If your Lifeline plan is free, you have to use it. Federal rules say a free Lifeline service that goes 30 days without any use gets a warning, and if nothing happens in the next 15 days, the service is cut and the benefit ends. It is the most common way people lose a working free government phone between recertifications.
The good news is that almost anything counts as usage, and one text is enough. This page explains the Lifeline 30-day usage rule: exactly what counts, what does not, how the dates work, and what to do if you were already cut off.
Who the usage rule applies to
The usage rule applies to Lifeline plans with no monthly charge. If you pay something every month toward your Lifeline plan, the rule does not apply in the same way, because paying shows you are using the service. Most free government phones are no-charge plans, so assume the rule applies to you.
| Your plan | Does the 30-day usage rule apply? |
|---|---|
| Free wireless plan (no monthly bill) | Yes |
| Lifeline discount on a plan you pay for each month | No, the usage rule in 47 CFR 54.407 is for no-charge plans |
| Lifeline discount on home internet you pay for | No |
| Free plan in an area covered by an FCC disaster waiver | Paused for the waiver period only |
Why the rule exists
Lifeline companies are paid a monthly amount for each subscriber. The FCC does not want to pay for phones sitting unused in a drawer. So for free plans, the company can only keep getting paid for you if you have used the service in the last 30 days. When you stop using it, the company has to warn you and then remove you.
The rule starts when you activate
Your company cannot start getting Lifeline support for you until you activate the service, in whatever way the company tells you to. Activation is not the same as usage. After you activate your phone, make a call or send a text that same day. That starts your 30-day clock from a clear point.
What counts as using your Lifeline service
The federal rule lists five kinds of activity. Any one of them, once in 30 days, resets the clock:
| Counts as usage | Example |
|---|---|
| Making an outgoing call or using data | Calling anyone, or opening a website or app on mobile data |
| Sending a text message | One text to anyone |
| Answering an incoming call from someone other than your phone company | A call from a friend, a doctor’s office, an employer |
| Buying minutes or data from your company | Adding a paid top-up |
| Responding to your company and confirming you want to keep Lifeline | Replying to their text or call asking if you want to keep service |
What does not count
- Receiving text messages without replying.
- Incoming calls from your own phone company.
- Missed calls, or calls that go to voicemail.
- Having the phone turned on but unused.
- Using Wi-Fi only. If your data is off and you only use home Wi-Fi, the Lifeline line may show no usage. Send a text or make a call to be safe.
The last one catches a lot of people. Apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger on home Wi-Fi do not go through your Lifeline line. Neither does listening to voicemail you already have, or checking the time. When in doubt, send a normal text message from the phone’s built-in texting app.
The 30-day clock and the 15-day warning
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Your last counted usage |
| Day 30 | 30 days with no usage. Your company must now send you a notice |
| Days 30 to 45 | The 15-day cure period. Use your phone once, or reply to the notice, and you keep service |
| After day 45 | If you still have not used it, your company ends your Lifeline service |
The notice usually comes as a text, call or letter from your company. If you get it, reply or make one call right away.
A worked example with real dates
Say the last time you used your Lifeline phone was a call on March 3.
- April 2 is 30 days with no use. Your company sends a notice that your service will end in 15 days unless you use it.
- Between April 2 and April 17, one outgoing call, one text, a reply to the company’s message, or answering a call from a friend keeps you on Lifeline. Your 30-day clock starts over from that day.
- After April 17, with no usage, your company removes you from Lifeline.
If the phone is lost or broken, you might never see a text warning, which is why the tips below matter.
Real situations that cause people to miss the 30 days
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hospital stay or rehab | Keep the phone and charger with you and send one text a month. If you cannot, call your company as soon as you are able |
| Phone broken | Call the company from another phone about a replacement before day 30, and ask how to keep service active |
| Phone lost or stolen | Report it right away. See lost Lifeline phone replacement |
| You use a different phone day to day | Put the Lifeline SIM in the phone you actually carry, if the company allows it, or send a text from the Lifeline phone monthly |
| Only use home Wi-Fi | Turn on mobile data once a month, or send a regular text |
| New phone arrived but not set up | Activate it and send a text the same day |
If you were cut off for not using your phone
Once you are removed for non-usage, there is no way to cure it late. You have to start over:
- Apply again through the National Verifier, following how to apply for Lifeline.
- Once you qualify, sign up with a company within 90 days. You can return to the same company or move to another; see our Lifeline providers comparison.
- Set a monthly reminder on the phone itself to send one text.
If you are not sure whether you were removed for non-usage or something else, call your company first. The Lifeline Support Center at 800-234-9473 can also help with a new application. It is open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern.
Simple ways to never trip the usage rule
- Put a repeating reminder on the 1st of each month to send a text.
- Use the Lifeline phone as your main number for at least one contact, such as a family member who calls every week.
- Reply to any text from your company that asks whether you want to keep service.
- If you get a new phone, turn it on and use it soon, even if you are not ready to switch everything over.
- If your phone is broken or lost, call your company to replace it before 30 days pass, and ask how to keep your service active until the new phone arrives.
Disasters and the usage rule
After some disasters, the FCC temporarily waives the usage rule and recertification for subscribers in the affected area. In 2026, it did this for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands after typhoons. A waiver covers only the places and dates in the order. If you live in a disaster area, ask your company whether a waiver applies, but keep using your phone whenever you can.
Usage is one of two ongoing rules
The other is yearly recertification, which has its own 60-day window; our guide on how to recertify Lifeline covers it. If you no longer want the service, cancel Lifeline rather than letting it lapse. And if you want a plan you would use more, a Lifeline transfer moves your benefit to a new company.
If you qualify through SNAP, remember that SNAP has its own renewal, and staying on SNAP keeps Lifeline recertification simple. Our explainer on what SNAP is covers how renewals work.
Frequently asked questions
Does one text count as usage for Lifeline? Yes. Sending one text message in 30 days is enough to keep a free plan active.
Do incoming calls count? Answering a call from a person or business counts. Calls from your own Lifeline company do not, and missed calls do not.
Does using data count? Yes, if it is mobile data on your Lifeline line. Wi-Fi use does not show on the line.
How long before a free government phone gets cut off for not using it? About 45 days: 30 days of no use, then a 15-day notice period.
I pay a few dollars a month. Does the 30-day rule apply to me? The federal usage rule is for plans with no monthly charge. If you pay each month, check with your company, but paying for service keeps the account active.
Can I get my Lifeline back after it was cut off for non-use? Not by curing it late. You apply again, and once approved you can pick the same company or a new one.
Sources: 47 CFR 54.407: Usage requirement, 47 CFR 54.405: De-enrollment rules, USAC: Lifeline Orders, LifelineSupport.org: FAQs