Transferring WIC from Connecticut to Mississippi
Unlike Medicaid or SNAP, WIC has a real transfer mechanism: the Verification of Certification. Get one from your Connecticut clinic, then contact Mississippi State Department of Health for a transfer appointment. With a valid VOC, Mississippi enrolls you without re-checking income until your certification period runs out.
Official Mississippi WIC agency: Mississippi State 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 Connecticut, ask your local WIC agency 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).
Connecticut Department of Public Health ↗
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 Mississippi State 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 ↗
Connecticut vs Mississippi: the numbers that decide it
| Connecticut (old state) | Mississippi (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Connecticut WIC | Mississippi WIC |
| Agency | Connecticut Department of Public Health | Mississippi State 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 Connecticut → Mississippi 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 Mississippi enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the Mississippi 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 Connecticut?
Call your old Connecticut clinic — many can send the VOC or verify your certification for Mississippi State Department of Health directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in Mississippi. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once Mississippi approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Will my Connecticut WIC benefits card work in Mississippi?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the Connecticut card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; Mississippi State Department of Health reissues the food benefits on Mississippi's system.
Where do I actually apply in Mississippi?
Through Mississippi State 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: Mississippi to Connecticut WIC
- WIC in Connecticut: leaving or arriving
- WIC in Mississippi: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- Connecticut to Massachusetts WIC
- Connecticut to Kentucky WIC
- Connecticut to New Hampshire WIC
- Connecticut to Missouri WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: Connecticut to Mississippi
- SNAP: Connecticut to Mississippi
- Unemployment: Connecticut to Mississippi
- TANF: Connecticut to Mississippi
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 .
- CT DPH — WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- CT DPH — How to Apply for WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- MSDH — WIC Program — accessed 2026-08-08
- USDA FNA — Mississippi WIC state agency contact — accessed 2026-08-08