What is the TEFAP income limit in New Jersey?

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

Do clients sign for TEFAP food at every pickup in New Jersey?

Yes - a signature is recorded at each pickup.

TEFAP rules by State / New Jersey

TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in New Jersey

Rules verified 2026-10-07 from NJ Dept of Agriculture, Division of Food & Nutrition 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 New Jersey, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by NJ Dept of Agriculture, Division of Food & Nutrition. 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 Jersey's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.

New Jersey's TEFAP agency and official documents

NJ Dept of Agriculture, Division of Food & Nutrition — the State agency's food distribution page, which covers TEFAP (checked 2026-10-10).
cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/NJDA-STATE-TEFAP-PLAN-rev.-2-26-1.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: NJDA income eligibility effective 10 Feb 2026 (post at intake and distribution)). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:

participant in a local/state/federal program (e.g. WIC)
disaster or hardship

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: Emergency Food Registration Form 2026. How often: once a year. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.

What to record at each visit

date
printed name
adults
children
qualifier code
town
zip

Client signature at every pickup: Yes. Electronic signatures: Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents). Electronic intake: LDAs must use all state-provided 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

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 for all staff and volunteers, attendance kept.

Posted or handed out:

poster
FD-138 (faith-based)

Reporting

monthly to food bank, due by the 7th on TEFAP Summary Report (SOR) + original Acceptance forms.

cases on hand
received
used
ending inventory
adults
children
total families

Age bands: 0–17 / 18+.

Storage temperatures

Refrigerated 35–41°F, frozen -10–0°F, dry 50–70°F. Temperature log: daily (pantry manual).

Also

Inventory in CASES, not pounds; monthly pest inspection.

Sources

TEFAP in nearby States

TEFAP in Delaware · TEFAP in New York · TEFAP in Pennsylvania · 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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