How to Apply for WIC in Missouri

Step-by-Step Guide

📅 Last reviewed: May 4, 2026 · Last updated: May 4, 2026

Missouri WIC Agency

Agency Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Phone 800-392-8209

Website Official Missouri WIC Site

In-Person Only

Online Application

Available

Telehealth Appointments

Same Day

Benefits if Approved

Applying for WIC in Missouri

Applying for Missouri WIC starts with an online interest form or a phone call — a WIC local agency will then reach out to schedule your certification appointment. Missouri WIC serves all 114 counties plus the City of St. Louis through a network of local agencies, and there is coverage in every part of the state.

Step 1: Express Interest or Find Your Local Agency

You have two options to get started:

Online interest form: Visit health.mo.gov/living/families/wic and complete the online interest form. A staff member from the WIC local agency serving your area will contact you to schedule an appointment. This is not a full application — the certification appointment must still be completed with a WIC nutritionist.
Call TEL-LINK: Call 1-800-TEL-LINK (1-800-835-5465) to be connected to the WIC local agency in your county. You can also reach the Missouri WIC state office at 800-392-8209.

Step 2: Gather Your Documents

Bring the following to your certification appointment:

Proof of identity for adults: a photo ID such as a driver's license, passport, voter ID card, state ID, military ID, or naturalization record. If no photo ID is available, a card or letter verifying health care, social services, or voter registration may be accepted.
Proof of identity for infants and children: immunization record, birth certificate, hospital records (crib card, hospital band, discharge paperwork), or a Family Support Division letter with identifying information.
Proof of Missouri residency: a current utility bill, rent or mortgage receipt, personal bill, pay stub with your name and physical address (no PO boxes), or voter registration card. Document must be dated within the last 30 days.
Proof of income — or proof of SNAP, Temporary Assistance (TA), or income-qualifying MO HealthNet enrollment, which eliminates the need for income documentation. If providing income proof, include pay stubs from the prior 30 days, W-2 forms, employer statements, Social Security award letters, unemployment notices, or recent bank statements.
Foster placement letter if applying for a foster child under age 5.

Step 3: Your Certification Appointment

At your appointment, a WIC nutritionist will verify your documents, conduct a health and nutritional assessment, and determine your food package. Missouri WIC nutritionists can tailor the food package to your individual needs. If eligible, you will receive your WIC card and first month of benefits.

Missouri WIC also makes referrals at certification — if staff identify that you may qualify for MO HealthNet, SNAP, or other services, they will connect you with those programs as part of the same visit.

Virtual and Phone Options

Since August 2023, Missouri WIC has offered virtual and phone-based services under a USDA physical presence waiver. If you cannot attend an in-person appointment, contact your local WIC agency to ask which services can be provided remotely. Not all appointment types may be available virtually, but the option exists upon request.

Recertification

Pregnant women are certified through pregnancy and six months postpartum (twelve months if breastfeeding). Infants are recertified around six months and again approaching their first birthday. Children are certified every six to twelve months until age five. With Missouri's transition to an online EBT system completed in 2025, benefit reloading no longer requires an in-person card visit — benefits are updated remotely after certification appointments. Contact your local WIC agency before your certification period ends to avoid a gap in benefits.

Application FAQ — Missouri WIC

Partially. Missouri has an online interest form at health.mo.gov/living/families/wic where you submit your contact information. A staff member from the WIC local agency serving your zip code will then reach out to schedule your certification appointment. You cannot complete the full application entirely online — the certification appointment, which includes a health assessment and nutrition education, must be completed with a WIC nutritionist. Since August 2023, some of this can be done virtually or by phone upon request.

Bring a photo ID for adults (driver's license, passport, state ID, voter ID, military ID, or naturalization record), identity proof for each infant or child applying (birth certificate, immunization records, or hospital records), proof of Missouri residency dated within 30 days (utility bill, rent receipt, or pay stub with your physical address — no PO boxes), and proof of income or SNAP/Temporary Assistance/MO HealthNet enrollment. If you receive SNAP, TA, or MO HealthNet, bring your current benefit documentation — that replaces income proof entirely.

If you are found eligible at your certification appointment, you typically receive your WIC card and first month of benefits the same day. With Missouri's 2025 transition to an online EBT system, benefits are now loaded remotely rather than requiring an additional in-person card-loading visit. The main variable is scheduling — contact your local WIC agency as soon as possible, especially if you are pregnant.

Moving within Missouri: contact the WIC agency in your new county to transfer your benefits. Your WIC card and certification period carry over. Moving out of Missouri: ask your current WIC agency for a Verification of Certification (VOC) form before you leave. Bring it to a WIC office in your new state to continue benefits without starting from scratch. Your Missouri WIC card will not work outside Missouri — each state has its own system and authorized retailers.

Certification periods vary by participant type: pregnant women are certified through pregnancy and six months postpartum (twelve months if breastfeeding); infants are recertified around six months and again approaching their first birthday; children are recertified every six to twelve months until age five. Since Missouri completed its transition to an online EBT system in 2025, benefit reloading no longer requires an in-person card visit after certification — benefits update remotely. Contact your local agency before your period ends to avoid a lapse in benefits.