What is the TEFAP income limit in Tennessee?

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

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

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

TEFAP rules by State / Tennessee

TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in Tennessee

Q: How long must Tennessee pantries keep TEFAP records?

5 years (5 years; intake forms kept as long as the agency distributes USDA Foods).

Rules verified 2026-10-07 from TN Dept of Agriculture, Commodity Distribution 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 Tennessee, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by TN Dept of Agriculture, Commodity Distribution. 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 Tennessee's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.

Tennessee's TEFAP agency and official documents

TN Dept of Agriculture, Commodity Distribution — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).
TDA: TEFAP eligibility criteria (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 Intake Form 2025-26 (Addendum One)). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:

SNAP
Families First
SSI
LIHEAP
public housing

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: TEFAP Intake Form (Addendum One, TN.TEFAP.0004). How often: check before each distribution. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.

What to record at each visit

staff date and initial each month served (or a list clients cannot see)

Client signature at every pickup: No. Electronic signatures: Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents). Electronic intake: electronic-only record keeping needs a TDA-approved record-keeping plan and two backups.

Proxies

pre-authorized alternate on the form, or one-time proxy note (kept). 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

5 years — 5 years; intake forms kept as long as the agency distributes USDA Foods.

Civil rights

Complaints: no local forwarding deadline is published — forward promptly. Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: at start and annually, documented.

Posted or handed out:

And Justice for All with complaint form
nondiscrimination notice + FD-155 Attachment A given to each new client

Reporting

monthly to food bank.

inventory
individuals/households served

Age bands: 0–17 / 18–59 / 60+.

Storage temperatures

Not published by the State (or not found in its public documents). Temperature log: daily, every storage area (TDA Temperature Log).

Where the sources disagree

Age bands are from a 2011 roster form.

Ask your food bank which one they monitor against.

Sources

TEFAP in nearby States

TEFAP in Alabama · TEFAP in Georgia · TEFAP in Kentucky · TEFAP in North Carolina · 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.

Start my free trial →