You can use your Illinois Link card in other states without any special setup. The card works for SNAP food purchases and TANF cash withdrawals at authorized retailers and ATMs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam, and your Illinois account is debited in real time wherever you swipe.1Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP EBT The rules about what you can buy are federal, so they do not change when you cross a state line.
Where Your Card Will Be Accepted
Look for the Quest® logo on the door or at the register. That symbol marks stores connected to the national EBT network, and any USDA-authorized retailer must accept your Illinois card the same way it accepts a card issued by its own state. Even without the logo, some stores still take EBT, so it is worth asking at the counter.
Stores that commonly accept SNAP include:
- Grocery stores and supermarkets, including chains like Walmart, Kroger, and ALDI
- Wholesale clubs such as Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s
- Many farmers’ markets — check for an EBT sign at the information booth
- Convenience stores and gas stations that stock enough staple foods
- Pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens that sell eligible grocery items
If you want to confirm before you drive out, the USDA runs a free SNAP Retailer Locator at fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-locator that searches by address or zip code in any state.2Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Retailer Locator
What You Can and Can’t Buy in Another State
SNAP eligibility rules are set federally, so a food item that qualifies in Illinois qualifies in Florida or California, and an item that is barred here is barred there. You can use your Link card for food meant to be prepared and eaten at home: fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, breads, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds or plants that grow food for your household.3Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
You cannot use SNAP for:
- Alcohol or tobacco
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements (anything with a “Supplement Facts” label)
- Hot prepared food sold ready to eat at the register
- Non-food items such as pet food, cleaning supplies, paper products, and personal hygiene items
- Cannabis or CBD products
If you try to buy something ineligible by mistake, the register usually declines just that item and rings up the rest.
Cash Withdrawals and ATM Fees Away From Home
If your Link card carries TANF cash benefits, you can pull cash from ATMs in other states the same way you do in Illinois.4Illinois Department of Human Services. PM 22-01-01-h – Accessing Benefits Electronically Illinois gives you two free cash withdrawals per calendar month; starting with the third, Illinois charges $1.00 per withdrawal regardless of which state’s ATM you use.5Illinois Department of Human Services. Link Card Use at Automated Teller Machines
The ATM operator may add its own surcharge on top of that, and out-of-network machines often do. The surcharge is disclosed on the screen before you confirm, so you can cancel and look for a cheaper option. Surcharge-free ATMs at banks and retailers that participate in the EBT network are the way to keep costs down.
One federal limit on cash access applies in every state: you cannot withdraw TANF funds through an EBT transaction at liquor stores, casinos or other gambling establishments, or adult entertainment venues featuring performers who disrobe.6Federal Register. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program – State Reporting on Policies and Practices To Prevent Use of TANF Funds in Specified Locations
Ordering Groceries Online While Traveling
SNAP online purchasing runs in all 50 states and DC, so you can place a pickup or delivery order with your Illinois Link card from wherever you happen to be.7Food and Nutrition Service. Stores Accepting SNAP Online Participating retailers include Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, and ALDI, with the exact lineup varying by area.
SNAP pays only for eligible food. Delivery fees, service charges, convenience fees, and driver tips are not covered, so you need a separate debit or credit card on file to handle those.7Food and Nutrition Service. Stores Accepting SNAP Online
If Your Card Is Lost or Stolen Out of State
Freeze the card right away. Call the Illinois Link Help Line at 1-800-678-LINK (5465), which is staffed 24 hours a day, or sign in to ebtEDGE.com to lock the card and request a replacement.8Illinois Department of Human Services. Manage My Illinois Link Account
To order a replacement by phone, you will need your PIN and will be asked to confirm the mailing address. If you are staying somewhere outside Illinois, you can ask the agent to update your mailing address so the new card reaches you where you are.9Illinois Department of Human Services. Replacing the Link Card
Skimmed or electronically stolen benefits are harder to get back than they used to be. Federal funding to replace SNAP benefits stolen through skimming or cloning covered thefts from October 2022 through December 20, 2024, and that authority has expired without renewal.10Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Sunset of Replacement of Stolen Benefits Plans Benefits stolen after that date are not eligible for federal replacement, and Illinois may or may not step in with state funds. Change your PIN now and then, avoid ATMs that look tampered with, and check your balance regularly through ebtEDGE.com or the Help Line.
Short Trip or Permanent Move?
This is the line that matters most. Using your Illinois card while visiting another state is routine; receiving Illinois benefits after you have actually moved is not allowed.
Visiting or Traveling Temporarily
If you are away for a vacation, a family stay, or short-term work, your Illinois SNAP keeps running without interruption. Illinois does not impose a fixed time limit on temporary absences, and you remain eligible as long as you intend to return.11Illinois Department of Human Services. WAG 03-02-03-c – Temporary Absence (SNAP) Use the card normally during the trip.
Moving Permanently
Federal rules require that you live in the state where you receive SNAP, and you cannot collect benefits from two states in the same month.12eCFR. 7 CFR 273.3 – Residency States share data to catch duplicate participation, and a match can end your case or create an overpayment claim.13Federal Register. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Requirement for Interstate Data Matching To Prevent Duplicate Issuances
If your household is on a change-reporting schedule, report your new address to the Illinois Department of Human Services within 10 calendar days of moving.14Illinois Department of Human Services. PM 18-04-00 – Changes in Food Assistance Households on mid-point reporting generally report changes at their mid-certification review instead; if you are not sure which applies, call your local DHS office or the Link Help Line.
Once the move is settled, ask IDHS to close your Illinois case and apply for SNAP in your new state. Any benefits already loaded on your Illinois card can still be spent down after you move, but future monthly deposits will come only from the state where you now live.