Four states are aiming to start limiting what SNAP food stamp benefits can buy on November 1. USDA’s list of approved state waivers shows Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia with a target implementation date of Nov. 1, 2026.

Those four sit among 23 states on the list. The dates differ widely from state to state, and four other states have had their waivers thrown out by a federal court. Here is where each stands.

Which four states are targeting November 1?

The Food and Nutrition Service, the USDA agency that runs SNAP, updated its food restriction waiver page on October 13. The page’s own column heading is “Target Implementation Date,” which means the dates are goals set with USDA, not guaranteed start days.

Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia each show Nov. 1, 2026. Each state asked USDA for permission to change what counts as food under SNAP, and each request was approved. USDA describes the waivers as restricting the purchase of “non-nutritious items like soda and candy.”

What would stop being allowed at the register?

The restricted list is different in every state. Virginia’s row says it restricts the purchase of “sweetened beverages.” South Carolina’s row lists candy, energy drinks, soft drinks and sweetened beverages, and the state’s approval page notes an August 3 update that modified the definition of “restricted soft drink.”

Montana’s row lists high-sugar beverages, energy drinks, candy and prepared desserts, according to USDA’s Montana page. North Dakota’s row restricts sweetened beverages, energy drinks and candy.

Anyone on SNAP in one of those four states who buys soda, sweetened drinks or candy with an EBT card could see those items declined at checkout once their state begins. People in these states should watch for notices from their state SNAP office.

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Who approved these waivers, and for how long?

Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins signed the approval letters. Her letters to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin are both dated December 10, 2025, and the South Carolina approval runs for two years.

Montana’s approval letter to Governor Greg Gianforte is dated May 19, 2026, and also runs for two years. USDA’s Montana page links the approval to a Rollins announcement applauding the governor for submitting the waiver. Because each waiver is approved state by state, the list of restricted items and the timing can differ even among states that share a target month.

How do the other 15 states with dates compare?

The USDA table lists 23 approved states in all. Indiana and Utah carry the earliest target, Jan. 1, 2026. Idaho and Oklahoma are listed at Feb. 15, 2026, and Louisiana at Feb. 18, 2026. Texas shows April 1, 2026, Florida April 20, 2026, and Arkansas July 1, 2026.

Nebraska is listed for Dec. 1, 2026, a month after the November group. Later dates belong to Wyoming (Feb. 1, 2027), Kansas and Missouri (Feb. 15, 2027), Hawaii and Ohio (April 1, 2027) and Nevada (Feb. 1, 2028). Many of those dates have already passed.

Why do four states have no date at all?

Colorado, Iowa, Tennessee and West Virginia show a court note in place of a date. USDA’s page says that on June 22, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, in Aragon et al. v. Rollins et al., ordered that the Food and Nutrition Service’s approval of those waivers be vacated and that the waivers’ implementation may not proceed.

That ruling is why the count of states with a live date is 19, not 23. The ruling covers the four states named in it. Nothing on USDA’s page applies it to Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina or Virginia, which still show their November 1 target.

What should SNAP households in these states do now?

A target date can move. Virginia’s waiver, for example, was first approved with an April 1, 2026 start before the schedule changed, and USDA’s table now shows Nov. 1. A state can also change its list, as South Carolina did in August.

The practical step is to keep EBT cards, renewal dates and reporting deadlines in order, because those still decide whether benefits arrive at all. USDA’s SNAP eligibility page is the free official starting point for the rules that govern a household’s case, and the state SNAP office can confirm the start date.

The open question for households in Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia is whether November 1 holds. As of USDA’s October 13 update, those four rows still read Nov. 1, 2026, and no court note appears beside them.

Shopping with an EBT card in one of the four November 1 states?

A household that is watching the November 1 target can still lose benefits the old-fashioned way: a missed recertification date or an unreported change. A new purchase limit makes every dollar on the card matter more, and a lapse in the case stops the card entirely.

The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer includes 51 state packs and a renewal and reporting calendar so recertification and reporting dates are not missed. Inside is a renewal document checklist, plus a section on the SNAP work-rule time limit and who is exempt.

Get the state renewal-and-reporting tracker for the November 1 changes →

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