USDA’s food restriction waiver list, updated Nov. 3, shows food stamp limits on soda and candy approved to begin in Wyoming on Feb. 1, 2027, and in Kansas and Missouri on Feb. 15, 2027. Nebraska, which is aiming for the earliest date, Dec. 1, is in a different position: that start is a new proposal the department has not yet decided.
The difference decides what a SNAP household in those states can count on. Shoppers in Wyoming, Kansas and Missouri have signed-off dates and a few months to adjust. Nebraska shoppers have a December target that could still move, and what changes at the register depends on which state’s rules apply.
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Which three states have approved start dates?
Wyoming’s approval letter is dated March 4, 2026, and covers a two-year project that takes effect Feb. 1, 2027. The state asked for the change on Jan. 7, 2026, and the list says it restricts “sweetened, carbonated beverages.” The letter is addressed to Gov. Mark Gordon and Korin Schmidt, director of the Wyoming Department of Family Services, and signed by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Kansas received its approval the same day, March 4, 2026, for a two-year demonstration starting Feb. 15, 2027. The waiver removes candy and soft drinks from what SNAP can buy. The state still has to send USDA a signed written acceptance, and Laura Howard, secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, is the agency leader named on the file.
Missouri’s path took longer. USDA approved its request on Dec. 10, 2025, with an original start of Oct. 1, 2026, and a June 15, 2026 status update moved the date to Feb. 15, 2027. The approval letter describes the exclusion as “candy, prepared desserts, and certain unhealthy beverages.” It is addressed to Gov. Michael Kehoe and Jessica Bax, director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.
Why is Nebraska’s Dec. 1 date still a question mark?
Nebraska was the first state cleared to restrict SNAP purchases, with a May 19, 2025 approval, and USDA’s Nebraska page also lists a May 11, 2026 modification. Both were vacated on June 22, 2026, when a federal court in Washington ruled in Aragon v. Rollins that the approval could not stand and implementation may not proceed. Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services said July 2 it was working with SNAP retailers to lift the restrictions on soda and energy drinks.
The state then filed a new request on Sept. 1, 2026. A Federal Register notice published Oct. 2 describes two phases: soda, soft drinks and energy drinks beginning Dec. 1, 2026, and candy beginning March 1, 2027. Public comments closed Nov. 2, and USDA’s Nebraska page says the agency is “working on a response.”
USDA says it will publish a separate notice with its decision, and any authorization would come at least 10 days before the implementation date. Until that notice appears, Nebraska’s December and March dates are what the state has asked for, not what shoppers should expect to see at checkout.
Are other states caught in the same court order?
The same list applies the June 22 order to four other states. Colorado, Iowa, Tennessee and West Virginia show no start date, and the list says Iowa and West Virginia have retailer notices to stop implementation. The Nebraska decision is the one USDA has said will get its own notice because of that ruling.
The list also shows how many states are on the board. It covers 23 in all, and several have earlier dates that have already passed or arrive sooner, including Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia on Nov. 1, 2026. Those four are the ones linked to Federal Register approval notices rather than comment notices.
What should SNAP households line up before the dates arrive?
The first step is finding which list applies. Wyoming covers sweetened carbonated drinks only. Kansas covers candy and soft drinks, Missouri covers candy, prepared desserts and certain beverages, and Nebraska’s proposal splits soda and energy drinks from candy by about three months. A grocery run that includes any of those items may need to be paid for another way.
Benefit amounts do not change under any of these waivers. What changes is which items the EBT card can pay for, so the months before each start date are the time to adjust a shopping list and keep cash or another payment method ready for the excluded items.
Recertification and reporting dates still run on their own schedule. USDA’s page for each state is the free place to confirm the current status, and a state SNAP office can say which date applies to a specific case and when the next renewal is due. Kansas says USDA will study how the project affects both participants and retailers, so rules and timing may be revisited as that review goes on.
Which soda and candy start date covers your SNAP card in Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri or Nebraska?
A household that learns about the limit at the register can find a cart total that no longer matches what the card will cover. In Nebraska the Dec. 1 date may still change, while Wyoming, Kansas and Missouri are on a Feb. 1 or Feb. 15 clock.
The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer is a 20-page guide that includes 51 state packs and a renewal and reporting calendar, so a household can set the restriction date next to its own recertification dates in one place.
Get the state pack and calendar that line up your SNAP dates for the Feb. 1 and Feb. 15 limits →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
