TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in Minnesota
In Minnesota, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by Dept of Children, Youth & Families, Office of Economic Opportunity. 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 Minnesota's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.
Minnesota's TEFAP agency and official documents
- Dept of Children, Youth & Families, Office of Economic Opportunity — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).
- DCYF: TEFAP forms and resources (checked 2026-10-10)
- dcyf.mn.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/eo-tefap-mn-manual-for-providers-2025-04.pdf (State or food bank document used for the rules below)
Who qualifies: the income limit
Household income at or below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines (official table: MN eligibility form (3/26)). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:
- program participation
| Household size | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $47,880 | $3,990 |
| 2 | $64,920 | $5,410 |
| 3 | $81,960 | $6,830 |
| 4 | $99,000 | $8,250 |
| 5 | $116,040 | $9,670 |
| 6 | $133,080 | $11,090 |
| 7 | $150,120 | $12,510 |
| 8 | $167,160 | $13,930 |
| Each additional person | +$17,040 |
The eligibility declaration
Form: Annual Eligibility Form (option 1) or Every Visit form + sign-in log (option 2). How often: annual or each visit provider choice. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.
What to record at each visit
- name
- children 0-17
- adults 18-64
- seniors 65+
- household total
- zip (optional)
Client signature at every pickup: No. Electronic signatures: Yes.
Proxies
proxy section on the form; written proxy policy required. The proxy does not have to show ID.
What you must not collect
- ID cannot be required to receive TEFAP food.
How long to keep records
7 years — 7 years for records, civil-rights training records and temperature logs.
Civil rights
Complaints: no local forwarding deadline is published — forward promptly to logged; answered within 30 business days. Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: annual, documented.
Posted or handed out:
- FPG table
- And Justice for All
- Data Privacy Notice
- Participant Bulletin
- FD-155
- complaint notice
- ADA plan
- LEP resources
- voter registration
- SNAP materials
Reporting
monthly to food bank, due by the 10th.
- children 0-17
- adults 18-64
- seniors 65+
- households
- pounds distributed
Age bands: 0–17 / 18–64 / 65+.
Storage temperatures
Refrigerated 35–40°F, frozen at or below 0°F, dry 35–75°F.
Also
- How often households must be able to come: at least monthly
- Data Privacy (Tennessen) notice acknowledged annually; non-TEFAP questions after eligibility on a separate optional form.
Sources
- dcyf.mn.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/eo-tefap-mn-compliance-checklist-dcyf-fillable-2025-04.pdf
- dcyf.mn.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/eo-tefap-mn-intake-options-guide-2025-04.pdf
TEFAP in nearby States
TEFAP in Iowa · TEFAP in North Dakota · TEFAP in South Dakota · TEFAP in Wisconsin · all States