Texas runs SNAP statewide through the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). Apply online at YourTexasBenefits.com, in the Your Texas Benefits app, by calling 2-1-1, or at a local HHS office. Texas is stricter than most states in two ways: it keeps an asset test ($5,000 in countable resources) and most households renew every 6 months. Since April 1, 2026, SNAP in Texas can’t buy sweetened drinks or candy.
Benefits come on the Lone Star Card. About 2.8 million Texans got SNAP in June 2026, down about 19% from a year earlier.
Texas SNAP at a glance
| Texas | |
|---|---|
| Run by | Texas Health and Human Services Commission (state-run) |
| Apply | YourTexasBenefits.com, Your Texas Benefits app, 2-1-1, local office, mail |
| Gross income limit | 165% of poverty for most households meeting TANF non-cash rules; otherwise 130% |
| Asset test | Yes: $5,000 in countable resources |
| Vehicles | First vehicle exempt up to $22,500 market value; others up to $8,700 |
| Renewal | Usually every 6 months |
| EBT card | Lone Star Card, help line 800-777-7328 |
| Deposit days | 1st to 28th, by last digits of your EDG number |
| Food restrictions | Sweetened drinks and candy banned since April 1, 2026 |
| Summer EBT | Not offered in 2026 |
Texas SNAP income limits
| Household size | 165% limit, Oct 2025 to Sept 2026 | 165% limit from Oct 1, 2026 | 130% limit from Oct 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,152 | $2,195 | $1,729 |
| 2 | $2,909 | $2,976 | $2,345 |
| 3 | $3,665 | $3,757 | $2,960 |
| 4 | $4,421 | $4,538 | $3,575 |
| 5 | $5,177 | $5,319 | $4,191 |
| 6 | $5,934 | $6,100 | $4,806 |
| 7 | $6,690 | $6,881 | $5,421 |
| 8 | $7,446 | $7,662 | $6,037 |
| Each extra | +$757 | +$781 | +$616 |
The first column is from the Texas Works Handbook. The October 2026 figures are USDA’s national 165% and 130% tables; HHSC hadn’t posted its update when we checked. HHSC’s main SNAP web page still showed older numbers in September 2026, so rely on the handbook or your caseworker.
The asset test and your car
Most states dropped the asset test. Texas didn’t. Your countable resources, like cash, bank accounts, and the value of vehicles above the exemptions, must total $5,000 or less.
| Vehicle | How Texas counts it |
|---|---|
| Your highest-value vehicle | Exempt up to $22,500 fair market value; anything above counts |
| Each other vehicle | Exempt up to $8,700; anything above counts |
Example: you have $1,500 in the bank and a truck worth $25,000. The first $22,500 is exempt, so $2,500 counts. Total: $4,000, under the $5,000 limit.
Your home, household goods, and most retirement accounts aren’t counted.
How to apply
- Apply online, in the app, by phone at 2-1-1, by mail, or at an HHS office. Find offices on YourTexasBenefits.com.
- Interview: Texas requires an interview at application and renewal. Answer calls from unknown numbers during your window. See SNAP interview tips.
- Decision: within 30 days, or 7 days if you qualify for expedited SNAP.
- Upload documents through the app to save a trip.
Renewals: 6 months for most, 36 for some
Most Texas households renew every 6 months, more often than in many states. Watch the app for your renewal date; missing it is the top reason benefits stop. See SNAP recertification.
The exception is the Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP): households where everyone is 60+ or disabled and no one has earnings get 36-month approvals and no renewal interview. See SNAP for seniors.
What you can’t buy in Texas
Since April 1, 2026, Texas SNAP can’t buy:
- Drinks with 5 grams or more of added sugar, or any artificial sweetener
- Candy
Milk-based drinks and drinks with more than 50% juice are still allowed. The waiver runs through March 2028 and can be extended. See the SNAP soda and candy ban states list.
No Summer EBT in Texas
Texas didn’t take part in Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) in 2026. Lawmakers set aside $60 million to start in 2027, but Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed it in June 2025, citing federal funding uncertainty. Families can still use free summer meal sites; see Summer EBT.
Work rules
Adults 18 to 64 without a child under 14 at home are covered by the 3-month time limit unless they work, volunteer or train 80 hours a month. See SNAP work requirements.
After approval
- Lone Star Card help: 800-777-7328. Unused benefits stay 9 months. Keep your PIN private and change it monthly; see how to change your EBT PIN.
- Your deposit day: see the EBT deposit schedule.
- SNAP qualifies you for Lifeline; see how to apply for Lifeline.
Texas and the new cost-sharing
Texas pays 75% of SNAP administrative costs from October 2026, about $117 million more a year, according to reporting by the Texas Tribune. Its FY2025 payment error rate of about 9.3% could mean paying 10% of benefit costs starting in fiscal 2028. Expect careful document checks.
More topics: SNAP and EBT guides. Income rules in general: SNAP eligibility and income limits.
Sources: Texas HHS: SNAP, Texas Family Resources: applying for benefits, Texas Works Handbook C-120 (income limits), Texas Works Handbook B-470 (categorical eligibility), Texas Works Handbook A-1210 (resources), Texas HHS: TSAP, Texas HHS: Lone Star Card FAQ, Texas Works Handbook B-250 (issuance), USDA: Texas food restriction waiver approval, KUT: Abbott vetoes Summer EBT funding, Texas Tribune: SNAP costs and the 2025 law, USDA: FY2027 cost-of-living adjustments, USDA: SNAP persons by state (June 2026).