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 $3,483 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.
USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility chart (updated June 29, 2026)What Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility Actually Is
non-cash TANF or state-funded benefit categorically eligibleCategorically 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. SNAP asset test explained here The gross income ceiling rises. The state's limit becomes the new front door. What does not change: SNAP deductions guideBBCE State List (June 2026): All 46 Jurisdictions
This is the complete list from USDA's chart, updated June 29, 2026, sorted alphabetically. 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 |
The 7 States That Do Not Use BBCE
Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming- Gross income test: 130% of poverty — $1,696 a month for a household of one, $2,292 for two, $3,483 for four (FY2026).
- Asset test: $3,000 for most households, $4,500 when a member is 60+ or disabled.
- 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.
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).
Worked Example: Same Household, Different States
Take a family of four in FY2026: 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): In Mississippi (no BBCE): In Texas (165% BBCE, $5,000 asset limit): Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Texas SNAP page California SNAP pageWhat BBCE Does Not Change
not- 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 FY2026 households of one or two that qualify receive at least the 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.
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 FY2026, 200% of the federal poverty guidelines works out to $2,610 a month for a household of one and $5,360 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/$4,500 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/$4,500 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
