Virginia households on SNAP will lose the use of their old magnetic stripe EBT card 60 days after the state mails the new chip card, whether or not the new card has been activated. The Virginia Department of Social Services says the old card “will automatically deactivate 60 days after the new card is mailed, even if you have not activated the new one.” Cards are going out in phases, so each household’s cutoff falls on a different day.

How the rollout works and who gets a card first

The state’s chip card site says Virginia began issuing chip EBT cards in September 2026, starting with 20 pilot localities that were to have their cards by October 1. The list is Chesterfield and Colonial Heights, Fairfax City and County, Lynchburg, Madison, Manassas Park, Middlesex, New Kent, Norfolk, Northampton, Orange, Patrick, Portsmouth, Radford, Richmond City, Roanoke City, Smyth, Surry, Warren, Washington and Wythe. Statewide mailing to all remaining SNAP customers “will continue in phases from October through December 2026,” and every Virginia EBT customer is to have a new card by December 31, 2026.

The site does not publish a schedule for localities outside the pilot, so a household cannot look up its mailing date in advance.

A household still waiting for its card keeps a working old card for now. The shutoff clock for that card has not started until its own replacement goes in the mail, and the state says no action is needed beyond keeping contact details current.

The question for a household is whether the new card is in hand and working before the old one stops, because the old card turns off on its own.

The 60-day clock on each old Virginia card starts on the day its replacement is mailed, so the cutoff is a different number of days away for every household.

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Counting the 60 days

The clock starts when the card is mailed, not when it arrives or is activated. As an illustration of the arithmetic, a card mailed on October 20 would turn off the old card on December 19, and one mailed on November 15 would turn it off on January 14. A card mailed at the very end of the rollout, on December 31, would leave the old card working until about March 1, 2027.

The state’s FAQ describes the same clock as running from when the new card is “issued.” A household that cannot tell which day applies should ask its local department of social services before relying on the old card.

What changes with the new card

Every chip card needs a new PIN, and the old PIN does not carry over. The state says to follow the instructions enclosed with the card to activate it and choose the new number. The card works by tapping or inserting it, which the state recommends when possible because both offer more security. The magnetic stripe stays on the card as a fallback at stores that have updated their equipment. Only SNAP-authorized retailers that have upgraded their point-of-sale software accept the chip cards.

Benefit amounts and the issuance schedule do not change, and the state says there will be no interruption to SNAP benefits. The card still cannot be used to get cash. It works at authorized retailers for approved food and beverage purchases.

Two safeguards are worth knowing about. The site says benefits lost to skimming, cloning or other fraud cannot be replaced, and it recommends the card’s lock and unlock feature, available through the ConnectEBT app and web portal, with the “lock everywhere” option. For online orders, the card number, PIN, expiration date and security code are needed, and delivery or pickup fees must be paid another way.

Another SNAP change in Virginia on November 1

The card swap overlaps with a different change. According to the state’s SNAP Healthy page, Virginia’s change to SNAP-eligible beverage purchases begins November 1, 2026. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food restriction waiver list, updated October 13, shows Virginia among four states with a November 1 target, along with Montana, North Dakota and South Carolina.

Activating the chip card and setting a new PIN

When the card arrives, activate it right away instead of waiting for the old one to stop. Follow the instructions in the envelope, pick a PIN that is new and not shared with anyone, and use the card once at a store to confirm it works. The state’s chip card page recommends changing the PIN often.

A household that has not received a card does not need to do anything beyond keeping its mailing address, phone number and email current with its local department of social services, according to the site. Anyone who loses a card or needs a replacement can contact the local office or call the EBT Call Center at 866-281-2448. A replacement costs $4.99, deducted from the EBT account. Questions can also go to [email protected].

Keep the old card until the new one works, and ask the local office for the mailing date if it is not clear. That date, plus 60 days, is when the old card turns off.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.