Apply by Mail:

1. To Register for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the applicant has to approach the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration link or UNITED STATES Department of Agriculture link
2. An application form will be provided to the applicant by the concerned officer.
3. The applicant has to fill in all the necessary details in the application form. (Incomplete applications are not accepted)
4. Make sure that the applicant has attached all the necessary documents that are mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
5. The applicant has to attach the photocopies of the required documents along with the application form while submitting.
6. Submit the completed form and the necessary documents to the office mail address.
7. The mailing address is mentioned in the “Office Locations & Contacts” section of this page.
8. The fee for Registering for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is free of cost.
9. Once the verification process is done by the authority, the applicant receives a notification through mail.
10. The applicant may be required to attend an interview with a caseworker to review the application and answer any questions.
11. Once the application has been reviewed, the applicant will receive a decision regarding the eligibility and benefit amount.
12. If the applicant is approved for SNAP benefits, the applicant will receive an EBT card that can be used to purchase eligible food items at participating retailers.
13. The applicant will get the permit through mail or by visiting the nearest office.
14. This entire process can be completed within 15 - 20 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

• Application form
• Proof of income
• ID proof (Birth Certificate, national Identity card, etc)
• Address proof – (Driving license, passbook, utility bill, etc)
• Employee card
• Any other documents (If required)

UNITED STATES Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service U.S. Department of Agriculture
Location: USDA-APHIS
Veterinary Services, Strategy and Policy, Animal Product Import and Export (APIE)
4700 River Road, Unit 40
Riverdale, MD 20737
Phone: (301) 851-3300
E-mail: APIE@USDA.GOV

Mailing Address:
Office of Public Health and Science, FSIS.
Accredited Laboratory Program, Russell Research Center
Ste. PB-4, 950 College Station Rd., Athens, GA 30605.
Email inquiries: ALP@usda.gov
Phone: (706) 546-2337
Contact link
Field office link

Food and Drug Administration
Mailing address:
LACF Registration Coordinator (HFS-303)
Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
5001 Campus Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740-3835
Contact - 301-796-4540
Contact details link
Field offices link

• The program is designed to help individuals and families who are struggling to afford enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs.

• The fee for Registering for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is free of cost.

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

• This entire process can be completed within 15 - 20 days or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

• Applicants must complete the application form before submitting it. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicants must provide genuine information while applying for this procedure.

• Name
• Address
• Contact number
• ZIP code
• Income details
• Social security number
• Employee ID number
• Email ID
• Fax
• Mailing address
• Declaration
• Signature
• Date

• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal assistance program in the United States that helps low-income individuals and families purchase food. SNAP was previously known as the Food Stamp Program and is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

• The program provides electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards that can be used to purchase eligible food items at participating retailers, including grocery stores, supermarkets, and farmers' markets. Eligible food items include fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, dairy products, cereals, and bakery goods.

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

Place some external links which might help.

• Overall, SNAP is an important safety net program that helps millions of low-income Americans access the food they need to lead healthy and productive lives.