As of the USDA chart updated June 29, 2026, 43 states plus the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands run their SNAP program under broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) — a policy that raises the income screen above the standard federal limit and, in most of them, does away with the asset test entirely. Only 7 states — Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming — still apply the standard rules with no BBCE option.
What that means in practice: in a 200% BBCE state like California, Michigan, or Pennsylvania, a family of four can earn up to $5,360 a month and still be income-eligible on paper, and no bank balance question stands in the way. In a no-BBCE state like Mississippi, the same family faces the standard $3,575 gross income cap and a $3,000 asset limit. Same federal program, very different front door.
Below you will find the complete state-by-state list straight from USDA's June 2026 chart, an explanation of what BBCE does and does not change, the handful of states that keep their own asset limits, and a worked example so you can see whether your household clears the bar in your state.
What Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility Actually Is
SNAP is federal, but states run it. BBCE is the federal rule that lets a state connect SNAP to its TANF (welfare) program in a specific way: if a household qualifies for a non-cash TANF or state-funded benefit — something as small as a brochure, a referral to a services hotline, or a notice printed on an application — the household becomes categorically eligible for SNAP.
Categorically eligible households step outside the standard federal income and asset screens. They are not subject to the federal asset limit, and the standard gross income test is replaced by the income limit the state attaches to its TANF-funded benefit. Because states can set that limit anywhere from 130% up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, BBCE is the lever that makes SNAP reachable for working families who earn too much on paper but too little in real life.
The mechanic sounds like a loophole, but it is deliberate policy. A state that wants to keep modest-income working households on SNAP designs a cheap, universal TANF-funded service — a pamphlet mailed to every applicant, for example — and the connection is automatic. That is why the USDA chart's "program description" column reads the way it does: phrases like "all households are eligible (brochure)" describe the exact hook each state uses.
What BBCE Changes for Your Household
Three things change when your state uses BBCE, and one thing does not.
The asset test disappears. Under standard rules, most households cannot hold more than $3,000 in countable resources ($4,750 if someone is 60 or older or receives disability benefits) — the SNAP asset test explained here. In a BBCE state, categorically eligible households skip that test completely. A family with $8,000 in savings and a paid-off car can qualify on the asset side in Michigan; that same family would be disqualified in Mississippi.
The gross income ceiling rises. The standard federal gross income test is 130% of poverty — $1,729 a month for one person, $3,575 for four in FY2027. In BBCE states the screen moves to whatever the state chose: 200% of poverty in 29 jurisdictions, 165% in Texas and Illinois, 130% in a few holdouts that keep BBCE mainly for the asset-test relief. Households with an elderly or disabled member already skip the gross test under regular rules, so BBCE's big winners are working households without one.
The state's limit becomes the new front door. Once a household is categorically eligible, the state's BBCE income limit governs who gets in the door. The federal net-income test is not applied to these households the way it is under standard rules — but the benefit amount is still figured the old way, from income left after deductions.
What does not change: the money math. Your benefit is still the maximum allotment for your household size minus 30% of your net income after deductions — rent, utilities, childcare, and medical costs for seniors and people with disabilities all still count. The SNAP deductions guide covers how those subtract. Interviews, citizenship and SSN rules, and reporting requirements all still apply too.
BBCE State List (June 2026): All 46 Jurisdictions
This is the complete list from USDA's chart, updated June 29, 2026, sorted alphabetically. I re-checked it when the new federal fiscal year began on October 1, 2026 — no states joined or left BBCE for FY2027, so the chart below remains the current one. The income limit is the gross income limit of each state's TANF/MOE program, expressed as a percentage of the federal poverty guidelines. Territories are marked.
| State / Territory | BBCE gross income limit | Asset limit under BBCE |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 130% | No limit |
| Alaska | 200% | No limit |
| Arizona | 200% | No limit |
| Arkansas | 130% (165% for elderly or disabled households) | $5,500 — see note below |
| California | 200% | No limit |
| Colorado | 200% | No limit |
| Connecticut | 200% | No limit |
| Delaware | 200% | No limit |
| District of Columbia | 200% | No limit |
| Florida | 200% | No limit |
| Georgia | 130% | No limit |
| Guam (territory) | 165% | No limit |
| Hawaii | 200% | No limit |
| Idaho | 130% | $5,000 |
| Illinois | 165% | No limit |
| Indiana | 130% | $5,000 |
| Iowa | 160% | No limit |
| Kentucky | 200% | No limit |
| Louisiana | 200% | No limit |
| Maine | 200% | No limit |
| Maryland | 200% | No limit |
| Massachusetts | 200% | No limit |
| Michigan | 200% | No limit |
| Minnesota | 200% | No limit |
| Montana | 200% | No limit |
| Nebraska | 165% | $25,000 (liquid assets) |
| Nevada | 200% | No limit |
| New Hampshire | 200% | No limit |
| New Jersey | 185% | No limit |
| New Mexico | 200% | No limit |
| New York | 150% (earned income) or 200% (households with dependent care costs) | No limit |
| North Carolina | 200% | No limit |
| North Dakota | 200% | No limit |
| Ohio | 130% | No limit |
| Oklahoma | 130% | No limit |
| Oregon | 200% | No limit |
| Pennsylvania | 200% | No limit |
| Rhode Island | 185% | No limit |
| South Carolina | 130% | No limit |
| Texas | 165% | $5,000 (one vehicle up to $22,000 excluded) |
| Vermont | 185% | No limit |
| Virgin Islands (territory) | 175% | No limit |
| Virginia | 200% | No limit |
| Washington | 200% | No limit |
| West Virginia | 200% | No limit |
| Wisconsin | 200% | No limit |
All percentages are shares of the federal poverty guidelines, per USDA's footnote to the chart. Dollar equivalents change each October with the SNAP cost-of-living adjustment; the current figures for the most common limits are in the SNAP income limits and FPL chart.
The 7 States That Do Not Use BBCE
Seven states do not appear on USDA's BBCE chart: Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. Households there face the standard federal rules with no state workaround:
- Gross income test: 130% of poverty — $1,729 a month for a household of one, $2,345 for two, $3,575 for four (FY2027).
- Asset test: $3,000 for most households, $4,750 when a member is 60+ or disabled (FY2027).
- The elderly/disabled carve-out still exists: even in these states, households with a member who is 60 or older or disabled do not have to pass the gross income test — only the net income test. That rule is federal, so it applies everywhere.
If you live in one of these 7 states and your gross income is above the cap, the realistic paths are the deductions that pull your net income down, the separate-household rules for seniors, or checking whether someone in the house qualifies for SSI or other disability benefits that trigger the carve-out. The seniors 60+ eligibility guide walks through the age-based exceptions.
The 5 States That Keep Their Own Asset Limits
Most BBCE states drop the asset question entirely, but five use the policy with their own resource caps instead. If you live in one of these, the asset test is not gone — it is just different.
| State | BBCE asset limit | The fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | $5,500 | Allowed for a 12-month period, once every 5 years; after that, standard resource limits apply to elderly or disabled households |
| Idaho | $5,000 | Applies to all households |
| Indiana | $5,000 | Applies to all households |
| Nebraska | $25,000 liquid assets | Counts liquid assets only — home equity, vehicles, and retirement accounts are not liquid assets |
| Texas | $5,000 | One vehicle worth up to $22,000 is excluded; value above that counts against the $5,000 |
Nebraska's is the most generous by far, and it is worth reading carefully: $25,000 in cash and bank accounts is allowed, which makes it possible to keep an emergency fund while receiving SNAP. Texas's vehicle carve-out matters for delivery drivers, tradespeople, and rural families who need a reliable car — a work truck worth $20,000 does not count against the limit.
How You Become Categorically Eligible (Usually Without Knowing)
In most BBCE states, nobody hands you a separate TANF application. The state links SNAP to a universal, low-cost service so the connection happens automatically at intake. The USDA chart lists each state's mechanism, and they are strikingly ordinary:
- A brochure or pamphlet describing state services, mailed or handed to applicants (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Georgia, and most 200% states).
- A referral printed on the application to a community services hotline or pregnancy-prevention line (Arizona, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma).
- Language on approval notices or recertification forms (Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin).
Because the trigger is built into the SNAP process itself, if you apply for SNAP in a BBCE state and your income is under the state's limit, categorical eligibility is typically conferred without a separate step. You do not apply for BBCE — it is simply how the state screens applicants. The practical takeaway: do not self-reject over savings or a gross income figure you assume disqualifies you. Apply, answer the questions, and let the state's actual rules decide. The online application guide and the documents checklist cover the mechanics.
Worked Example: Same Household, Different States
Take a family of four in FY2027: two parents working full-time at $15/hour, gross monthly income of $5,200, one car worth $9,000, and $4,100 in savings. Nobody in the household is elderly or disabled.
In Michigan (200% BBCE, no asset limit): the family is under the 200% screen of $5,360, categorical eligibility is conferred automatically, and the asset test never applies. The $4,100 in savings is irrelevant. They are income-eligible; their benefit amount depends on what deductions (rent, utilities, childcare) do to their net income.
In Mississippi (no BBCE): the standard gross income test is $3,575 for a household of four. At $5,200 gross, the family fails it — and with no elderly or disabled member, there is no path around the gross test. The $4,100 in savings also exceeds the $3,000 asset limit. This household is ineligible in Mississippi and eligible in Michigan, under the same federal law.
In Texas (165% BBCE, $5,000 asset limit): the screen is $4,421 for four, so at $5,200 gross the family is over the income line. But note what does not hurt them: the car worth $9,000 counts as $0 against the $5,000 asset cap (one vehicle up to $22,000 is excluded), and the $4,100 in savings fits under the limit. Income is the binding constraint here, not assets.
This is why the state list matters more than any national number you have read. Policy analysts at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have documented how BBCE keeps working families on SNAP when earnings fluctuate month to month — exactly the household in this example. The Texas SNAP page and California SNAP page carry the state-level income tables if you want the full breakdown for those two states.
What BBCE Does Not Change
BBCE moves the eligibility line. It does not touch anything else about the program, and a few of the things it does not change surprise people:
- Benefit amounts are still net-income math. Maximum allotment minus 30% of net income after deductions. A high-gross household that squeaks under a 200% screen with few deductions may qualify and still receive a small benefit — in FY2027 households of one or two that qualify receive at least $25 a month — the federal minimum benefit.
- The interview and verification still happen. Categorical eligibility simplifies the income and asset screens, not the process: you still complete an interview, still verify identity and residency, and still report changes.
- Immigration and SSN rules are untouched. Who must provide a Social Security number and which statuses are eligible are federal rules BBCE cannot alter.
- College student rules and other non-financial tests still apply in every state.
And one caution: BBCE policy can change mid-year, because it is a state policy choice, not a statute. States occasionally narrow or expand their limits when budgets move. If you applied two years ago and were denied under old rules, re-check the current USDA chart — 2025 and 2026 saw several states adjust. Your approval letter or the EBT balance portal reflects what your state currently runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does BBCE mean I can have savings and still get SNAP?
In most BBCE states, yes — categorically eligible households skip the federal asset test entirely. Five states keep their own caps: Arkansas ($5,500), Idaho ($5,000), Indiana ($5,000), Nebraska ($25,000 liquid), and Texas ($5,000 with a vehicle exclusion). In the other BBCE states, your bank balance does not affect eligibility.
What is the income limit in a 200% BBCE state?
For FY2027, 200% of the federal poverty guidelines works out to $2,660 a month for a household of one and $5,500 for a household of four. Households above those figures are over the BBCE screen even in the most generous states.
Which states do not have BBCE?
Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. In those states the standard 130% gross income test and the $3,000/$4,750 asset test apply, though the federal gross-test exemption for households with elderly or disabled members still applies.
Do I still pass a net income test in a BBCE state?
No separate net-income eligibility test applies to categorically eligible households — the state's BBCE gross income limit is the screen. Your net income after deductions still determines your benefit amount, though, so deductions matter for how much you receive.
Is BBCE the same as categorical eligibility?
Categorical eligibility is the underlying status — being linked to a TANF-funded benefit. BBCE is when a state extends that link to broad groups of households, not just families already on cash welfare. Every BBCE household is categorically eligible; "broad-based" describes how wide the state made the net.
Do I have to apply for TANF to get BBCE?
In practice, no. States design the conferring benefit so it attaches automatically — a brochure, a referral line, a notice on the application. You receive it as part of applying for SNAP, without a separate TANF application or caseworker visit.
Why do some states use BBCE but keep the 130% limit?
Eight jurisdictions — Alabama, Arkansas (for non-elderly households), Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina — set the income screen at 130% but use BBCE for the asset-test relief and simpler processing. In those states BBCE helps households with savings or vehicles more than households with high income.
Does BBCE affect my benefit amount?
Only indirectly. BBCE decides who gets in the door; the amount still comes from the standard formula — maximum allotment for your household size minus 30% of net income after deductions. What BBCE changes is that more households with real-world expenses make it through the door at all.
How do I prove my state uses BBCE?
You do not have to — it is the state agency's job to apply its own policy. The USDA chart linked at the top of this guide is the authoritative list, and your state's SNAP agency website describes its income and asset rules. If a caseworker tells you something that contradicts the chart, ask for the denial or decision in writing, which carries your fair-hearing rights.
Related SNAP Guides
- SNAP Income Limits and FPL Guidelines for 2026 — the full dollar chart behind every percentage on this page
- SNAP Asset Test Explained — how the $3,000/$4,750 resource rules work where BBCE does not
- SNAP Deductions Explained — the expenses that raise your benefit amount
- SNAP Eligibility for Seniors 60+ — the gross-test exemption and medical deductions for older households
- SNAP Work Requirements and Exemptions — who must meet ABAWD rules and who is exempt
