How to Renew WIC Benefits â Recertification Guide
WIC benefits are issued for a certification period â not indefinitely. When your certification period ends, you must complete a recertification appointment to continue receiving benefits. Missing recertification can result in a gap in your benefits.
When WIC Benefits Expire
Certification periods vary by participant category:
Pregnant Women
Certified through due date or delivery, then transitions to postpartum or breastfeeding certification.
Postpartum (Non-Breastfeeding)
Certified for up to 6 months after delivery.
Breastfeeding Women
Certified for up to 12 months after delivery while continuing to breastfeed.
Infants
Certified until their first birthday. Food package changes at 6 months but certification continues.
Children
Certified for up to one year at a time, until their fifth birthday.
Your WIC card receipt or WIC app will show your certification expiration date. Contact your WIC agency to schedule recertification before that date.
How Recertification Works
Recertification is essentially a new WIC appointment where your eligibility is re-evaluated. A health professional will re-assess your nutritional risk, recheck your height, weight, and hemoglobin, reverify your income and residency, and issue a new certification period if you still qualify. You will also receive a nutrition education session.
What to Bring to Your Recertification Appointment
What Changes at Recertification
At recertification, your food package may be updated based on your current nutritional needs, your participant category may change (e.g., from postpartum to breastfeeding or from infant to child), and your income is reverified. If your circumstances have changed significantly, your eligibility or food package may be adjusted accordingly.
Can I Do WIC Recertification Online?
Some states now offer telehealth or online options for part of the recertification process. However, children must typically be seen in person for measurements.
What Happens If I Miss My Recertification
Missing recertification stops your benefits.
If your certification period expires without recertification, your WIC benefits will stop. You may be able to restart benefits by scheduling a new appointment, but there may be a gap.
Contact your WIC agency as soon as possible if you have missed a recertification â do not wait until the month is over. Some agencies offer grace periods; others require a new full certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Renewal frequency depends on your participant category. Children are typically certified annually. Pregnant women are certified through delivery, then into a postpartum or breastfeeding period. Your WIC card receipt shows your current certification end date.
Try not to. Missing recertification can cause a gap in your benefits. If you cannot make your scheduled appointment, call your WIC agency as soon as possible to reschedule. Most agencies will work with you to avoid a lapse in benefits if you contact them before your certification expires.
After giving birth, your participant category changes from pregnant to postpartum or breastfeeding, and your baby becomes a new WIC participant. Contact your WIC agency after delivery to update your status and add your infant to the WIC case. This is not a full new application â just a status update appointment.
Yes. Income is verified at each recertification appointment. If you have received SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF since your last certification, bring proof of current enrollment â this satisfies the income requirement and eliminates the need for separate income documentation.
Yes, in most cases. Children being certified or recertified typically need to be present so WIC staff can take height, weight, and hemoglobin measurements. Contact your WIC agency if scheduling is difficult â some allow medical records from a recent well-child visit in limited circumstances.
