Transferring WIC from Maine to Nebraska
WIC transfers through the VOC card. Ask your current Maine clinic for a Verification of Certification before leaving; Nebraska is federally required to accept it in place of a new eligibility screening. Your Maine-issued food benefits stop working, but the certification itself moves intact.
Official Nebraska WIC agency: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services ↗
Your step-by-step checklist
Before you move
- 1
Ask your current WIC clinic for a VOC card
Before you leave Maine, ask your local WIC agency for a Verification of Certification (VOC) card for each enrolled family member — every state must accept a valid VOC (7 CFR 246.7). State WIC office: 207-287-3991 or 1-800-437-9300.
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS) ↗
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 Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services 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.
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services ↗
Maine vs Nebraska: the numbers that decide it
| Maine (old state) | Nebraska (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Maine WIC | Nebraska WIC |
| Agency | Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine DHHS) | Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services |
| 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 Maine → Nebraska 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 Nebraska enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the Nebraska 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 Maine?
Call your old Maine clinic — many can send the VOC or verify your certification for Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in Nebraska. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once Nebraska approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Will my Maine WIC benefits card work in Nebraska?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the Maine card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reissues the food benefits on Nebraska's system.
Where do I actually apply in Nebraska?
Through Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Official WIC pages for both states are cited at the bottom of this page.
Related guides
- Moving back: Nebraska to Maine WIC
- WIC in Maine: leaving or arriving
- WIC in Nebraska: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- Maine to North Dakota WIC
- Maine to Pennsylvania WIC
- Maine to Montana WIC
- Maine to New Jersey WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: Maine to Nebraska
- SNAP: Maine to Nebraska
- Unemployment: Maine to Nebraska
- TANF: Maine to Nebraska
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 .
- Maine CDC — WIC Nutrition Program — accessed 2026-08-08
- USDA FNA — Maine WIC state agency contact — accessed 2026-08-08
- Nebraska DHHS WIC — accessed 2026-08-08