New Jersey food stamp households outside Cumberland, Essex and Mercer counties have until Friday, November 20, 2026 to activate their new chip EBT cards. After that date, the state’s Division of Family Development says, chip cards that were never activated will be deactivated in the remaining counties.
The old magnetic-stripe cards have already stopped working there. The state’s chip card page, last modified October 21, 2026, lists October 20 as the day the old cards ended in the remaining counties, which is why the division tells cardholders in those counties to activate now so they can use their November benefits.
What a household has to do is short: pick a PIN and switch the new card on before November 20. Benefits move to the new card automatically, so nothing has to be spent down on the old one first. Anyone who has not opened the mail that holds the new card, or who set it aside without activating it, is the household the deadline is aimed at.
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Three ways to activate the card
The state offers three routes, and each needs the same card details: the new card number, the three-digit security code and the expiration date, plus personal identifiers to confirm who is calling or logging in.
- Online: go to NJFamiliesFirst.gov, open the "CARD" dropdown and choose "Change PIN." The site asks for the last four digits of the Social Security number and the date of birth.
- App: open ConnectEBT, go to "Settings," choose "Card PIN Selection" and enter the card details with a new PIN. The state says ConnectEBT is the only official app for Families First EBT.
- Phone: call 1-800-997-3333 with the 16-digit card number, full Social Security number, date of birth, security code and expiration date at hand.
What happens to a card that is not activated?
After November 20, an unactivated chip card in the remaining counties is deactivated. The state says a household that misses the deadline can still ask for a replacement through 1-800-997-3333, NJFamiliesFirst.gov or the app. County offices cannot print replacement chip cards, though a county agency can help verify an address first.
That matters for anyone whose card went to an old address. A replacement takes time to arrive, and the old card no longer works, so a household that waits can end up without a working card at the register.
How the three counties differ
Cumberland, Essex and Mercer moved on an earlier schedule. According to the same state page, the old cards there stopped working on September 13, 2026, and unactivated chip cards deactivated on October 13, 2026. Households in those counties who missed activation should use the replacement routes above.
The remaining counties, covering the rest of New Jersey, are on the October 20 and November 20 dates. The state’s page lists no extension beyond November 20 and no count of how many households are still waiting to activate. Cumberland, Essex and Mercer are the only three counties on the earlier schedule, so a household anywhere else in the state is on the November 20 clock.
Tips from the state for a smoother call
The division recommends calling from a quiet place and avoiding speakerphone and car Bluetooth. If the line keeps dropping, it suggests trying another phone or switching to the website or app. Once the card is active, the division says to destroy the old one, lock the new card when it is not in use and change the PIN regularly.
The open question for each household is whether the new card has been switched on yet, and USDA’s SNAP page and the state’s chip card page are the places to confirm the dates before November 20.
Still holding an unactivated New Jersey EBT card?
A chip card that is never activated is shut off on November 20, and a replacement takes time to arrive. A household that finds out at the checkout lane can miss days of groceries, and the same mix-up can bury the next SNAP renewal or change-report date.
The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer keeps the dates straight. It holds 51 state packs, including one for New Jersey, and a renewal and reporting calendar, along with a renewal document checklist, so card deadlines and recertification dates sit on one page.
Get the New Jersey state pack and reporting calendar in the Renewal Organizer →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
