TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by NH Dept of Administrative Services, Surplus 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 New Hampshire's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.

New Hampshire's TEFAP agency and official documents

• NH Dept of Administrative Services, Surplus Distribution Section — USDA's contact listing for the State agency (checked 2026-10-10). No TEFAP page was found on the NH Department of Administrative Services website.
• capbm.org/tefap (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 240% of the federal poverty guidelines. Households in these programs qualify without an income test:

• SNAP
• free/reduced school lunch
• WIC
• CSFP
• TANF
• APTD
• ANB
• Head Start
• Medicaid
• subsidized housing
• town welfare
• LIHEAP
• SSI

Computed as 240% 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: SDS-approved self-declaration. How often: once a year. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.

What to record at each visit

• name
• address
• household_size
• date
• recipient signature
• amount
• distributing official signature

Client signature at every pickup: Yes. 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).

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 (statewide distributor).

Reporting

Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents) to statewide distributor (CAP Belknap-Merrimack).

Storage temperatures

Refrigerated 35–40°F, frozen at or below 0°F. Temperature log: freezer and cooler 7 of 7 days; dry not required.

Where the sources disagree

• Latest state plan found is FY2023-24.

Ask your food bank which one they monitor against.

Sources

• www.das.nh.gov/purchasing/docs/bids/attachments/attachment_2_RFP_2824_24.pdf
• nhfoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2025-Partner-Agency-Handbook-Final.pdf

TEFAP in nearby States

TEFAP in Maine · TEFAP in Massachusetts · TEFAP in Vermont · 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.