Transferring WIC from Tennessee to California
WIC follows you if you carry the paperwork. Before leaving Tennessee, get the VOC card from your clinic; after arriving, schedule with California 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 California WIC agency: California Department of Public Health ↗ (application page)
Your step-by-step checklist
Before you move
- 1
Ask your current WIC clinic for a VOC card
Before you leave Tennessee, request a Verification of Certification (VOC) for each participant — Tennessee WIC directs participants to call 1-800-DIAL-WIC (1-800-342-5942) to request a VOC. Federal rules (7 CFR 246.7) require your new state to accept it, so your WIC certification moves with you. Then contact a WIC clinic in your new state to transfer.
Tennessee 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 California 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.
Find a clinic / apply ↗
Tennessee vs California: the numbers that decide it
| Tennessee (old state) | California (new state) | |
|---|---|---|
| Program name | Tennessee WIC | California WIC |
| Agency | Tennessee Department of Health | California 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 Tennessee → California 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 California enrolls you without a new income screening until your certification period ends. If the California 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 Tennessee?
Call your old Tennessee clinic — many can send the VOC or verify your certification for California Department of Public Health directly. If that fails, you can apply fresh in California. The federal income test is 185% of the poverty guidelines in every state, and you meet it automatically once California approves you for SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF.
Will my Tennessee WIC benefits card work in California?
No — WIC benefits are issued on each state's own system, so the Tennessee card stops working. Your certification transfers via the VOC; California Department of Public Health reissues the food benefits on California's system.
Where do I actually apply in California?
Through California Department of Public Health (online application linked above). Official WIC pages for both states are cited at the bottom of this page.
Related guides
- Moving back: California to Tennessee WIC
- WIC in Tennessee: leaving or arriving
- WIC in California: leaving or arriving
- Moving with WIC: every state
- Tennessee to Minnesota WIC
- Tennessee to Maine WIC
- Tennessee to New Mexico WIC
- Tennessee to Nebraska WIC
Other benefits on the same move
- Medicaid: Tennessee to California
- SNAP: Tennessee to California
- Unemployment: Tennessee to California
- TANF: Tennessee to California
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 .
- TN Department of Health — Tennessee WIC Program — accessed 2026-08-08
- CDPH — WIC Program — accessed 2026-08-08
- MyFamily — California WIC — accessed 2026-08-08
- CDPH WPPM 250-10 Verification of Certification (rev. 2025-04-15) — accessed 2026-08-08