Can You Transfer TANF to Another State?
TANF never transfers between states. Every move means two separate actions: closing your case in the state you leave, and applying fresh in the state you arrive in — under that state's own income limits and rules. The pages below cover all 2,550 state-to-state moves.
Each state page lists the maximum monthly benefit for a family of three, which 16 of the 51 agencies publish, and the state's own time limit where it has a published one. Key term: TANF 60-month lifetime limit. State-by-state comparisons: benefits statistics.
Federal framework: HHS Office of Family Assistance — TANF ↗
Get your exact move as a checklist
Pick your two states and TANF (plus anything else you receive) — the generator orders every step with official links.
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All 50 states + DC
Each state page covers arriving, leaving, and links to all 100 directed moves for that state.
| State | Program / agency | Max monthly benefit (family of 3) | Time limit | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Family Assistance (FA) | $344 | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Alaska | Alaska Temporary Assistance Program (ATAP) | not published | — | 2026-08-08 |
| Arizona | Cash Assistance (CA) | not published | 12 months | 2026-10-02 |
| Arkansas | Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) | $204 | 12 months | 2026-08-08 |
| California | CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids) | not published | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Colorado | Colorado Works | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Connecticut | Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) | not published | 36 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Delaware | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | not published | — | 2026-08-08 |
| District of Columbia | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | $803 | — | 2026-08-08 |
| Florida | Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) | not published | 48 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Georgia | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | not published | 48 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Hawaii | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) / Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families (TAONF) | not published | — | 2026-08-08 |
| Idaho | Temporary Assistance for Families in Idaho (TAFI) | $309 | 24 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Illinois | Illinois Department of Human Services | $777 | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Indiana | Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Family Resources | not published | — | 2026-08-08 |
| Iowa | Family Investment Program (FIP) | not published | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Kansas | Successful Families Program | not published | 24 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP) | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Louisiana | Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) | $484 | 24 months in any 60 | 2026-10-02 |
| Maine | Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Family Independence | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Maryland | Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) | $753 | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Massachusetts | Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) | not published | 24 months in any 60 | 2026-08-08 |
| Michigan | Family Independence Program (FIP) | not published | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Department of Human Services | not published | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Missouri | Temporary Assistance (TA) | $292 | 45 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Montana | Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Human and Community Services Division) | $725 | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Nebraska | Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Nevada | Nevada Division of Social Services, Department of Health and Human Services (formerly Division of Welfare and Supportive Services) | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| New Hampshire | Financial Assistance to Needy Families (FANF) | not published | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| New Jersey | Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Works (NM Works) | $549 | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| New York | Family Assistance (FA) | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| North Carolina | Work First Family Assistance | not published | 24 months, then a 36-month wait | 2026-08-08 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Health and Human Services | $492 | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Ohio | Ohio Works First (OWF) | not published | 36 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Department of Human Services (Oklahoma Human Services) | $292 | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Oregon | Oregon Department of Human Services (Self-Sufficiency Programs) | $506 | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Department of Human Services | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Works (RI Works) | not published | 48 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| South Carolina | Family Independence (FI) | not published | 24 months in any 120 | 2026-08-08 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Social Services | $631 | 60 months | 2026-08-08 |
| Tennessee | Families First | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Texas | Texas Health and Human Services Commission | not published | 12, 24 or 36 months (by adult), then a 60-month wait | 2026-10-02 |
| Utah | Family Employment Program (FEP) | not published | 36 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Vermont | Reach Up | not published | — | 2026-08-08 |
| Virginia | Virginia Department of Social Services | not published | 24 months, then a 24-month wait | 2026-08-08 |
| Washington | Washington State Department of Social and Health Services | $706 | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| West Virginia | WV WORKS | not published | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Works (W-2) | not published | 48 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
| Wyoming | POWER (Personal Opportunities With Employment Responsibilities) | $781 | 60 months (lifetime) | 2026-08-08 |
Common questions
Does TANF transfer between states?
TANF never transfers between states. Every move means two separate actions: closing your case in the state you leave, and applying fresh in the state you arrive in — under that state's own income limits and rules. The pages below cover all 2,550 state-to-state moves.
How long does it take to get TANF in a new state?
Each state sets its own clock after you apply — the per-state pages list the stated processing time. Apply the week you arrive: the clock starts on your filing date, not your arrival date.
Can I get benefits from two states at the same time?
No. Receiving TANF from two states at once is a program violation that can create repayment debt. Close the old case, then open the new one.
Do TANF months from another state count toward the time limit?
Generally yes. The federal 60-month lifetime limit counts every month of federally funded TANF an adult received in any state, and the new state will ask about past receipt. Several states set shorter limits of their own.
Where does this data come from?
Every row on this site cites the official state agency or federal program page it was verified against, with the date. See our methodology and sources pages; anything an agency does not publish is shown as unpublished, never guessed.
Method note: every value in the table above was checked against the official state agency or federal program page cited on the state's own page, on the date shown. States that do not publish a number are shown as unpublished — we never estimate. Dollar income limits on state pages are computed from the federal poverty guidelines and labeled as computed. Details:methodology ·all sources.