Transferring WIC from Pennsylvania to New Jersey
The move does not cost you WIC. Your Pennsylvania clinic issues a Verification of Certification on request, and that document enrolls you with New Jersey Department of Health in New Jersey for the rest of your certification period. Without it you can still apply fresh, but the VOC skips the income re-check.
Official New Jersey WIC agency: New Jersey 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 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 New Jersey 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 ↗
Pennsylvania vs New Jersey: the numbers that decide it
| Pennsylvania (old state) | New Jersey (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Pennsylvania WIC | New Jersey WIC |
| Agency | Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Women, Infants and Children (WIC) | New Jersey 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 Pennsylvania → New Jersey 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 New Jersey enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the New Jersey 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 New Jersey Department of Health directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in New Jersey. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once New Jersey approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Will my Pennsylvania WIC benefits card work in New Jersey?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the Pennsylvania card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; New Jersey Department of Health reissues the food benefits on New Jersey's system.
Where do I actually apply in New Jersey?
Through New Jersey 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: New Jersey to Pennsylvania WIC
- WIC in Pennsylvania: leaving or arriving
- WIC in New Jersey: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- Pennsylvania to Arizona WIC
- Pennsylvania to Connecticut WIC
- Pennsylvania to Vermont WIC
- Pennsylvania to Wisconsin WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: Pennsylvania to New Jersey
- SNAP: Pennsylvania to New Jersey
- Unemployment: Pennsylvania to New Jersey
- TANF: Pennsylvania to New Jersey
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
- NJ Department of Health WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- NJ WIC — how to apply — accessed 2026-08-08