Transferring WIC from Oregon to Mississippi
WIC transfers through the VOC card. Ask your current Oregon clinic for a Verification of Certification before leaving; Mississippi is federally required to accept it in place of a new eligibility screening. Your Oregon-issued food benefits stop working, but the certification itself moves intact.
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 you leave Oregon, 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. Oregon WIC serves all 36 counties through local health departments, nonprofits, tribal organizations, migrant health centers, and Head Starts — use the county lookup to reach your clinic.
Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division ↗
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 ↗
Oregon vs Mississippi: the numbers that decide it
| Oregon (old state) | Mississippi (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Oregon WIC | Mississippi WIC |
| Agency | Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division | 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 Oregon → 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 Oregon?
Call your old Oregon 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 Oregon WIC benefits card work in Mississippi?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the Oregon 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 Oregon WIC
- WIC in Oregon: leaving or arriving
- WIC in Mississippi: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- Oregon to Washington WIC
- Oregon to Alabama WIC
- Oregon to California WIC
- Oregon to District of Columbia WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: Oregon to Mississippi
- SNAP: Oregon to Mississippi
- Unemployment: Oregon to Mississippi
- TANF: Oregon 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 .
- Oregon Health Authority WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- Oregon WIC clinic/county lookup — accessed 2026-08-08
- MSDH — WIC Program — accessed 2026-08-08
- USDA FNA — Mississippi WIC state agency contact — accessed 2026-08-08