Understanding When Food Stamps Renew: Complete State-by-State Guide

If you depend on food assistance, knowing when food stamps renew each month is crucial for meal planning and household budgeting. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides monthly financial support to eligible families so they can purchase nutritious food. Your EBT card receives fresh credits each month, but the exact timing depends on which state you live in and factors tied to your personal identification information.

How the Food Stamps Renewal Process Works

Food stamps renew once every month, but not everyone gets their credits on the same date. Most states distribute benefits between the 1st and 20th of the month, using your Social Security number, last name, case number, or account identifier to stagger the distribution schedule. This approach helps prevent system overload and ensures smooth processing.

When you first become eligible for SNAP, your benefits are automatically loaded onto an EBT card—a prepaid debit card that functions like a regular debit card at checkout. You don’t need to apply for the card separately; it arrives in the mail once your eligibility is confirmed. The monthly credit is determined by your household size, income level, and living expenses.

The beauty of this system is consistency: once you know your specific renewal date, your benefits arrive on that same day each month. To find your personal refresh date, visit your state’s SNAP provider website and look for the “EBT in My State” section. Your renewal date is typically determined by the last digit of your head of household’s ID number or another identifying factor.

State-by-State Food Stamps Renewal Schedules

Here’s when SNAP credits refresh in all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories. Your renewal date depends on your case-specific information:

Alabama: Dates 4-23, based on case number
Alaska: The 1st of every month
Arizona: Dates 1-13, based on last name’s first letter
Arkansas: Dates 4-13, based on SSN’s last digit
California: First 10 days, based on case number’s last digit
Colorado: Dates 1-10, based on SSN’s last digit
Connecticut: Dates 1-3, based on last name’s first letter
Delaware: Distributed over 23 days starting the 2nd, based on last name’s first letter
Florida: Dates 1-28, based on case number digits 9 and 8
Georgia: Dates 5-23, based on last two digits of ID number
Guam: Dates 1-10
Hawaii: 3rd or 5th, based on last name’s first letter
Idaho: First 10 days, based on birth year’s last digit
Illinois: Dates 1-20, based on case type and name combination
Indiana: Dates 5-23, based on last name’s first letter
Iowa: First 10 days, based on last name’s first letter
Kansas: First 10 days, based on last name’s first letter
Kentucky: Dates 1-19, based on SSN’s last digit
Louisiana: Dates 1-14, based on SSN’s last digit
Maine: Dates 10-14, based on birthday’s last digit
Maryland: Dates 4-23, based on last name’s first letter
Massachusetts: First 14 days, based on SSN’s last digit
Michigan: Dates 3-21, based on last two ID digits
Minnesota: Dates 4-13, based on case number’s last digit
Mississippi: Dates 4-21, based on last two case number digits
Missouri: Dates 1-22, based on birth month and last name
Montana: Dates 2-6, based on case number’s last digit
Nebraska: Dates 1-5, based on head of household’s SSN last digit
Nevada: First 10 days, based on birth year’s last digit
New Hampshire: The 5th
New Jersey: First 5 calendar days, based on case number’s 7th digit
New Mexico: First 20 days, based on SSN’s last two digits
New York: Dates 1-9 (dates 1-13 excluding weekends/holidays in NYC), based on case number’s last digit
North Carolina: Dates 3-21, based on SSN’s last digit
North Dakota: The 1st
Ohio: Dates 2-20, based on case number’s last digit
Oklahoma: Dates 1-10, based on case number’s last digit
Oregon: Dates 1-9, based on SSN’s last digit
Pennsylvania: First 10 business days, based on case record number’s last digit
Puerto Rico: Dates 4-22, based on SSN’s last digit
Rhode Island: The 1st
South Carolina: Dates 1-19, based on case number’s last digit
South Dakota: The 10th
Tennessee: Dates 1-20, based on SSN’s last two digits
Texas: First 15 days, based on EDG number’s last digit
Utah: The 5th, 11th, or 15th, based on last name’s first letter
Vermont: The 1st
Virginia: Dates 1-9, based on case number’s last digit
Washington: Throughout the month, based on application date and approval date
Washington D.C.: Dates 1-10, based on last name’s first letter
West Virginia: First 9 days, based on last name’s first letter
Wisconsin: First 15 days, based on SSN’s 8th digit
Wyoming: Dates 1-4, based on last name’s first letter

Where Your Food Stamps Renew Credits Can Be Used

Once your food stamps renew each month, you can spend the credits at any SNAP-authorized retailer. Eligible locations include supermarkets, farmers’ markets, convenience stores, and large retailers like Walmart and Target. An expanding number of online grocery delivery services also accept EBT payments, making it easier to shop from home.

Your EBT card only works for food items—fresh produce, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, and similar groceries. Prepared foods, alcohol, tobacco, and household supplies aren’t covered. The flexibility of the program means you can choose whatever foods best suit your family’s needs and dietary preferences.

Planning Around Your Monthly Renewal

Understanding exactly when food stamps renew helps you budget throughout the month. If you receive benefits early in the month, you can plan larger shopping trips immediately. If your refresh date falls later—say the 20th or 25th—you might conserve purchases earlier in the month or combine your renewed credits with remaining funds.

Keep in mind that in 2026, the renewal schedule remains consistent with previous years. Federal policy hasn’t introduced changes to the distribution timeline, so your monthly refresh date should remain the same as it was in 2025.

For the most current details specific to your situation, contact your state’s SNAP office or visit your state’s official EBT website. Staff can confirm your exact renewal date and answer questions about eligibility, work requirements, or reporting changes to your household.