Short answer
Do SNAP benefits roll over to the next month?
Yes. Unused SNAP benefits stay in your EBT account into the next month, and purchases use the oldest benefits first. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(1)) Benefits are removed for good only after nine months (274 days), under one of two methods your state chooses. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(1)) Your state must send a notice at least 30 days before. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(2))
| Rule | Timing | What you can do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carryover | Every month | Nothing. Unused benefits stay in the account, and the oldest are spent first | 7 CFR 274.2(i)(1) |
| Off line storage (state option) | After 3 months (91 days) with no purchase or return | Contact your state. Benefits come back within 48 hours | 7 CFR 274.2(h) |
| Expungement | 9 months (274 days), by your state's method | Shop on a normal schedule so old benefits do not age out | 7 CFR 274.2(i)(1) |
| Warning notice | At least 30 days before expungement starts | Follow the steps on the notice before the date it gives | 7 CFR 274.2(i)(2) |
Source: eCFR, 7 CFR 274.2, Providing benefits to participants, title 7 current as of October 15, 2026. Verified .
Your state SNAP agency manages your EBT account. Benefit Bull never holds or touches benefits.
States say the same thing in their own words. Minnesota: "Money not spent during the month will carry over to the next month. If you do not use your SNAP benefits at all for 9 months, you will lose them." (Minnesota DCYF, mnFoodHelper) Texas: "Benefits you don't use stay in your account for nine months from the date they are put into your account." (Texas HHSC, Lone Star Card FAQ)
Below: how your balance works, when a state can take benefits off line, when they expire for good, the notice you will get, and what to do if something goes wrong.
Does my EBT balance reset every month?
No. New benefits add to what is already there. When you buy food, the state takes the money from your oldest benefits first, on a first in, first out basis, so newer benefits keep their full time on the clock. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(1))
Check your balance on your state's official EBT site, app, or customer service line. USDA links to every state's EBT website. (USDA FNA, SNAP EBT) Texas, for example, says it does not support third party apps that show your Lone Star Card balance. (Texas HHSC, Lone Star Card FAQ)
Use your state's official EBT site or the number on the back of your card to check your balance, not a third party app.
When can unused SNAP benefits be taken off the card?
If your account has no activity for three months (91 days), your state may store the benefits off line. Activity means something you do that changes the balance, like a purchase or a return. Off line benefits are not deleted, but you cannot spend them until the account is reinstated. (7 CFR 274.2(h))
The state has to send you a written notice up to 10 days before, or at the same time as, it stores benefits off line. The notice explains how to bring them back and the state's expungement policy. (7 CFR 274.2(h)(3))
To get them back:
- Contact your state SNAP agency. A request to restore benefits counts, and so do reapplying, recertifying, or a general request for help. (7 CFR 274.2(h)(4))
- The state must make the benefits available again within 48 hours. (7 CFR 274.2(h)(4))
- Use the card for a purchase so the account is active again.
If a card has been sitting in a drawer, call your state SNAP agency or EBT line well before the nine month mark.
When do SNAP benefits expire for good?
At nine months (274 days). Each state picks one of two methods, names it in its state plan, and uses it for every household in the state. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(1))
| Method | What is removed | Does using the card stop it? |
|---|---|---|
| Inactive accounts | Benefits in an account with no activity for nine months (274 days) | Yes. Any activity stops expungement and restarts the clock |
| Unused benefits | Each month's benefits still in the account nine months (274 days) after they were issued | No. It applies regardless of account activity |
We do not list which method each state uses unless a state source says so. Indiana does: beginning November 23, 2026, Indiana will remove SNAP benefits that are at least 274 days old, whether or not the card has been used. (Indiana FSSA, DFR SNAP)
Once benefits are expunged, they cannot be put back. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(3))
If you are saving benefits for a bigger shop, spend them well inside nine months of the date they landed on your card.
Will I get a warning before benefits expire?
Yes. Not later than 30 days before expungement is scheduled to begin, your state must send a notice that benefits are approaching expungement. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(2)) At a minimum, the notice includes:
- The date the benefits are scheduled to be expunged. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(2)(i))
- The steps to prevent it, including a chance to ask that any off line benefits be restored. (7 CFR 274.2(i)(2)(ii))
Read any EBT notice the week it arrives. If it mentions expungement, the date on it is the one that matters.
What if benefits were removed by mistake?
Contact your state SNAP agency first. If you disagree with what it did, every state must offer a fair hearing to any household hurt by an agency action that affects its participation. (7 CFR 273.15(a)) You can ask for a hearing on an agency action or a loss of benefits that happened in the prior 90 days. (7 CFR 273.15(g))
If you are not on SNAP yet, applying is free. "You should never be asked to pay for help filling out an application. There is no charge." (NJ Human Services, NJ SNAP Ways to Apply) For what happens after you apply, see What Actually Happens When You Apply for Benefits.
You submit your application yourself on the official site. Benefit Bull is free and never files for you.
Write down the date you noticed the missing benefits. The 90 day window for a hearing request counts from the action or loss.
What are the SNAP rollover numbers to remember?
- 91 days
- No activity before a state may store benefits off line
- 48 hours
- Time for the state to restore off line benefits after you make contact
- 274 days
- Nine months, when benefits can be expunged
- 30 days
- Minimum notice before expungement starts
Want to see whether other programs may fit your household? The free check shows estimated values and links to the official application.
Sources: (7 CFR 274.2(h)) (7 CFR 274.2(i))
What this adds up to
Unused SNAP does not vanish at the end of the month. It rolls forward, the oldest dollars are spent first, and a state can remove benefits only after nine months, with a written warning at least 30 days ahead. Regular shopping is the simplest way to keep every dollar. Questions about this guide: ben@benefitbull.com.
Sources
Every claim above links to the source it came from. Rules checked October 2026. Last updated October 17, 2026.
- eCFR, 7 CFR 274.2, Providing benefits to participants, paragraphs (h) and (i) (last amended 85 FR 52032, August 24, 2020) (accessed October 17, 2026)
- eCFR, 7 CFR 273.15, Fair hearings (accessed October 17, 2026)
- USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP EBT (State EBT Websites) (accessed October 17, 2026)
- Indiana FSSA, Division of Family Resources, SNAP (Food Assistance), SNAP Benefit Expungement notice (accessed October 17, 2026)
- Texas HHSC, Lone Star Card FAQ (accessed October 17, 2026)
- Minnesota DCYF, mnFoodHelper (accessed October 17, 2026)
- New Jersey Department of Human Services, NJ SNAP Ways to Apply (accessed October 17, 2026)
