Can you buy soda with EBT?
Checked October 2026 against USDA's SNAP food restriction waiver table
Yes, in most states
Soda is food under the federal rules, and so is candy. But 8 states have started their own limits, and 11 more have a start date on the calendar. In those states the register says no to soda.
The federal rule: soda is food
EBT food benefits cover "snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages." That's USDA's own wording. Soda, juice, chips, candy, and cookies all count. Nothing in the federal rule has changed.
What changed in 2026 is that USDA started letting states opt out. A state asks for a waiver, USDA approves it, and from the start date that state's registers decline the items on its list. Here's where that stands.
Started: 8 states
These states' start dates have passed. Each state wrote its own list, so read the last column.
| State | Since | Off the list |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | January 1, 2026 | Soft drinks and candy |
| Utah | January 1, 2026 | Soft drinks |
| Idaho | February 15, 2026 | Soda and candy |
| Oklahoma | February 15, 2026 | Soft drinks and candy |
| Louisiana | February 18, 2026 | Soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy |
| Texas | April 1, 2026 | Sweetened drinks and candy |
| Florida | April 20, 2026 | Soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts |
| Arkansas | July 1, 2026 | Soda, energy drinks, drinks with less than 50% real juice, other sugary drinks, and candy |
Starting soon: 11 states
Approved, with a start date ahead. Soda still works in these states until the date in the middle column.
| State | Starts | Off the list |
|---|---|---|
| Montana | November 1, 2026 | High-sugar drinks, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts |
| North Dakota | November 1, 2026 | Sweetened drinks, energy drinks, and candy |
| Ohio | November 1, 2026 | Sugar-sweetened drinks and all fountain drinks |
| South Carolina | November 1, 2026 | Candy, energy drinks, soft drinks, and sweetened drinks |
| Virginia | November 1, 2026 | Sweetened drinks |
| Nebraska | December 1, 2026 | Soda, soft drinks, and energy drinks. Candy joins the list March 1, 2027 |
| Wyoming | February 1, 2027 | Sweetened, carbonated drinks |
| Kansas | February 15, 2027 | Candy and soft drinks |
| Missouri | February 15, 2027 | Candy, prepared desserts, and certain sugary drinks |
| Hawaii | April 1, 2027 | Soft drinks |
| Nevada | February 1, 2028 | Candy and sugar-sweetened drinks |
Stopped by a court: 4 states
Colorado, Iowa, Tennessee, West Virginia had approved limits too. On June 22, 2026 a federal court in Washington threw those four approvals out, and USDA's table now says their limits "may not proceed." So soda works in those states today. That could change on appeal, and we'll update this page if it does.
Energy drinks: the label decides first
Energy drinks have their own rule, and it's older than any of this. Flip the can. A Nutrition Facts label means it's food and the card covers it. A Supplement Facts label means it's a supplement, and supplements never qualify, in any state.
On top of that, 7 of the states above name energy drinks on their list: Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Nebraska. There, even a food-label energy drink gets declined once the limit starts.
At the register
If a soda gets declined, the rest of your cart still goes through. Pay for the soda another way or leave it. If your card carries EBT cash as well as food benefits, the cash side has no list at all.
This page follows USDA's waiver table, last checked October 8, 2026. Here's the full list of what the card covers, and a few things it covers that surprise people.
Common questions
- Can you buy soda with EBT?
- In most states, yes. Soda counts as food under the federal rules. But 8 states have started their own limits on soda and candy: Indiana, Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Arkansas. In those states the register will decline it.
- Which states don't let you buy soda with EBT?
- Started so far: Indiana, Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Arkansas. Coming next: Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, Hawaii, Nevada. Each state writes its own list, so what counts as "soda" differs a little from state to state.
- Can you buy energy drinks with EBT?
- Two rules apply. First, flip the can. A Nutrition Facts label means it's food and the card covers it. A Supplement Facts label means it's a supplement and never qualifies, in any state. Second, some states now block energy drinks along with soda, even the ones with a food label.
- Can you buy Red Bull or Monster with EBT?
- Check the label on the exact can. Many Red Bull and Monster cans carry a Nutrition Facts label, so they're food under the federal rule. Others carry Supplement Facts and aren't. And in a state that blocks energy drinks, neither works.
- Can you buy candy with EBT?
- Same story as soda. Food under the federal rules, blocked in most of the states that limit soda. Indiana, Idaho, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Arkansas have started a candy limit.
- Does the limit count diet soda?
- It depends on the state. Some lists say "soft drinks" and cover diet too. Others say "sweetened" or "sugar-sweetened" and may not. Your state's SNAP page has the exact list, and the register follows that list.
- What if soda gets declined at the register?
- Pay for that item another way, or put it back. Everything else in your cart still goes through on the card. If your card also has EBT cash on it, that side works for anything.