ABAWD stands for Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents — the SNAP category subject to a time-limited work requirement. If you're an ABAWD, you can only receive SNAP for 3 months in a 3-year period unless you meet the work requirement or qualify for an exemption.

How many hours do I need to work to keep my SNAP benefits?

ABAWDs need to work, volunteer, or participate in a qualifying training program for at least 80 hours a month (about 20 hours a week) — this requirement itself didn't change under the 2025 law.

Who's still exempt from the work requirement?

You're exempt from the ABAWD work requirement if you're under 18 or over 64, physically or mentally unable to work, pregnant, caring for a dependent child under 14, or identify as an Indian, Urban Indian, or Alaska Native under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act — a longstanding exemption category, not something new from the 2025 law. Some areas also qualify for a waiver from the time limit if unemployment is above 10% (or, in Alaska and Hawaii, 1.5 times the national rate) — check USDA's current waiver list for your area, since it's updated regularly and varies by county. Being 60 or older exempts you from SNAP's separate general work requirement, but not the ABAWD-specific one, since that now runs through age 64.

How often do I need to recertify for SNAP?

Recertification frequency depends on your state and household type, but it's typically every 6 to 12 months. Most people won't need to prove they're meeting the new work requirement until their next scheduled recertification, and your state must give you written notice and a chance to submit verification before cutting off benefits.

SNAP Work Requirements: What Changed in 2025–2026

Q: What changed under the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act?

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law July 4, 2025, expanded the ABAWD age range from 18–54 to 18–64 and removed the automatic work-requirement exemption for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young adults who aged out of foster care — they must now meet the same 80-hour-a-month requirement as any other ABAWD unless they qualify for a different exemption. The age and exemption changes took effect November 1, 2025, with related waiver-rule changes following a day later on November 2, 2025.

Updated September 2026

Quick Answer

Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) aged 18 to 54 must meet 80 hours per month of work or training requirements to receive SNAP benefits for more than 3 months in a 36-month period. Certain states or high-unemployment areas hold waivers that exempt residents from these time limits.

Check Your State ABAWD Waiver Status →

SNAP's work requirements changed significantly under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law July 4, 2025 — and a lot of official guidance is still catching up. This page covers who's affected, what's different, and who's still exempt.

What Is an ABAWD?

ABAWD stands for Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents — a SNAP category subject to a time-limited work requirement, separate from SNAP's general work rules. If you're an ABAWD and don't meet the work requirement, you can only receive SNAP for 3 months in any 36-month period before you lose eligibility, unless you requalify by meeting the requirement for 30 consecutive days.

This is a fast-moving policy area

USDA's own guidance is still being updated to reflect the 2025 changes below, and individual states have rolled out enforcement at different speeds. Confirm your exact status with your state's SNAP agency before assuming you've lost or kept an exemption.

What Changed Under the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act

The Act expanded the ABAWD age range from 18–54 up to 18–64, and removed the automatic work-requirement exemption that veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young adults who aged out of foster care previously had. All three groups now have to meet the same 80-hour-a-month requirement as any other ABAWD, unless they qualify for a different exemption.

The Act itself was signed into law July 4, 2025, and the age-range and exemption changes took effect November 1, 2025, with related waiver-rule changes following a day later on November 2, 2025.

The Act also lowered the dependent-child exemption threshold (only caregivers of a child under 14 are now exempt on that basis, down from under 18) and tightened the unemployment-rate threshold states need to request a waiver from the time limit.

The 80-Hour-a-Month Requirement

To stay eligible past the 3-month time limit, ABAWDs need to do at least one of the following for 80 hours a month (about 20 hours a week): work a job, volunteer, or participate in a qualifying SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program. This 80-hour threshold itself didn't change under the 2025 law — only who has to meet it did.

Who's Still Exempt

You're exempt from the ABAWD work requirement if you are:

Under 18 or over 64 years old
Medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for work
Pregnant
Caring for a dependent child under 14
Already exempt from SNAP's separate general work requirement (for example, working 30+ hours a week already)
Defined as an Indian, Urban Indian, or Alaska Native under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act — a longstanding exemption category, not something new from the 2025 law

Being 60 or older exempts you from SNAP's general work requirement, but not from the ABAWD-specific one, since that now runs all the way through age 64.

States can still request a waiver from the time limit for areas with unemployment above 10% (or, in Alaska and Hawaii, 1.5 times the national rate) — several states already have active waivers covering parts of their territory, so check USDA's current waiver list for your specific area rather than assuming the time limit applies everywhere.

Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration — OBBBA ABAWD Exceptions Implementation Memorandum

Enforcement Date & Waiver Status by State

The federal age and exemption changes took effect November 1, 2025, but several states had (or still have) their own area waivers or rollout timelines that pushed actual enforcement earlier or later. Check your state below, then confirm with your state's SNAP agency if anything looks unclear — this is a fast-moving area and a few states' waiver status is disputed between trackers as of this writing.

Filter states

State	Enforcement Date	Waiver Status
Alabama	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Alaska	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit Alaska qualifies for an area waiver at 1.5x the national unemployment rate (versus over 10% elsewhere) through 2028 — a materially lower bar, worth rechecking periodically.
Arizona	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Arkansas	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
California	June 1, 2026 statewide (a prior statewide waiver ran February 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026)	Select high-unemployment counties remain waived through October 31, 2026 — see the CDSS county list One of several states/territories (with DC, Guam, Illinois, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) whose pre-existing waiver delayed enforcement into 2026 rather than November 1, 2025.
Colorado	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Connecticut	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Delaware	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
District of Columbia	November 1, 2025 (disputed — see notes)	Sources disagree: one tracker lists DC as maintaining its own statewide waiver, another shows no active waiver Low confidence — verify directly with the DC Department of Human Services.
Florida	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Georgia	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit Don't confuse this with Georgia's separate Medicaid work-requirement pilot (Pathways to Coverage) — a different program from SNAP ABAWD rules.
Hawaii	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit Like Alaska, Hawaii qualifies for an area waiver at 1.5x the national unemployment rate (versus over 10% elsewhere) through 2028.
Idaho	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Illinois	February 1, 2026 (a prior statewide waiver ran through January 31, 2026)	No confirmed waiver in effect after January 31, 2026 One of several states whose pre-existing waiver delayed enforcement into 2026 rather than November 1, 2025; earliest possible benefit loss is around May 1, 2026 after the 3-month countdown.
Indiana	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Iowa	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Kansas	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Kentucky	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Louisiana	October 1, 2025 (Louisiana began enforcement ahead of the federal date)	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit State guidance also discusses an April 1, 2026 "time-clock reset" for some recipients — a state-specific administrative detail worth confirming directly with LDH.
Maine	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Maryland	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Massachusetts	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Michigan	March 2, 2026 statewide (Kent County piloted the change October 1, 2025; other previously-exempt areas ended February 28, 2026)	No confirmed waiver in effect after February 28, 2026 Rollout was staggered by county — check MDHHS's work-requirements FAQ for any residual area-specific exemptions.
Minnesota	January 1, 2026 (ABAWD time-limit clock reset)	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Mississippi	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Missouri	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Montana	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Nebraska	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Nevada	March 1, 2026 (initial enforcement)	Status has changed multiple times amid litigation — a court order restored benefits through April 30, 2026, then enforcement resumed statewide May 1, 2026; verify current status with Nevada DHHS Roughly 43,000 Nevadans lost benefits when enforcement first began March 1, 2026 — treat this state's status as fluid.
New Hampshire	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
New Jersey	February 1, 2026	Camden City and Cape May County retain a time-limit waiver; the rest of the state enforces the requirement
New Mexico	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
New York	March 1, 2026	No confirmed area waiver in effect statewide (61 counties lost prior waiver coverage)
North Carolina	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
North Dakota	Not yet enforced statewide — an active waiver runs through June 30, 2026	Active statewide waiver through June 30, 2026
Ohio	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Oklahoma	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Oregon	January 1, 2026 (the state's prior statewide waiver ended December 31, 2025)	Sources disagree on whether any county-level coverage remains after the statewide waiver ended — verify directly with Oregon DHS Low confidence — flagged for direct verification.
Pennsylvania	November 1, 2025 (disputed — see notes)	Sources disagree: one tracker shows no active waiver, another describes partial county coverage still in effect Low confidence — verify directly with Pennsylvania DHS before treating as settled fact.
Rhode Island	November 1, 2025 (disputed — see notes)	A February 2026 USDA guidance reinstated Rhode Island's waiver through its original expiration date following a federal court order, but a later tracker snapshot shows no active waiver Low confidence — waiver status has flipped more than once amid litigation; verify directly with RI DHS.
South Carolina	February 2, 2026	No area waiver — statewide enforcement began February 2, 2026
South Dakota	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Tennessee	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Texas	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Utah	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Vermont	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Virginia	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Washington	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
West Virginia	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Wisconsin	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit
Wyoming	November 1, 2025	No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Alabama

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Alaska

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit Alaska qualifies for an area waiver at 1.5x the national unemployment rate (versus over 10% elsewhere) through 2028 — a materially lower bar, worth rechecking periodically.

Arizona

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Arkansas

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

California

Enforcement Date: June 1, 2026 statewide (a prior statewide waiver ran February 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026)
Waiver Status: Select high-unemployment counties remain waived through October 31, 2026 — see the CDSS county list One of several states/territories (with DC, Guam, Illinois, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) whose pre-existing waiver delayed enforcement into 2026 rather than November 1, 2025.

Colorado

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Connecticut

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Delaware

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

District of Columbia

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025 (disputed — see notes)
Waiver Status: Sources disagree: one tracker lists DC as maintaining its own statewide waiver, another shows no active waiver Low confidence — verify directly with the DC Department of Human Services.

Florida

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Georgia

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit Don't confuse this with Georgia's separate Medicaid work-requirement pilot (Pathways to Coverage) — a different program from SNAP ABAWD rules.

Hawaii

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit Like Alaska, Hawaii qualifies for an area waiver at 1.5x the national unemployment rate (versus over 10% elsewhere) through 2028.

Idaho

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Illinois

Enforcement Date: February 1, 2026 (a prior statewide waiver ran through January 31, 2026)
Waiver Status: No confirmed waiver in effect after January 31, 2026 One of several states whose pre-existing waiver delayed enforcement into 2026 rather than November 1, 2025; earliest possible benefit loss is around May 1, 2026 after the 3-month countdown.

Indiana

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Iowa

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Kansas

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Kentucky

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Louisiana

Enforcement Date: October 1, 2025 (Louisiana began enforcement ahead of the federal date)
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit State guidance also discusses an April 1, 2026 "time-clock reset" for some recipients — a state-specific administrative detail worth confirming directly with LDH.

Maine

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Maryland

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Massachusetts

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Michigan

Enforcement Date: March 2, 2026 statewide (Kent County piloted the change October 1, 2025; other previously-exempt areas ended February 28, 2026)
Waiver Status: No confirmed waiver in effect after February 28, 2026 Rollout was staggered by county — check MDHHS's work-requirements FAQ for any residual area-specific exemptions.

Minnesota

Enforcement Date: January 1, 2026 (ABAWD time-limit clock reset)
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Mississippi

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Missouri

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Montana

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Nebraska

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Nevada

Enforcement Date: March 1, 2026 (initial enforcement)
Waiver Status: Status has changed multiple times amid litigation — a court order restored benefits through April 30, 2026, then enforcement resumed statewide May 1, 2026; verify current status with Nevada DHHS Roughly 43,000 Nevadans lost benefits when enforcement first began March 1, 2026 — treat this state's status as fluid.

New Hampshire

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

New Jersey

Enforcement Date: February 1, 2026
Waiver Status: Camden City and Cape May County retain a time-limit waiver; the rest of the state enforces the requirement

New Mexico

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

New York

Enforcement Date: March 1, 2026
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect statewide (61 counties lost prior waiver coverage)

North Carolina

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

North Dakota

Enforcement Date: Not yet enforced statewide — an active waiver runs through June 30, 2026
Waiver Status: Active statewide waiver through June 30, 2026

Ohio

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Oklahoma

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Oregon

Enforcement Date: January 1, 2026 (the state's prior statewide waiver ended December 31, 2025)
Waiver Status: Sources disagree on whether any county-level coverage remains after the statewide waiver ended — verify directly with Oregon DHS Low confidence — flagged for direct verification.

Pennsylvania

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025 (disputed — see notes)
Waiver Status: Sources disagree: one tracker shows no active waiver, another describes partial county coverage still in effect Low confidence — verify directly with Pennsylvania DHS before treating as settled fact.

Rhode Island

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025 (disputed — see notes)
Waiver Status: A February 2026 USDA guidance reinstated Rhode Island's waiver through its original expiration date following a federal court order, but a later tracker snapshot shows no active waiver Low confidence — waiver status has flipped more than once amid litigation; verify directly with RI DHS.

South Carolina

Enforcement Date: February 2, 2026
Waiver Status: No area waiver — statewide enforcement began February 2, 2026

South Dakota

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Tennessee

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Texas

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Utah

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Vermont

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Virginia

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Washington

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

West Virginia

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Wisconsin

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Wyoming

Enforcement Date: November 1, 2025
Waiver Status: No confirmed area waiver in effect — verify at fna.usda.gov/snap/waivers/timelimit

Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration — ABAWD time-limit waivers, and each state's SNAP agency. Checked September 2026; waiver status changes periodically as area unemployment data is updated.

Recertification

Separately from the work requirement, every SNAP household has to periodically recertify to keep receiving benefits — typically every 6 to 12 months, depending on your state and household type. Recertification usually means confirming your income, household size, and other eligibility details are still accurate, sometimes with a follow-up interview.

Most people won't need to prove they're meeting the ABAWD work requirement until their next scheduled recertification. Your state is required to give you written notice and a chance to submit verification before cutting off benefits for a work-requirement issue — if you get a notice, don't ignore it, but you also don't need to act before one arrives.

Already Lost Benefits Over This?

If you were cut off and think an exemption applies to you (or should have been grandfathered in before your state started enforcing the new rules), contact your state's SNAP/EBT customer service line directly — find your state for the number — and ask about requalifying by meeting the 80-hour requirement for 30 consecutive days.