Transferring WIC from Pennsylvania to Colorado
Yes — WIC certification is portable by federal rule. The VOC card from your Pennsylvania clinic is the key: Colorado must accept it, and Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment will reissue benefits on its own system. Request the VOC early; clinics can print it at your last appointment before the move.
Official Colorado WIC agency: Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment ↗ (application page)
Your step-by-step checklist
Before you move
- 1
Ask your current WIC clinic for a VOC card
Before you leave Pennsylvania, ask your county WIC office 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. WIC Hotline: 1-800-WIC-WINS (1-800-942-9467).
Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Women, Infants and Children (WIC) ↗
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 Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment 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 ↗
Pennsylvania vs Colorado: the numbers that decide it
| Pennsylvania (old state) | Colorado (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Pennsylvania WIC | Colorado WIC |
| Agency | Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Women, Infants and Children (WIC) | Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment |
| 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 Pennsylvania → Colorado 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 Colorado enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the Colorado 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 Pennsylvania?
Call your old Pennsylvania clinic — many can send the VOC or verify your certification for Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in Colorado. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once Colorado approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Will my Pennsylvania WIC benefits card work in Colorado?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the Pennsylvania card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment reissues the food benefits on Colorado's system.
Where do I actually apply in Colorado?
Through Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (online application linked above). Official WIC pages for both states are cited at the bottom of this page.
Related guides
- Moving back: Colorado to Pennsylvania WIC
- WIC in Pennsylvania: leaving or arriving
- WIC in Colorado: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- Pennsylvania to Tennessee WIC
- Pennsylvania to Virginia WIC
- Pennsylvania to Wyoming WIC
- Pennsylvania to Michigan WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: Pennsylvania to Colorado
- SNAP: Pennsylvania to Colorado
- Unemployment: Pennsylvania to Colorado
- TANF: Pennsylvania to Colorado
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 .
- PA Department of Health — WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- PA — request WIC pre-application appointment — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado WIC (CDPHE) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado WIC — Find a WIC Clinic — accessed 2026-08-08