Colorado loads SNAP benefits onto the Colorado Quest Card once a month, on a date tied to the last digit of the primary applicant's Social Security Number. Deposits are spread across the first ten days of the month, from the 1st through the 10th. There is no single statewide payday. If your SSN ends in 1, your food assistance loads on the 1st. If it ends in 0, it loads on the 10th. Your date does not change for weekends or holidays, and it repeats every month for as long as your case stays open.
This guide covers the full 2026 Colorado Food Assistance issuance schedule, how to confirm your exact date, how to check your balance, and what to do if a deposit does not show up when you expect it.
2026 Colorado EBT Deposit Schedule by SSN Last Digit
Find the last digit of the primary account holder's Social Security Number in the left column. That row is your deposit date, every month, all year.
| Last Digit of SSN | Deposit Date |
|---|
| 1 | 1st |
| 2 | 2nd |
| 3 | 3rd |
| 4 | 4th |
| 5 | 5th |
| 6 | 6th |
| 7 | 7th |
| 8 | 8th |
| 9 | 9th |
| 0 | 10th |
This is the schedule the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) uses statewide through Colorado PEAK, and it applies whether your case is handled by a county human services department in Denver, El Paso, Jefferson, Arapahoe, or any other county. Colorado does not use case numbers or client ID digits the way some states do. The identifier is the SSN of the person listed as the head of household on the case.
2026 Month by Month
Because Colorado uses fixed calendar dates instead of staggered business days, your deposit date is identical every month of the year. There is no holiday shifting to track.
| Month | Deposit Window |
|---|
| August 2026 | August 1 to August 10 |
| September 2026 | September 1 to September 10 |
| October 2026 | October 1 to October 10 |
| November 2026 | November 1 to November 10 |
| December 2026 | December 1 to December 10 |
The window stays the same in January through July as well. Your exact day inside the window is fixed by the last digit of your SSN.
How to Confirm Your Colorado Deposit Date
Most households can simply match the last digit of the case head's SSN to the table above. If you want to double check, or if you are not sure which household member's SSN is on file as the primary applicant:
- Colorado PEAK account. Log in at peak.my.colorado.gov and check your benefit details or notice history.
- Your approval notice. The letter your county sent when your case was approved lists the household information CDHS has on file.
- County human services office. Contact your county's department of human or social services directly. Every county administers SNAP locally under state guidelines, so your county office can pull up your case and confirm the exact date.
- Check last month's deposit. Your date repeats, so whatever day benefits landed last month is your day every month going forward, unless your case changed hands to a new head of household.
What Time Do Colorado EBT Deposits Load?
Benefits are generally available at 12:01 a.m. on your scheduled date, so most households can shop first thing that morning. Occasionally processing runs a little behind schedule. A zero balance in the very early morning hours does not necessarily mean something is wrong. Check again later in the day before contacting anyone.
Weekends and Holidays
Colorado does not shift deposit dates for weekends or federal holidays. If your date is the 6th and the 6th falls on a Saturday, your benefits still load that Saturday. EBT issuance is automated through the state's contracted processor and does not depend on county offices being open that day.
Your First Deposit After Approval
New approvals are not tied to the monthly SSN schedule right away. Once your county approves your Food Assistance case, CDHS issues your initial benefits, including any prorated amount owed back to your application date, within a few business days of the approval being entered into the system. That first deposit can land on almost any day of the month.
After that first issuance, your case moves onto the regular monthly schedule tied to the last digit of your SSN. Your second deposit can therefore arrive sooner or later than 30 days after your first one, depending on where your SSN digit falls in the table.
Colorado Quest Card Basics
Colorado's EBT card is branded the Colorado Quest Card. It carries both SNAP food assistance and, for households that also receive it, Colorado Works cash assistance on the same physical card, in separate account balances.
A few things worth knowing about the card itself:
- Set your PIN as soon as the card arrives. You cannot use SNAP benefits at a store until a PIN is set, even if the deposit has already posted.
- Report a lost, stolen, or damaged card immediately. Call EBT Customer Service to freeze the card and order a replacement. Replacement cards typically arrive within a few business days.
- Skimming protection matters. Card skimming at compromised point-of-sale terminals and ATMs has hit SNAP households nationwide. Federal authorization to automatically replace benefits stolen through skimming expired in December 2024, so protecting your card and PIN is the best defense.
How to Check Your Colorado EBT Balance
- Phone: Call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656, available 24 hours a day. TTY users can call 1-800-659-2656. Enter your 16-digit card number to hear your current SNAP and cash balances.
- Online: Log in to your account at peak.my.colorado.gov.
- Mobile app: The Colorado PEAK mobile app shows benefit details and case status.
- Store receipt: Most retailers that accept SNAP print your remaining balance on the receipt after a purchase.
- Cash account only: You can also check a Colorado Works cash balance at any ATM or point-of-sale terminal.
Check your balance before you head to the store rather than finding out at the register.
What to Do If Your Benefits Are Late
Work through these steps in order before assuming something is wrong.
- Confirm your actual date. Double check the last digit of the SSN on file for your case against the table above. A misread digit is the most common reason a deposit looks "late."
- Wait until later in the day. Midnight loads occasionally post a few hours behind schedule.
- Check your balance by phone. Call 1-888-328-2656. The automated system reflects your current balance even if an app has not refreshed.
- Check Colorado PEAK for case alerts. A pending redetermination, a missing verification document, or a missed interview can hold your case open without releasing benefits. If your county requested something and did not receive it, the deposit does not go out until the case is resolved.
- Confirm your certification period has not expired. SNAP eligibility is approved for a set period, typically 12 months for most households and up to 24 months for households where everyone is elderly or has a disability. When that period ends without a completed recertification, benefits stop with no separate notice at deposit time.
- Call your county human services office. If your balance is still zero well into your scheduled day and there are no alerts on your PEAK account, contact your county office directly. You can also dial 2-1-1 for help locating a food pantry to bridge a gap while an issue gets sorted out.
Do Unused Colorado SNAP Benefits Expire?
Unused benefits roll over from month to month and combine with your next deposit. There is no end-of-month deadline forcing you to spend your full allotment right away.
The exception is inactivity. Under federal EBT rules, if an account has no transactions for 274 days, about nine months, the remaining balance can be removed from the account. Making at least one purchase every nine months keeps the balance intact.
2026 Colorado SNAP Income Limits and Benefit Amounts
Colorado participates in federal Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE), which raises the gross income test most households must meet from the federal minimum of 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) up to 200% FPL. The figures below reflect federal fiscal year 2026 standards, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
Approximate Gross Monthly Income Limits (200% FPL, most households)
| Household Size | Approximate Maximum Gross Monthly Income |
|---|
| 1 | $2,610 |
| 2 | $3,526 |
| 3 | $4,444 |
| 4 | $5,358 |
| 5 | $6,276 |
| 6 | $7,192 |
| 7 | $8,110 |
| 8 | $9,026 |
| Each additional person | +$917 |
Households in which every member is age 60 or older, or where at least one member has a qualifying disability, are exempt from the gross income test entirely. Those households only need to meet the net income limit, generally set at 100% of the FPL, which is roughly half the figures above.
Maximum Monthly SNAP Allotments
| Household Size | Maximum Monthly Benefit |
|---|
| 1 | $298 |
| 2 | $546 |
| 3 | $785 |
| 4 | $994 |
| 5 | $1,183 |
| 6 | $1,421 |
| 7 | $1,571 |
| 8 | $1,789 |
| Each additional person | +$218 |
These maximums come from the national FY2026 SNAP allotment table used for all lower-48 states. Most households receive less than the listed maximum. Colorado calculates your actual benefit as the maximum allotment for your household size minus 30% of your net monthly income, after allowable deductions for housing, utilities, dependent care, and certain medical expenses for elderly or disabled members.
Colorado SNAP in 2026: Rule Changes Worth Knowing
Federal changes under the 2025 budget law are reshaping work requirements nationwide, and Colorado is implementing them the same way. Able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) now face work requirements extending to age 64, up from the previous cutoff, and some exemptions that used to cover veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young adults aging out of foster care were narrowed. Adults subject to the rule are generally limited to three months of benefits in a 36-month period unless they document at least 80 hours a month of work, job training, or an approved volunteer activity.
If your case closes because a work requirement was not met, your deposit simply stops on your normal date with no partial payment for that month. Reporting hours to your county office on time is what keeps the monthly cycle running.
Comparing Colorado to Other States
Colorado's 1st-to-10th window based on SSN is on the shorter side compared to states that stagger issuance across three weeks.
| State | Deposit Window | Determined By |
|---|
| Colorado | 1st to 10th | Last digit of SSN |
| Alabama | 4th to 23rd | Case number |
| Georgia | 5th to 23rd | Client ID |
| Florida | 1st to 28th | Case number |
| Tennessee | 1st to 20th | Social Security number |
If you move to another state, your date resets under the new state's rules. For the full 50-state list, see our SNAP EBT deposit schedule by state roundup, or browse everything available in Colorado on the Colorado benefits page.
How to Apply for SNAP in Colorado
If you are not receiving Food Assistance yet, here is the process.
- Apply online. Submit an application through Colorado PEAK, the state's unified benefits portal. You can also apply in person or by phone through your county human services department, or submit a paper application.
- Gather documents. Proof of identity, Colorado residency, income for everyone in the household, and housing and utility costs. Include medical expense documentation if a household member is age 60 or older or has a disability, since those costs can lower your countable income.
- Complete the interview. Most applicants have a phone interview with their county caseworker after filing. Missing this call is one of the most common causes of processing delays.
- Wait for the decision. Counties generally have 30 days to process a standard application. Households with very low income or almost no resources may qualify for expedited benefits within 7 days.
- Activate your Colorado Quest Card and set your PIN. Do this as soon as the card arrives so your first deposit is usable the day it lands.
Under BBCE, most Colorado SNAP households do not face a separate asset or resource limit, which means moderate savings or an eligible vehicle generally will not disqualify an otherwise eligible household.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Colorado EBT deposit schedule for 2026?
Colorado issues SNAP benefits between the 1st and 10th of each month based on the last digit of the primary applicant's Social Security Number. An SSN ending in 1 pays on the 1st, an SSN ending in 2 pays on the 2nd, and so on through an SSN ending in 0, which pays on the 10th.
How do I know my exact Colorado EBT deposit date?
Match the last digit of the case head's Social Security Number to the schedule table above. You can confirm this through your Colorado PEAK account, your approval notice, or by calling your county human services office. That date repeats every month.
What time does Colorado EBT deposit?
Benefits are generally available starting at 12:01 a.m. on your scheduled date. Occasional processing delays of a few hours happen. Check again later in the day before contacting anyone if your balance looks empty right after midnight.
Does Colorado EBT deposit on weekends and holidays?
Yes. Colorado issues benefits on the same calendar date every month regardless of weekends or federal holidays. Your date does not shift to the next business day.
When do I get my first SNAP deposit after being approved in Colorado?
Your initial benefits, including any prorated amount from your application date, are typically issued within a few business days of your case being approved and entered into the system. You then move onto the regular SSN-based schedule for the following month.
How do I check my Colorado EBT balance?
Call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656 anytime, log in to your Colorado PEAK account, use the Colorado PEAK mobile app, or read the balance printed on your grocery receipt.
Do unused Colorado SNAP benefits roll over?
Yes. Unspent benefits carry into the next month and combine with your new deposit. If the account has no transactions for 274 days, about nine months, the remaining balance can be removed, so use the card at least once every nine months.
What is the maximum SNAP benefit in Colorado in 2026?
For fiscal year 2026, the maximum is $298 per month for one person and $994 for a household of four. Most households receive less than the maximum, since the benefit equals the maximum allotment minus 30% of net income.
What is the Colorado Quest Card?
The Colorado Quest Card is the state's EBT card, used for both SNAP food assistance and Colorado Works cash assistance. Each program keeps a separate balance on the same physical card.
Who do I call about a lost or stolen Colorado EBT card?
Call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656 immediately to freeze the card and request a replacement. Federal authorization to automatically replace benefits stolen through card skimming expired in December 2024, so acting quickly and protecting your PIN is the best protection you have.
