How to Apply for WIC: Eligibility and Income Guidelines

WIC eligibility: who can get WIC

WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, gives families healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and referrals at no cost. USDA's Food and Nutrition Administration, formerly the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), oversees it, and state, territorial and tribal agencies run it. Before you learn how to apply for WIC, check the four parts of WIC eligibility:

Category: pregnant; postpartum, up to six months after a pregnancy ends; breastfeeding, up to the baby's first birthday; an infant; or a child up to the fifth birthday. Parents, grandparents, foster parents and other caregivers can apply for a child in their care.
Residency: you apply through a WIC agency in your area. Federal rules require you to live in the state where you apply, but no minimum length of residency can be required.
Income: at or below your state's WIC limit, or automatically income eligible through SNAP, Medicaid or TANF.
Nutritional risk: a free health check by WIC staff, usually height or length and weight, and often a quick blood test for anemia.

WIC income guidelines for July 2026 to June 2027

The federal WIC income guidelines are 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. USDA published the current table on April 29, 2026. It runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, and states had to start using it by July 1, 2026. The numbers change every year, so check again each July.

Maximum gross household income in the 48 contiguous states, D.C., Guam and the territories:

Household of 1: $29,526 a year ($2,461 a month)
Household of 2: $40,034 a year ($3,337 a month)
Household of 3: $50,542 a year ($4,212 a month)
Household of 4: $61,050 a year ($5,088 a month)
Household of 5: $71,558 a year ($5,964 a month)
Household of 6: $82,066 a year ($6,839 a month)
Each additional person: add $10,508 a year ($876 a month)

Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits: $36,908 and $33,966 a year for one person. Count income before taxes and deductions. Your household is everyone you live with and share income and expenses with, and a pregnant woman can add one person for each expected baby. A state may use a lower limit tied to its health care programs, but never below 100% of the poverty guidelines, so your state's table is the final word.

On SNAP, Medicaid or TANF? Federal rules treat people enrolled in these programs, and in some cases their family members, as income eligible without the limits above. Bring proof of enrollment.

How to apply for WIC, step by step

The steps for how to apply for WIC are similar across the country, although each agency sets its own process.

Check whether you are likely eligible. USDA's free WIC Eligibility Tool takes under five minutes. Only a WIC agency can confirm eligibility.
Find your agency. Choose your state, territory or tribe in the USDA WIC locator. Some agencies offer an online application.
Call or apply online. The agency schedules your appointment and tells you what to bring.
Gather your documents (see the list below).
Attend the appointment with everyone who is applying. Staff review your documents, do the health check and talk with you about nutrition and feeding.
Get your benefits. If you qualify, the office explains your eWIC card, your food benefits and your next appointment.

USDA's how-to-apply page mentions in-person or virtual appointments. Federal rules generally require applicants to be physically present at certification, with some exceptions, so phone and video options vary by state and have changed over time. Ask what your office offers now, and say so if work, transportation or a disability makes a visit hard.

If you are pregnant and meet the income rules, federal rules allow a state to certify you right away and finish the health check within 60 days, so call early.

What to bring to your WIC appointment

Your local office will tell you exactly what it needs. According to USDA, the list may include:

Each person enrolling, including babies and children under 5
Identification for each person, such as a driver's license or state ID, passport, birth certificate, work or school ID, health benefits card or a baby's crib card
Proof of address, such as a recent bill
Proof of SNAP, Medicaid or TANF enrollment, or proof of income such as recent paychecks, your latest tax return or a letter from your employer

Missing papers should not stop you from calling. Federal rules let agencies accept a signed statement in some situations, such as homelessness, documents lost to a disaster or theft, or cash work with no pay records. If you have no income, tell the office; no statement is needed for that.

How to apply for WIC by phone: find your WIC phone number

There is no single national WIC phone number for applications. Each state, territorial and tribal WIC agency has its own contact details, and local clinics book appointments.

USDA's WIC state agency contacts list gives each agency's website, how-to-apply instructions and, for many, a toll-free number.
The WIC locator shows local WIC information once you choose your state or tribe.
Your state WIC website usually links to a clinic finder, so you can call the office nearest you.

Use numbers from official government pages. WIC is free, so be wary of anyone who charges to help you apply or asks for your eWIC PIN.

Immigration status and public charge

Federal WIC rules do not list citizenship among the eligibility requirements. They do allow a state agency to limit WIC to U.S. citizens, nationals and qualified immigrants, so ask your state agency what it requires.

Public charge rules changed in 2026. A Department of Homeland Security final rule, in effect since September 18, 2026, lets immigration officers consider WIC received or applied for on or after that date as one factor when deciding whether someone is likely to become a public charge. Benefits received earlier are treated under the 2022 rule, which did not count WIC. The rule does not change WIC eligibility, and some immigration categories are exempt from the test.

Because the effect depends on your situation, talk with a nonprofit immigration legal service provider or an immigration attorney before you decide. The Justice Department keeps a list of pro bono legal service providers.

WIC formula: how infant formula works on WIC

WIC supports breastfeeding and also provides infant formula. The amount depends on the baby's age and on whether the baby is fully breastfed, partly breastfed or fully formula-fed.

Contract brands: each state agency buys formula through a cost-containment system, such as a competitive contract with one manufacturer that pays rebates. That is why WIC formula brands differ from state to state.
Primary formula first: local agencies issue the state's primary contract formula as the first choice, with other formulas as alternatives.
Medical documentation: a non-contract brand, an exempt infant formula for special medical needs, or a WIC-eligible nutritional requires medical documentation from a health care provider licensed to write prescriptions. Your state may require it for other contract formulas too.

If your baby has trouble with a formula, talk with your baby's doctor and your WIC office before switching.

After you are approved: your eWIC card and approved foods

WIC benefits load onto an eWIC card that works like a debit card at WIC-approved grocery stores and farmers' markets. Benefits are categories with amounts, such as quarts of milk or a dollar amount for produce, valid for a set period.

Federal rules define the food packages, and your state decides which brands and sizes count, so shop from your state's approved food list or app. Our WIC shopping list guide shows how to plan a trip from your balance. Eligibility lasts for a certification period, so keep your appointments to continue.

Where WIC Companion fits

WIC Companion is an independent planning tool from Auto Secure Login. It is not a government app, it is not affiliated with or endorsed by USDA or any state WIC agency, and it plays no part in how to apply for WIC: it cannot take an application or decide eligibility.

Once you are enrolled, you choose your state and the categories you have left, and it builds a shopping list from that state's approved-food data, in English or Spanish, free on the web. It has data for California, Colorado and New York only, it cannot see your eWIC card or balance, and you should never type a card number or PIN into it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for WIC?

The short version of how to apply for WIC: find your agency with USDA's WIC locator, call or apply online for an appointment, and bring ID, proof of address, proof of income or program enrollment, and everyone applying.

What are the WIC income guidelines for 2026-2027?

From July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, the federal limit is 185% of the poverty guidelines: $29,526 a year for one person and $61,050 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states, with higher limits in Alaska and Hawaii. SNAP, Medicaid and TANF participants are usually income eligible automatically.

Is there a WIC eligibility calculator?

Yes. USDA's WIC Eligibility Tool tells you in under five minutes whether you are likely eligible. Only your WIC agency can confirm it, so call your local clinic if unsure.

Is there a national WIC phone number?

No single national number takes applications. Find your state's number, often toll-free, on USDA's WIC state agency contacts list or the WIC locator.

Can I get WIC if I am not a U.S. citizen?

Federal WIC rules do not require citizenship, but a state may limit WIC to citizens, nationals and qualified immigrants. Since September 18, 2026, WIC may be considered in some public charge decisions, so get immigration legal advice first.

Can a father or grandparent apply for WIC?

Yes. A parent, grandparent, foster parent or other caregiver can apply for an infant or child under 5 in their care. Each foster child counts as a separate household for WIC.

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How to Apply for WIC: Eligibility, Income Guidelines and What to Bring