TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in South Dakota

In South Dakota, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by SD Dept of Education, Child and Adult Nutrition 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 South Dakota's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.

South Dakota's TEFAP agency and official documents

• SD Dept of Education, Child and Adult Nutrition Services — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).
• SD Dept of Education: TEFAP self-declaration form (English) (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 185% of the federal poverty guidelines (official table: TEFAP Self-Declaration form). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:

• eligible for reduced-price school meals

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: TEFAP Self-Declaration Form. How often: valid up to 12 months. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.

What to record at each visit

• name
• household_size
• date

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

Proxies

state TEFAP Proxy Form (ink, unaltered, presented in person; up to 1 year; new each mobile distribution). The proxy must show ID.

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: annual, state log.

Posted or handed out:

• FD-138 at faith-based sites

Reporting

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

Age bands: 0–17 / 18–59 / 60+.

Storage temperatures

Refrigerated 32–45°F, frozen at or below 0°F, dry 50–70°F. Temperature log: daily.

Sources

• doe.sd.gov/cans/tefap.aspx
• doe.sd.gov/cans/documents/TEFAP-Proxy-English.pdf
• doe.sd.gov/cans/documents/TempLog.pdf

TEFAP in nearby States

TEFAP in Minnesota · TEFAP in Montana · TEFAP in North Dakota · TEFAP in Nebraska · 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.