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BenefitsTransfer
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Transferring WIC from Illinois to Maine

Mostly yes. The certification transfers via a VOC card from your Illinois clinic; the benefits themselves are reissued by Maine's system. Two steps: request the VOC before moving, then bring it (plus proof of your new address) to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS). Income is not re-checked just because you moved.

Official Maine WIC agency: Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS) ↗ (application page)

Your step-by-step checklist

Before you move

  1. 1

    Ask your current WIC clinic for a VOC card

    Before you leave Illinois, ask your local WIC clinic for a Verification of Certification (VOC) card for each enrolled family member — every state must accept a valid VOC (7 CFR 246.7), so your certification moves with you. Illinois maintains a dedicated VOC line at the state WIC office: (217) 782-2166.

    Illinois Department of Human Services ↗

Moving week

  1. 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

  1. 3

    Contact Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS) 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 ↗

Illinois vs Maine: the numbers that decide it

 Illinois (old state)Maine (new state)
Program nameIllinois WICMaine WIC
AgencyIllinois Department of Human ServicesMaine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS)
Income limit185% of the federal poverty level (the federal maximum); met automatically if you get SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF185% of the federal poverty level (the federal maximum); met automatically if you get SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF
Accepts VOC transfer cardYes (federally required)Yes (federally required)
Verified 2026-08-08 (Illinois) and 2026-08-08 (Maine) against the official sources cited below.

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 Illinois → Maine checklist

Common 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 Maine enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the Maine 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 Illinois?

Call your old Illinois clinic — many can send the VOC or verify your certification for Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS) directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in Maine. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once Maine approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.

Will my Illinois WIC benefits card work in Maine?

No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the Illinois card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS) reissues the food benefits on Maine's system.

Where do I actually apply in Maine?

Through Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS) (online application linked above). Official WIC pages for both states are cited at the bottom of this page.

Related guides

Other benefits on the same move

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 .

Written by Benefits Transfer Editorial Team

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor

Last verified