Transferring WIC from Colorado to Virginia
WIC follows you if you carry the paperwork. Before leaving Colorado, get the VOC card from your clinic; after arriving, schedule with Virginia Department of Health. Every state must accept the VOC as proof of eligibility, so your enrollment continues for the rest of your certification period without a new income screening.
Official Virginia WIC agency: Virginia Department of Health ↗ (application page)
Your step-by-step checklist
Before you move
- 1
Ask your current WIC clinic for a VOC card
Before leaving Colorado, ask your local WIC clinic for a Verification of Certification (VOC) card; the new state must accept it and honor the rest of your certification period (7 CFR 246.7). When transferring into a Colorado clinic, bring proof of identity in addition to the VOC.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment ↗
Moving week
- 2
Carry the VOC with your moving documents
Your current state's WIC food benefits stop working after you leave its issuing system, but the VOC keeps your certification alive.
After you arrive
- 3
Contact Virginia Department of Health and book a transfer appointment
Bring the VOC and proof of your new address. The new clinic must accept a valid VOC as proof of eligibility for the rest of your certification period, so you do not repeat the income screening; if it has a waiting list, transferring participants go to the top of it. Stated timing: up to 20 days.
Find a clinic / apply ↗
Colorado vs Virginia: the numbers that decide it
| Colorado (old state) | Virginia (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Colorado WIC | Virginia WIC |
| Agency | Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment | Virginia Department of Health |
| Income limit | 185% of the federal poverty level (the federal maximum); met automatically if you get SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF | 185% of the federal poverty level (the federal maximum); met automatically if you get SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF |
| Accepts VOC transfer card | Yes (federally required) | Yes (federally required) |
Moving with more than one benefit?
The checklist generator merges Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, unemployment, and TANF into one ordered to-do list for this exact move.
Build the full Colorado → Virginia checklistCommon questions
What exactly is the VOC card?
The Verification of Certification is a document your current WIC clinic issues that proves you are certified. Federal rules (7 CFR 246.7) require every state agency to accept it as proof of eligibility, so Virginia enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the Virginia clinic has a waiting list, a transferring participant with a VOC goes to the top of it.
What if I forgot to get a VOC before leaving Colorado?
Call your old Colorado clinic — many can send the VOC or verify your certification for Virginia Department of Health directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in Virginia. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once Virginia approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Will my Colorado WIC benefits card work in Virginia?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the Colorado card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; Virginia Department of Health reissues the food benefits on Virginia's system.
Where do I actually apply in Virginia?
Through Virginia Department of Health (online application linked above). Official WIC pages for both states are cited at the bottom of this page.
Related guides
- Moving back: Virginia to Colorado WIC
- WIC in Colorado: leaving or arriving
- WIC in Virginia: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- Colorado to Florida WIC
- Colorado to Alaska WIC
- Colorado to West Virginia WIC
- Colorado to Utah WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: Colorado to Virginia
- SNAP: Colorado to Virginia
- Unemployment: Colorado to Virginia
- TANF: Colorado to Virginia
Terms on this page: Federal poverty level (FPL) · Verification of Certification (VOC) · Certification period
Official sources
Every fact above was checked against these official pages. Last verified .
- Colorado WIC (CDPHE) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado WIC — Find a WIC Clinic — accessed 2026-08-08
- USDA FNS — Virginia WIC state agency contact — accessed 2026-08-08
- Virginia Department of Health — WIC — accessed 2026-08-08