Enrolling in WIC: Who Qualifies, Income Limits and How to Apply

What WIC gives you

WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through state, tribal and local agencies. According to USDA's WIC benefits page, it provides:

• Healthy foods each month, loaded onto an eWIC card that works like a debit card at WIC-approved grocery stores and farmers' markets
• One-on-one nutrition counseling, including shopping advice, meal planning, help with picky eaters and help with food allergies
• Breastfeeding support
• Referrals to other services, such as medical and mental health care or a food bank

Each participant gets one of seven WIC food packages, matched to their stage of life. WIC foods include fruits and vegetables, milk, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, dried and canned beans, canned fish, whole-wheat bread and other whole grains, cereal, tofu, soy beverages, baby food and infant cereal. The fruit and vegetable part is a dollar amount you spend at the store, and USDA adjusts it each year for inflation.

WIC encourages breastfeeding, and for babies who are not fully breastfed it provides iron-fortified infant formula. Each state contracts with one formula brand, so the brand you get depends on your state. Special formulas and medical foods are available when a doctor prescribes them for a medical condition.

Who qualifies for WIC

You have to meet four requirements.

1. You fit one of the WIC groups

WIC serves:

• Women who are pregnant
• Women up to 6 months after the end of a pregnancy
• Women who are breastfeeding, up to the baby's first birthday
• Infants
• Children up to their fifth birthday

Dads, grandparents and other relatives raising a young child can apply for that child. USDA's WIC Eligibility Tool is written for anyone who is "a caregiver to a child under the age of 5." Foster children are likely to be eligible, and each foster child counts as a separate household for WIC.

2. You live in the area

You apply through a WIC agency in the area where you live. There is no minimum time you must have lived there. Federal rules say a state cannot use length of residency as an eligibility requirement (7 CFR 246.7).

Military families stationed overseas use the WIC Overseas Program run through TRICARE instead.

3. Your income is at or below the limit

Your household's gross income (before taxes) must be at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. Your household is everyone you live with and share income and expenses with, including children, people you are not related to, students away at college, and service members away on active duty.

If someone in your household is pregnant, you can add one person to your household size for each expected baby. A pregnant woman living alone counts as a household of two, or three if she is expecting twins.

These are the federal maximum limits from the 2026/2027 WIC Income Eligibility Guidelines, in effect from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, for the 48 contiguous states, D.C., Guam and the territories:

Household size	Yearly income	Monthly income	Weekly income
1	$29,526	$2,461	$568
2	$40,034	$3,337	$770
3	$50,542	$4,212	$972
4	$61,050	$5,088	$1,175
5	$71,558	$5,964	$1,377
6	$82,066	$6,839	$1,579
7	$92,574	$7,715	$1,781
8	$103,082	$8,591	$1,983
Each extra person	add $10,508	add $876	add $203

Limits are higher in Alaska and Hawaii. For a household of four, the yearly limit is $76,313 in Alaska and $70,208 in Hawaii.

Most states use these maximums, but a state may set a lower limit. A state's limit can't go below 100% of the poverty guidelines ($33,000 a year for a household of four in the 48 contiguous states). USDA's eligibility page shows the limit for your state and household size.

Count wages and tips before taxes, Social Security, child support and alimony, unemployment benefits, workers' compensation, retirement payments and disability benefits. Don't count loans, AmeriCorps income, non-cash help, or certain military pay, such as Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and combat pay. If you're not sure how to count something, ask your local WIC agency.

If you get SNAP, Medicaid or TANF

Under federal rules, you automatically meet the income requirement if you can show you are:

• Certified for SNAP
• Certified for TANF, or presumptively eligible while your TANF case is being decided
• Certified for Medicaid, or presumptively eligible while your Medicaid case is being decided
• In a family that gets TANF
• In a family where a pregnant woman or an infant gets Medicaid

This is called adjunctive eligibility. You still have to fit a WIC group and have a nutrition need, but you can skip the income check. States may also accept proof that you're in certain other state programs with similar income rules. If you don't have these benefits yet, see our guides on how to enroll in Medicaid, how SNAP works and how to apply and TANF eligibility.

4. You have a nutrition need

A health professional, such as a WIC nutritionist, nurse or doctor, must find that you or your child is at "nutritional risk." This is a free, simple health check at your WIC appointment. USDA groups these risks in two types:

• Medical risks, such as anemia, being underweight, the mother's age, a history of pregnancy complications or poor pregnancy outcomes
• Diet-based risks, such as a poor diet

A poor diet by itself can count, so don't rule yourself out before the check. Staff also use the results to tailor your benefits.

How to apply for WIC

1. Check whether you're likely to qualify. The WIC Eligibility Tool takes less than 5 minutes. It can only tell you if you're likely eligible, not approve you. If your state has an online application, the tool links to it.
2. Contact your local WIC agency. Use Find WIC Near You to choose your state or tribe. You can start by phone or online, and the office will schedule an in-person or virtual appointment.
3. Gather your documents. The office will tell you exactly what to bring. According to USDA's How to Apply page, this may include:
   • Each person who is enrolling, including babies and children under 5
   • ID for each person enrolling, such as a driver's license or state ID, passport, birth certificate, employer or school ID, health benefits card, or a baby's crib card
   • Proof of address, such as a recent bill
   • Proof that you get SNAP, Medicaid or TANF, or proof of income such as recent pay stubs, your latest tax return, or a letter from your employer
4. Go to your appointment. Staff will check your documents and income, do the health check, and explain how WIC and your eWIC card work.
5. Start shopping. If you're approved, you'll get benefits for the current month (or what's left of it) when you're told you qualify.

If you've lost your ID or proof of address, for example after a theft or disaster, tell the office. Federal rules let states certify people who have no proof of identity or residency in those situations.

What happens after you apply

Federal rules set deadlines for the local agency. Most applicants must be told whether they qualify within 20 days of first asking for WIC. Applicants at special nutritional risk, including higher-risk pregnant women and migrant farmworker families who plan to move soon, must be told within 10 days. A state may extend that to 15 days for some offices.

If you're found ineligible, the office must tell you in writing, explain why, and tell you about your right to a fair hearing. You can appeal any decision the local agency makes about your eligibility. Ask the office how to request a hearing and how long you have.

Waiting lists

If a local office is serving as many people as its funding allows, it keeps a waiting list. It can't refuse to put you on the list if you ask, and it must tell you within 20 days that you're on it. Openings go first to pregnant women, breastfeeding women and infants with serious medical problems, then to others in an order set by federal priority levels.

How long you stay on WIC

Your certification period depends on your group, under 7 CFR 246.7:

Group	How long certification lasts
Pregnant women	Through the pregnancy and up to the end of the month the baby turns 6 weeks old
Postpartum women (not breastfeeding)	Up to the end of the sixth month after the baby is born or the pregnancy ends
Breastfeeding women	About every six months; states may allow until the end of the month the baby turns 1, or until breastfeeding stops
Infants	About every six months; states may allow until the end of the month the baby turns 1
Children	About every six months, until the end of the month of the fifth birthday; states may allow up to a year at a time

At the end of each period you'll recertify with the WIC office. Bring updated income and address papers.

Common mistakes that cost families WIC

• Assuming you earn too much. The limit is 185% of the poverty guidelines, which is higher than many people expect, and working families qualify too. Check the table above.
• Forgetting to count an unborn baby. Each expected baby adds one person to your household size.
• Thinking you must be on SNAP first. SNAP, Medicaid or TANF can make the income step easier, but you can qualify on income alone. Our guide to the differences between SNAP and WIC explains how the two programs fit together.
• Waiting until the baby is born. Pregnant women can enroll during pregnancy and get foods and counseling right away.
• Signing up at two offices at once. Getting WIC from more than one local agency at the same time is called dual participation. It breaks program rules, and the state must end your participation at one of them.
• Paying someone to help you apply. Federal rules say the certification process is done at no cost to you. Apply only through your state, tribal or local WIC agency.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get WIC if I'm working?

Yes. WIC looks only at your household income. If your gross income is at or below your state's limit, you can qualify.

Can a dad or grandparent apply for a child?

Yes. Any caregiver of a child under 5 can apply for that child. The child is the participant, and the caregiver brings the child and the documents to the appointment.

What if I move to another state?

Ask your current WIC office for a Verification of Certification before you move. Under federal rules, a WIC office in your new area must accept it as proof of eligibility until your current certification period ends, even if that state's rules are different. If the new office has a waiting list, you go ahead of new applicants.

Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to get WIC?

The basic federal requirements in 7 CFR 246.7 are category, residence, income and nutritional risk. The same rule lets a state or tribal WIC agency limit WIC to U.S. citizens, nationals and qualified aliens if it chooses, so the answer depends on where you live. Ask your local WIC agency. If you have questions about how using benefits could affect an immigration case, get free help from a legal aid office through LawHelp.org.

Can I get WIC and SNAP at the same time?

Yes. Getting SNAP, Medicaid or TANF can even make you automatically income-eligible for WIC. To see what else your family may qualify for, try the KPCB Edge benefit finder. If your child needs health coverage, read our guide to enrolling in CHIP.

How do I find my WIC office's phone number?

Use USDA's Find WIC Near You page and pick your state or tribe. For general questions about the program, USDA's Food and Nutrition Administration public information staff can be reached at 703-305-2286.

Sources

• WIC Eligibility, USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, accessed October 2026
• WIC Eligibility Tool, USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, accessed October 2026
• How to Apply for WIC, USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, accessed October 2026
• WIC Benefits, USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, accessed October 2026
• WIC Food Packages, USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, accessed October 2026
• WIC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, accessed October 2026
• Find WIC Near You, USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, accessed October 2026
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 2026/2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines, Federal Register (USDA Food and Nutrition Service), accessed October 2026
• 7 CFR 246.7, Certification of participants, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, accessed October 2026