What is the TEFAP income limit in Montana?

300% of the federal poverty guidelines: $47,880 a year for a household of one and $99,000 for four (2026 guidelines). Montana's printed table is the official one.

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

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

How long must Montana pantries keep TEFAP records?

The federal minimum is 3 years from the end of the federal fiscal year; the State did not publish its own figure.

TEFAP rules by State / Montana

TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in Montana

Rules verified 2026-10-07 from DPHHS Human & Community Services Division, Food Distribution Section 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 Montana, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by DPHHS Human & Community Services Division, Food Distribution Section. 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 Montana's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.

Montana's TEFAP agency and official documents

DPHHS Human & Community Services Division, Food Distribution Section — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).

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 300% of the federal poverty guidelines (official table: FFY 2026 Final TEFAP Income Guidelines (effective 10 Feb 2026)).

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

Computed as 300% 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: Application FD-904 (staff-witnessed self-declaration). How often: each visit review. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.

What to record at each visit

household/residency/income re-review
staff witness

Client signature at every pickup: No. Electronic signatures: Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).

Proxies

Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).

What you must not collect

ID cannot be required to receive TEFAP food.

How long to keep records

Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents). The federal minimum is 3 years from the end of the federal fiscal year (7 CFR 251.10(a)(5)).

Civil rights

Complaints: no local forwarding deadline is published — forward promptly. Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).

Reporting

monthly to Montana Food Bank Network.

persons served per site

Storage temperatures

Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents).

Also

DPHHS waived the applicant signature; sites no longer collect addresses.

Sources

prod-dphhs.mt.gov/assets/Montana2025StatePlan-TEFAP011525.pdf

TEFAP in nearby States

TEFAP in Idaho · TEFAP in North Dakota · TEFAP in South Dakota · TEFAP in Wyoming · 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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