Montana WIC serves pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under age 5 whose household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. You can start your application inside the Healthy Together app or at app.healthytogether.co, then finish at a certification appointment with your local WIC clinic. For a household of one, the current income limit is $29,526 a year, and for a household of four it is $61,050. If anyone in your home already has Montana Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or a Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship, you meet the income test automatically. This guide covers the 2026-2027 limits, the documents to bring, and each step of the process.
Montana WIC is run by the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) through 34 local agencies and more than 80 clinic sites covering all 56 counties and seven tribal reservations. There is no single statewide office you visit. Your clinic is usually your county health department, a tribal health agency, or a community health center like RiverStone Health in Billings.
Who Qualifies for WIC in Montana
Montana WIC eligibility comes down to four things: your category, Montana residency, household income, and a nutritional risk assessment done at your appointment.
You may qualify if you are:
- Pregnant, at any point during the pregnancy
- Breastfeeding, until the baby turns 1
- Postpartum and not breastfeeding, until the baby turns 6 months
- Someone who recently experienced a pregnancy loss
- An infant, from birth to 12 months
- A child ages 1 through 4, up to the fifth birthday
- A father, grandparent, foster parent, or other primary caregiver applying on behalf of an eligible infant or child
You do not have to be the biological parent to enroll a child. A grandparent raising a toddler or a foster parent with a newborn placement can apply for that child alone, without applying for anything for themselves.
You need to live in Montana, but there is no minimum length of residency and no waiting period for new arrivals. If you moved here while already on WIC, ask your previous clinic for a Verification of Certification card so Montana can pick up your benefits without restarting your certification period.
There is no citizenship or immigration status requirement for WIC, and WIC participation is not counted in federal public charge decisions.
The nutritional risk piece is not something you prove in advance. At your appointment, WIC staff take height and weight, do a quick finger-stick hemoglobin check, and ask about eating habits. Common conditions like low iron, being underweight or overweight, a history of pregnancy complications, or simply an inadequate diet all count as nutritional risk. Most applicants who meet the category and income tests are found to have a qualifying risk.
Montana WIC Income Limits 2026-2027
Montana uses the federal WIC income eligibility guidelines set at 185% of the federal poverty level. The figures below took effect July 1, 2026, and run through June 30, 2027. WIC counts gross income, meaning pay before taxes and deductions, not take-home pay.
| Household Size | Annual Income | Monthly Income | Weekly Income |
|---|
| 1 | $29,526 | $2,461 | $568 |
| 2 | $40,034 | $3,337 | $770 |
| 3 | $50,542 | $4,212 | $972 |
| 4 | $61,050 | $5,088 | $1,175 |
| 5 | $71,558 | $5,964 | $1,377 |
| 6 | $82,066 | $6,839 | $1,579 |
| 7 | $92,574 | $7,715 | $1,781 |
| 8 | $103,082 | $8,591 | $1,983 |
| Each additional person | +$10,508 | +$876 | +$203 |
If you are pregnant, you count as two people. A pregnant woman living alone is a household of two, which raises her limit from $29,526 to $40,034 a year. A woman expecting twins counts as three.
These limits went up from the previous guideline year, when a household of one topped out at $28,953 and a household of four at $59,478. If a Montana clinic turned you away for being slightly over the limit before July 2026, it is worth checking again against the current numbers.
WIC looks at your current income situation, not just last year's tax return. If you were recently laid off, had your hours cut, or work seasonally, the clinic can use a shorter and more recent income window. That matters in Montana, where construction, agriculture, wildland fire, and tourism work is heavily seasonal and an annual figure can badly misrepresent what a family is actually living on right now.
Automatic (Adjunctive) Eligibility
You do not have to document income at all if you, your child, or anyone in your household is enrolled in:
- Montana Medicaid (including Healthy Montana Kids Plus)
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
- Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship, the traditional scholarship track
The Best Beginnings addition is Montana-specific. DPHHS announced in December 2024 that families already approved for a traditional Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship are automatically considered financially eligible for WIC, since the two programs serve heavily overlapping populations. If that is you, bring your approval letter or scholarship documentation instead of pay stubs.
Note that Healthy Montana Kids CHIP coverage and HMK Plus Medicaid are not the same thing. Medicaid confers automatic WIC income eligibility; the separate CHIP track does not, so a CHIP household should bring income documents.
How to Apply for WIC in Montana: Step by Step
Step 1: Check the income table or use the prescreening tool
Compare your household's gross monthly income to the table above, counting a pregnancy as an extra person. DPHHS also links a WIC prescreening tool from its eligibility page. Neither one is a decision. Only a clinic can certify you, and plenty of households that look borderline on paper end up qualifying.
Step 2: Start your application in Healthy Together
Montana moved its participant tools to the Healthy Together platform, and as of April 1, 2026, the older WIC Shopper app is no longer supported. New applicants can begin an application directly in the app.
- Download the app at healthytogether.co/download, or
- Use the browser version at app.healthytogether.co with no download required
If you are new to WIC, choose the option to apply. If you already receive Montana WIC benefits and are just moving to the new app, choose "Connect to Account" rather than applying again.
Starting the application in the app does not finish the process. It gets your information to a clinic and gets you into the queue for a certification appointment.
Step 3: Find and contact your local WIC clinic
You can also skip the app entirely and call a clinic directly. Many Montana families do, especially in rural counties where clinic staff know the local schedule better than any portal.
- Use the clinic finder at signupwic.com, which DPHHS links as its main entry point
- Call the Montana WIC state office at 1-800-433-4298, or email montanawicprogram@mt.gov, and staff will point you to the agency serving your county
- Contact your county health department directly
A few examples of local agencies:
| Area | Agency | Phone |
|---|
| Billings, Yellowstone / Carbon / Musselshell / Stillwater counties | RiverStone Health WIC | 406-247-3370 |
| Great Falls, Cascade County | Cascade City-County Health Department | 406-454-6953 |
| Kalispell, Flathead County | Flathead City-County Health Department | 406-751-8170 |
Tribal WIC agencies serve residents of Montana's seven reservations and often coordinate with the surrounding county agency. If you live on or near a reservation, ask the state office which agency serves your address, since coverage areas overlap.
Some Montana clinics run walk-in days and others certify on set days of the month. Because clinic sites in the more remote counties may only be staffed part-time, calling ahead is usually faster than showing up.
Step 4: Gather your documents
Montana WIC clinics generally ask for three categories of proof. Cascade County, for example, says outright that there is no paper application to fill out. You bring documents and staff handle the rest.
Proof of identity for each person applying:
- Driver's license or state ID
- Birth certificate
- Social Security card
- Tribal ID
- Hospital records or a crib card for a newborn
- Immunization record for a child
Proof of Montana residency:
- Utility bill
- Lease or mortgage statement
- Bank statement or any current mail with your name and address
Proof of income for everyone in the household, covering roughly the last 30 days:
- Recent pay stubs
- An employer letter
- Unemployment, Social Security, disability, or child support statements
- Self-employment records or a recent tax return
- Or, instead of all of the above, your Medicaid card, SNAP notice, TANF letter, or Best Beginnings approval
If nobody in the household has income right now, you can say so at the appointment. Zero income is a valid answer, not a disqualification.
Step 5: Attend the certification appointment
Bring the applicant. Infants and children need to be physically present because staff measure them and check hemoglobin. The appointment usually runs 30 to 60 minutes for a first certification and covers document review, measurements, a diet and health history, and a short nutrition education conversation.
Many Montana clinics certify the same day, which means you can walk out enrolled with benefits already loaded.
Step 6: Get your eWIC card and load your benefits
Approved participants receive a Montana eWIC card that works like a debit card at authorized grocery stores across the state. Benefits load monthly for each person in the household, and the card only pays for the specific approved items in your food package.
Certification periods generally run 6 to 12 months, depending on your category. Infants and pregnant participants are recertified more often. You will get reminders through Healthy Together, and you can request appointments and message clinic staff there rather than playing phone tag.
What Montana WIC Provides
The monthly food package depends on your category and, for infants, on whether the baby is breastfed, formula-fed, or both. Approved items include:
- Milk, cheese, yogurt, and soy alternatives
- Eggs
- Whole grain bread, tortillas, brown rice, oats, or pasta
- Breakfast cereal from the approved list
- Peanut butter and dried or canned beans
- 100% juice
- Iron-fortified infant formula and infant cereal
- Baby food fruits, vegetables, and meats for older infants
- A monthly Cash Value Benefit for fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables
The Cash Value Benefit is the part most families notice. Montana has listed it at approximately $26 a month for a child, $47 for pregnant and postpartum participants, and $52 for fully breastfeeding participants. USDA adjusts these amounts for inflation, so check your current balance in Healthy Together for the exact figure.
Montana also runs an Electronic Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, formerly Farm Direct, from June 1 through October 31. Eligible participants receive $30 per person for locally grown fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets, roadside stands, and farms, delivered electronically rather than on paper vouchers. A mother with two young children would get $90 for the season. Around 110 Montana farmers take part each summer, and eight local agencies operate the program. Ask your clinic whether your area participates.
Beyond food, WIC includes breastfeeding support with peer counselors and breast pumps for eligible mothers, individual nutrition counseling, and referrals to Medicaid, SNAP, immunizations, and other services.
What Happens If You Are Denied
If your clinic finds you ineligible, you receive a written notice explaining why and how to request a fair hearing. Ask about the appeal at the clinic, since the deadline is short and stated on the notice.
The most common denial reasons are gross income above 185% FPL with no adjunctive program, and a child aging out at the fifth birthday. Neither is permanent. A new pregnancy, a new baby, a job loss, or reduced hours can all make a household newly eligible, and you can reapply at any time without waiting out a penalty period.
For a broader picture of what else your household may qualify for in Montana, including Medicaid, SNAP, and heating assistance, see our Montana benefits guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for Montana WIC entirely online?
You can start an application online through Healthy Together at app.healthytogether.co or in the mobile app, but you cannot complete enrollment without a certification appointment. WIC requires an in-person measurement and hemoglobin check for the applicant, so a clinic visit is still part of the process.
How long does it take to get WIC benefits in Montana?
Many Montana clinics certify the same day as the appointment, which means benefits load onto your eWIC card immediately. The wait is usually for the appointment itself, and that depends on your local clinic's schedule. Pregnant applicants, infants, and migrant families are given priority for earlier appointments.
What is the income limit for a family of four in Montana?
$61,050 a year, or $5,088 a month in gross income, under the guidelines effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. A pregnant woman in that household counts as an extra person, which would move the family to the size-five limit of $71,558.
Do I still need income documents if I have Montana Medicaid?
No. Enrollment in Montana Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or a traditional Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship automatically satisfies the WIC income test. Bring proof of that enrollment, such as your Medicaid card or an approval letter, instead of pay stubs.
Can fathers, grandparents, or foster parents apply for a child?
Yes. Any parent, legal guardian, foster parent, or primary caregiver can apply on behalf of an eligible infant or child and manage that child's benefits. The person attending should be able to answer questions about household income and the child's eating habits.
Can I get WIC and SNAP at the same time in Montana?
Yes. They are separate programs with separate benefits, and many Montana households receive both. SNAP enrollment also satisfies the WIC income requirement automatically.
Do I need the Healthy Together app to use my WIC benefits?
You do not need the app to shop, since the eWIC card works on its own at authorized stores. But as of April 1, 2026, Healthy Together replaced the WIC Shopper app as the way to check your balance, scan products in the store, message clinic staff, and request appointments. If you do not want to install it, you can use the same tools in a browser at app.healthytogether.co.
What if I live in a rural county with no nearby clinic?
Montana's 34 local agencies cover all 56 counties, but many rural sites are staffed only on certain days. Call the state office at 1-800-433-4298 to find out which agency serves your address and when it holds clinics near you. Some agencies travel to satellite sites on a monthly schedule.
