Transferring WIC from North Dakota to South Dakota
Unlike Medicaid or SNAP, WIC has a real transfer mechanism: the Verification of Certification. Get one from your North Dakota clinic, then contact South Dakota Department of Health for a transfer appointment. With a valid VOC, South Dakota enrolls you without re-checking income until your certification period runs out.
Official South Dakota WIC agency: South Dakota Department of Health ↗ (application page)
Your step-by-step checklist
Before you move
- 1
Ask your current WIC clinic for a VOC card
Before you leave North Dakota, 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. ND WIC statewide line: (800) 472-2286.
North Dakota Health and Human Services ↗
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 South Dakota 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 ↗
North Dakota vs South Dakota: the numbers that decide it
| North Dakota (old state) | South Dakota (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | North Dakota WIC | South Dakota WIC |
| Agency | North Dakota Health and Human Services | South Dakota 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 North Dakota → South Dakota 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 South Dakota enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the South Dakota 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 North Dakota?
Call your old North Dakota clinic — many can send the VOC or verify your certification for South Dakota Department of Health directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in South Dakota. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once South Dakota approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Will my North Dakota WIC benefits card work in South Dakota?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the North Dakota card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; South Dakota Department of Health reissues the food benefits on South Dakota's system.
Where do I actually apply in South Dakota?
Through South Dakota 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: South Dakota to North Dakota WIC
- WIC in North Dakota: leaving or arriving
- WIC in South Dakota: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- North Dakota to New York WIC
- North Dakota to Nevada WIC
- North Dakota to Mississippi WIC
- North Dakota to Maryland WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: North Dakota to South Dakota
- SNAP: North Dakota to South Dakota
- Unemployment: North Dakota to South Dakota
- TANF: North Dakota to South Dakota
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 .
- North Dakota HHS WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- ND WIC — apply — accessed 2026-08-08
- SD Department of Health — WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- SD WIC portal — Apply for WIC — accessed 2026-08-08