Transferring WIC from New Mexico to Georgia
WIC follows you if you carry the paperwork. Before leaving New Mexico, get the VOC card from your clinic; after arriving, schedule with Georgia Department of Public 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 Georgia WIC agency: Georgia Department of Public Health ↗
Your step-by-step checklist
Before you move
- 1
Ask your current WIC clinic for a VOC card
Before you leave New Mexico, ask your local WIC clinic for a Verification of Certification (VOC) card. Federal rules (7 CFR 246.7) require your new state to accept it, so your certification moves with you for the rest of its period. NM WIC statewide line: 866-867-3124.
New Mexico Department of 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 Georgia Department of Public 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.
Georgia Department of Public Health ↗
New Mexico vs Georgia: the numbers that decide it
| New Mexico (old state) | Georgia (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | New Mexico WIC | Georgia WIC |
| Agency | New Mexico Department of Health | Georgia Department of Public 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 New Mexico → Georgia 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 Georgia enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the Georgia 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 New Mexico?
Call your old New Mexico clinic — many can send the VOC or verify your certification for Georgia Department of Public Health directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in Georgia. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once Georgia approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Will my New Mexico WIC benefits card work in Georgia?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the New Mexico card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; Georgia Department of Public Health reissues the food benefits on Georgia's system.
Where do I actually apply in Georgia?
Through Georgia Department of Public Health. Official WIC pages for both states are cited at the bottom of this page.
Related guides
- Moving back: Georgia to New Mexico WIC
- WIC in New Mexico: leaving or arriving
- WIC in Georgia: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- New Mexico to Minnesota WIC
- New Mexico to Maine WIC
- New Mexico to Iowa WIC
- New Mexico to Hawaii WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: New Mexico to Georgia
- SNAP: New Mexico to Georgia
- Unemployment: New Mexico to Georgia
- TANF: New Mexico to Georgia
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 .
- New Mexico WIC (NM DOH) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NM WIC — how to apply — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia DPH — WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia WIC Policy CT-850.01 Transfer of Certification — accessed 2026-08-08