What is the TEFAP income limit in Maryland?

185% of the federal poverty guidelines: $29,526 a year for a household of one and $61,050 for four (2026 guidelines). Maryland's printed table is the official one.

Do clients sign for TEFAP food at every pickup in Maryland?

No - the State does not require a client signature at every pickup.

TEFAP rules by State / Maryland

TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in Maryland

Rules verified 2026-10-07 from Dept of Human Services and food bank publications (sources below) · agency links checked 2026-10-10 · income table recalculated automatically from the 2026 federal poverty guidelines · sources re-checked weekly

In Maryland, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by Dept of Human Services. This page sets out what a food pantry or other distribution site has to do: who qualifies, what each household declares, what you record at each visit, how long you keep it, how complaints are handled and what you report. Where Maryland's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.

Maryland's TEFAP agency and official documents

Dept of Human Services — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).
dhs.maryland.gov/documents/TEFAP/Updated-TEFAP-State-Plan-Final-Copy-2025.pdf (State or food bank document used for the rules below)

Your food bank's agreement and current forms are the final word on the figures and forms to use.

Who qualifies: the income limit

Household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines (official table: FFY26 Self Disclosure Form). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:

SNAP
Medical Assistance
TANF
unemployment
energy assistance

Household size	Per year	Per month
1	$29,526	$2,461
2	$40,034	$3,336
3	$50,542	$4,212
4	$61,050	$5,088
5	$71,558	$5,963
6	$82,066	$6,839
7	$92,574	$7,715
8	$103,082	$8,590
Each additional person	+$10,508

Computed as 185% of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines. Your State's printed table is the official one and may round differently or take effect on a different date.

The eligibility declaration

Form: Self-Disclosure of Income. How often: once per federal fiscal year. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.

What to record at each visit

site
date
household_size
eligibility category
name
zip

Client signature at every pickup: No. Electronic signatures: Yes.

Proxies

Authorized Proxy section on the form.

How long to keep records

3 years.

Civil rights

Complaints: no local forwarding deadline is published — forward promptly. Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: annual (civil rights, customer service, conflict resolution, food safety) on Civil Rights Training Log.

Posted or handed out:

And Justice for All
USDA complaint form

Reporting

monthly + quarterly to sponsor food bank.

households
individuals
meals
inventory
damage

Storage temperatures

Refrigerated at or below 40°F, frozen at or below 0°F. Temperature log: daily, three times a day during distributions.

Sources

dhs.maryland.gov/documents/TEFAP/FFY26-SDI-form-Updated-2.24.pdf

TEFAP in nearby States

TEFAP in Delaware · TEFAP in Pennsylvania · TEFAP in Virginia · TEFAP in West Virginia · all States

This page describes published State and food bank documents and is not legal advice. Your State agency and your food bank agreement are the final word. See also the federal TEFAP record rule and the free TEFAP readiness checklist.

Keep these records without the paperwork — free for 30 days. PantryPOS records each TEFAP visit (who picked up, household size, eligibility basis, signature where your State wants one), keeps every eligibility declaration, reconciles TEFAP stock by lot, logs civil-rights complaints and training, and shows your State's rules on screen. Every feature, no card — $39/month per site after the trial.

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