When Do Food Stamps Hit Your Card? Your Complete Monthly Reload Schedule

Wondering when your food stamps will arrive on your EBT card each month? The timing can feel unpredictable, but the truth is that every state follows a specific schedule. If you’re receiving SNAP benefits, your card will reload on a set date each month—you just need to know which day applies to you. The key is understanding that your reload date depends on factors like your case number, Social Security number, or even the first letter of your last name, depending on which state you live in.

Understanding How Food Stamps Arrive on Your Card

The SNAP program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) helps millions of low-income families put food on the table by depositing money directly onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer card—commonly called an EBT card or food stamps card—once every month. Rather than mailing checks or physical vouchers like the old food stamp program did, your benefits now arrive as digital funds loaded onto a prepaid debit card that you can use immediately.

Here’s what makes the timing tricky: there’s no single national date when food stamps hit everyone’s card. Instead, each state creates its own schedule, typically staggering benefit deposits across the first three weeks of the month. This system prevents overwhelming the food retail system and ensures consistent payment processing. The specific day you receive your monthly allocation depends on an identifier associated with your case—usually the last digit of your Social Security number, the last digit of your case number, the first letter of your last name, or sometimes a combination of these factors.

For most recipients, the deposit happens automatically with no action needed on your part. Once the funds land on your card, you can begin using them right away at any authorized grocery retailer. The system is designed to be consistent: every month, on the same date relative to your identifier, your food stamps will arrive.

When Does Your Food Stamps Card Reload? The General Timeline

In general, SNAP benefits for newly approved cases are distributed sometime between the 1st and 10th of the month. However, this is just the starting window—some states continue rolling out benefits all month long, with some distributions happening as late as the 20th or even the 28th.

The easiest way to find your exact reload date is to check your state’s official EBT website. Most states have a dedicated page where you can look up your status by entering your case number or selecting from a dropdown menu. You can also contact your state’s SNAP office directly by phone to confirm when your monthly allocation is scheduled to arrive.

Keep in mind that 2026 follows the same pattern as previous years—there are no major changes to when food stamps hit across most states. The infrastructure that determines reload dates has remained stable, so if you knew your date last year, it should remain the same this year unless you’ve had a change in your case status.

Your State-by-State Food Stamps Reload Schedule

Below is a complete breakdown of when food stamps reload in every U.S. state, plus the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Find your state to see your potential reload dates:

Alabama: Food stamps arrive between the 4th–23rd, determined by your case number.

Alaska: The 1st of every month.

Arizona: Between the 1st–13th, based on the first letter of your last name.

Arkansas: Between the 4th–13th, based on your Social Security number’s last digit.

California: Within the first 10 days, depending on your case number’s last digit.

Colorado: Between the 1st–10th, based on your Social Security number’s last digit.

Connecticut: Between the 1st–3rd, based on the first letter of your last name.

Delaware: Spread over 23 days starting from the 2nd, arranged by the first letter of your last name.

Florida: Between the 1st–28th, based on your case number’s 9th and 8th digits.

Georgia: Between the 5th–23rd, determined by the last two digits of your ID number.

Guam: Between the 1st–10th.

Hawaii: The 3rd or 5th, based on the first letter of your last name.

Idaho: Within the first 10 days, based on the last digit of your birth year.

Illinois: Between the 1st–20th, using a combination of case type and case name.

Indiana: Between the 5th–23rd, based on the first letter of your last name.

Iowa: Within the first 10 days, based on the first letter of your last name.

Kansas: Within the first 10 days, based on the first letter of your last name.

Kentucky: During the first 19 days, based on your Social Security number’s last digit.

Louisiana: Between the 1st–14th, based on your Social Security number’s last digit.

Maine: Between the 10th–14th, based on the last digit of your birthday.

Maryland: Between the 4th–23rd, based on the first letter of your last name.

Massachusetts: Within the first 14 days, based on your Social Security number’s last digit.

Michigan: Between the 3rd–21st, based on the last two digits of your ID number.

Minnesota: Between the 4th–13th, based on your case number’s last digit.

Mississippi: Between the 4th–21st, based on your case number’s last two digits.

Missouri: Between the 1st–22nd, based on your birth month and last name.

Montana: Between the 2nd–6th, based on your case number’s last digit.

Nebraska: Between the 1st–5th, based on your head of household’s Social Security number’s last digit.

Nevada: Within the first 10 days, based on your birth year’s last digit.

New Hampshire: The 5th of every month.

New Jersey: Within the first 5 days, based on your case number’s 7th digit.

New Mexico: Within the first 20 days, based on your Social Security number’s last two digits.

New York: Between the 1st–9th (or over 13 non-Sunday/non-holiday days in New York City), based on your case number’s last digit.

North Carolina: Between the 3rd–21st, based on your Social Security number’s last digit.

North Dakota: The 1st of every month.

Ohio: Between the 2nd–20th, based on your case number’s last digit.

Oklahoma: Between the 1st–10th, based on your case number’s last digit.

Oregon: Between the 1st–9th, based on your Social Security number’s last digit.

Pennsylvania: Within the first 10 business days, based on your case record number’s last digit.

Puerto Rico: Between the 4th–22nd, based on your Social Security number’s last digit.

Rhode Island: The 1st of every month.

South Carolina: Between the 1st–19th, based on your case number’s last digit.

South Dakota: The 10th of every month.

Tennessee: Between the 1st–20th, based on your Social Security number’s last two digits.

Texas: Within the first 15 days, based on your Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) number’s last digit.

Utah: The 5th, 11th, or 15th, based on the first letter of your last name.

Vermont: The 1st of every month.

Virginia: Between the 1st–9th, based on your case number’s last digit.

Washington: Staggered throughout the month based on your application date and approval date.

Washington, D.C.: Between the 1st–10th, based on the first letter of your last name.

West Virginia: Within the first nine days, based on the first letter of your last name.

Wisconsin: Within the first 15 days, based on your Social Security number’s 8th digit.

Wyoming: Between the 1st–4th, based on the first letter of your last name.

How to Use Your Food Stamps Card Once It Reloads

Once your food stamps hit your card, you’re ready to shop. You can use your EBT card just like a regular debit card at any SNAP-authorized retailer. This includes major grocery chains, farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, convenience stores, and big-box retailers like Walmart and Target. Many online grocery services also accept EBT payments now, so you can order food for delivery or pickup using your benefits.

Keep in mind that not all foods qualify—your food stamps can only purchase uncooked or unprepared items meant for home preparation. Prepared foods, hot items, vitamins, medicines, and non-food household products like paper towels are not eligible. However, you can buy fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, bread, cereal, beans, nuts, and similar nutritious staples.

Practical Tips for Managing Your Monthly Food Stamps

Now that you understand when food stamps hit your card, here are some strategies to make your benefits stretch further:

• Check your balance before shopping to avoid surprises at checkout
• Track spending by keeping receipts or checking your online account
• Plan meals around your reload date to manage cash flow across the month
• Use authorized retailers wisely by comparing prices and taking advantage of sales
• Visit your state’s EBT website regularly for updates or if your reload date changes

Food stamps are designed to provide consistent monthly assistance, and knowing exactly when your benefits arrive helps you budget and shop more effectively. Whether you use the first-of-the-month reload or wait for a mid-month deposit, your monthly food stamps will arrive on a predictable schedule that you can rely on year after year.