SNAP 36-month period: when your 3-month clock resets (2026–2027)

Fixed and rolling clocks

Federal rules say the State agency “may use either a ‘fixed’ or ‘rolling’ clock,” and must treat people in the same situation the same way (7 CFR 273.24(b)(3)).

Your notices should show your period. If they don’t, ask your SNAP office: “What are the dates of my 36-month period, and how many countable months have I used?”

Resets coming up: November 2026 to February 2027

• Georgia: the DFCS policy manual says the current period is December 1, 2023 through November 30, 2026, and a new period starts every 36 months after that. So the next one begins December 1, 2026.
• Iowa: Iowa HHS’s Work Rules letter tells people who used their 3 months that they lose SNAP “until December 2026.” Iowa has not published the exact day; it points to a new period starting in December 2026.
• Illinois: IDHS says the current period is January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026, and the new period runs January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029.
• Washington: the DSHS manual says the current period ends December 31, 2026, and another begins January 1, 2027.
• Massachusetts: DTA’s period runs January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026, and DTA says people who lose SNAP can be approved again if they apply after December 31, 2026. DTA had not posted the next period’s dates as of October 31, 2026.
• New Jersey: the state’s FAQ says people who use their 3 months lose SNAP “until January 31, 2027.” It does not give the next period’s dates, so ask your county office whether you can reapply from February 1, 2027.

Recent resets: New York and Maine started new periods on October 1, 2026; Maryland, Montana and Colorado on July 1, 2026; Washington, D.C. and New Mexico on June 1, 2026; and Louisiana in April 2026. If you lost SNAP in one of these states before the reset, you can apply again now.

Every state’s 36-month period

From the official state sources on each state page, checked through October 31, 2026. Bold dates fall between November 2026 and February 2027. “Worked out” means the state published only one end of the period and we calculated the other.

“Not published” means we could not find the dates on an official state page. Your notices are the official record. The time limit calculator fills in these dates for you.

What happens to your months at the reset

• Used months stop counting. On the first day of the new period you have used 0 of your 3 months.
• Unused months are lost. If you used only 1 month in the old period, you do not start the new one with 5. Everyone starts with 3.
• Only full months count. A month counts only if you got SNAP for the whole month and did not meet the rule, were not exempt, did not live in a waived area, and had no good cause. A first month with partial (prorated) benefits never counts.
• The extra 3 months come back. The one-time extra 3 months (below) are allowed once per 36-month period, so a new period makes them available again.
• Months from another state can follow you. Some states, including Washington and Kansas, count months you used in another state during their current period. Moving does not reset your count.

You don’t have to wait for the reset

1. Do 80 hours in 30 days. Work, volunteer, or take part in a work or training program for at least 80 hours in any 30 days in a row, then reapply or tell your SNAP office. There is no limit on how many times you can regain SNAP this way (7 CFR 273.24(d)).
2. Become exempt. If you become pregnant, a child under 14 joins your SNAP household, a health condition keeps you from working, you start school half-time, or you turn 65, report it right away. See exemptions.
3. Check for a waived area. Months in a waived area don’t count.

Step-by-step help, including fair hearings: how to get SNAP back.

The “additional 3 months” rule

If you regained SNAP by meeting the work rule and later stop meeting it, federal rules give you 3 more months in a row without meeting the rule. The months start when you tell your SNAP office you are no longer meeting the rule (or, if you were in a work or workfare program, when the office tells you). The rule says you cannot get these extra months “more than once in any three-year period” (7 CFR 273.24(e)). The 2025 law (H.R. 1) did not change this rule.

Example: in Illinois, Ana used her 3 months in the spring of 2026, got SNAP back in June by working 80 hours in 30 days, then lost her job in October 2026. She gets 3 more months in a row. Because Illinois starts a new period on January 1, 2027, her count, and her right to the extra 3 months, start fresh then.

What to do now

1. Find your period. Look at your SNAP notices, check your state page, or use the time limit calculator.
2. If you lost SNAP and your state resets soon, put the reset date on your calendar and reapply on or after that day. To be safe, don’t apply before it unless you meet the work rule or are exempt.
3. If you still get SNAP, count your months. Months left in the old period do not carry over, and months you use at the start of the new period count against your new 3.
4. Check whether you are exempt. The 2025 law changed who is exempt: the rule now covers ages 18 through 64, and a child in your SNAP household exempts you only if the child is under 14. Use the checker.
5. Keep proof of hours every month: pay stubs, volunteer sign-in sheets, or program attendance. Ask about SNAP Employment and Training if you need help reaching 80 hours.
6. Challenge mistakes. If a month was counted wrongly, ask for a review and a fair hearing before the date on your notice.