholds. Households where every member receives Supplemental Security Income or certain other means-tested benefits may be categorically eligible regardless of income.

The resource test allows most households to hold up to $3,000 in countable assets like cash and bank balances. If anyone in your household is 60 or older or has a disability, the limit rises to $4,500.⁵ Your home does not count. Many states have adopted broad-based categorical eligibility that raises or removes the asset test, so the practical limit depends on where you live.

How Much You Receive

SNAP assumes your household will spend 30% of its net income on food. Your monthly benefit is the maximum allotment for your household size minus that 30% contribution. With no net income, you get the full maximum.

Fiscal year 2026 maximum monthly allotments in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. are $298 for one person, $546 for two, $785 for three, $994 for four, $1,183 for five, $1,421 for six, $1,571 for seven, and $1,789 for eight, with $218 added for each additional person.⁵

A household of three with $1,200 in net income would see 30% of that ($360) subtracted from the $785 maximum, leaving $425. One- and two-person households that qualify receive at least a minimum benefit of $24 per month even when the formula produces a lower number. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have higher allotments to reflect higher food costs.

What You Can and Cannot Buy

SNAP covers food for home consumption: fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds or plants that produce food for your household.⁶

The card will not buy alcohol or tobacco, hot prepared food sold ready to eat, vitamins, medicines or supplements (anything with a “Supplement Facts” label), live animals other than shellfish or fish removed from water, nonfood household items like cleaning supplies, paper products, pet food, and hygiene products, or cannabis and CBD products.

The hot-food restriction is where people slip up. A rotisserie chicken sitting under a heat lamp cannot be bought with EBT; the same chicken sold cold from the refrigerator case can. That is a federal rule, not a store policy.

Applying in Your State

Most states offer a combined application covering SNAP, Medicaid, and cash assistance in one form, available on the state social services website as a fillable PDF or an online portal. Submission options include the online portal, mail, and walk-in visits to a local field office. Online filing is usually fastest because it timestamps your application instantly, and that date starts the clock.

Federal law requires the state to determine your eligibility within 30 days of the application date. If you mail your application, use a method that gives delivery confirmation so you can prove when the clock started. If your household has under $150 in gross monthly income and $100 or less in liquid assets, or if your combined income and assets are less than your monthly rent and utilities, you qualify for expedited processing within seven days.⁷

You will need to verify identity, income, household composition, and expenses. Federal regulations require identity verification but prohibit states from demanding any single specific document. Any document that reasonably establishes who you are must be accepted.⁸ A driver’s license, state ID, or passport is the smoothest path, but the agency cannot turn you away solely for lacking a specific ID.

You do need to provide a Social Security number for each household member seeking benefits, or proof that an application for one has been filed.⁸ Bring recent pay stubs, benefit letters from Social Security or unemployment, records of unearned income like child support, and documentation of deductible expenses: rent or mortgage, utilities, childcare, and court-ordered support. States can use a Standard Utility Allowance instead of your actual utility costs, which simplifies that part.⁹ A lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill covers residency.

After submission, expect an eligibility interview, most often by phone. A caseworker reviews your paperwork and may ask for additional verification. Once approved, you receive a Notice of Action stating your monthly benefit and certification period. The physical card arrives by mail, and you call a toll-free number or visit a website to set your four-digit PIN before using it.

The Work Requirement That Trips People Up

If you are between 18 and 54, do not have a disability, and are not responsible for a child in your household, SNAP classifies you as an able-bodied adult without dependents. On top of the general expectation that working-age recipients register for work and accept suitable job offers, this classification carries an extra rule.¹⁰

To keep benefits beyond three months in any three-year period, you must work, volunteer, or take part in a qualifying training program for at least 80 hours per month. Fall short, and benefits stop after the third month. To restart them, you either need to meet the work requirement for a full 30-day period, become exempt, or wait for the three-year clock to reset.¹⁰

States can request waivers for areas with high unemployment, and pregnancy, receipt of disability benefits, or participation in a substance abuse treatment program will exempt you. This is the single most common reason people lose SNAP without understanding why, especially after a job ends.

Recertification and Reporting Changes

SNAP is approved for a certification period, typically 12 or 24 months depending on your household. Before that period expires you must recertify with updated information, or benefits end automatically. States send a notice roughly two months before your certification runs out, but the deadline is yours to track.

Between recertifications, most households operate under simplified reporting. You need to report if your gross monthly income crosses the eligibility threshold for your household size, or if anyone wins $4,500 or more from a lottery or gambling. Reports are generally due by the 10th of the month following the change. Missing a required report can create an overpayment the state will claw back, sometimes by reducing future benefits.

Stolen Benefits: What the Law Currently Says

Card skimming, in which criminals attach devices to payment terminals to capture card numbers and PINs, has become a serious problem, and many states are moving from magnetic-stripe cards to chip-and-tap cards that are harder to clone. Cover the PIN pad when you enter it and check your balance often.

In late 2022, Congress passed a law requiring states to replace SNAP benefits stolen through skimming, cloning, and similar methods. That replacement authority covered thefts between October 1, 2022, and December 20, 2024. Congress did not extend it beyond that date.¹¹ If your benefits are stolen now, contact your local SNAP office right away to report the theft and request a new card. Whether the stolen amount is replaced depends on your state’s current policies and whether Congress has enacted new protections.

Penalties for Program Violations

Intentional program violations carry escalating disqualifications: 12 months for a first offense, 24 months for a second, permanent for a third.³ Some conduct triggers heavier penalties immediately:

Trafficking benefits worth $500 or more (selling your card or benefits for cash): permanent disqualification on the first offense.
Using benefits in a drug transaction: 24 months for the first offense, permanent for the second.
Using benefits to buy firearms, ammunition, or explosives: permanent disqualification on the first offense.
Lying about your identity or address to collect benefits from more than one state: 10-year disqualification.

These penalties apply to the person who committed the violation, not the whole household. Other eligible members can continue receiving benefits, though the disqualified person’s income may still count toward the household’s calculation.³

1
GovInfo. 7 CFR 274.8 – Quest Operating Rules and Technical Standards
2
eCFR. 7 CFR 272.18 – National Accuracy Clearinghouse
3
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.16 – Disqualification for Intentional Program Violation
4
eCFR. 7 CFR 271.2 – Definitions
5
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
6
Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy
7
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Application Processing Timeliness
8
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing
9
Food and Nutrition Service. Standard Utility Allowances
10
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Work Requirements
11
Food and Nutrition Service. Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits