How to Apply for WIC in Louisiana

1. Persons applying for WIC should bring each person who is applying for WIC to the clinic with you on the appointment date. Bring an extra diaper for infants and children who are applying for WIC since they must be weighted with a clean, dry diaper.
   • For infants and children:
     • Birth certificate or birth record, nursery ID bracelet, Medicaid card, medical record, medical insurance card, or immunization records
   • For adults:
     • Birth certificate or medical records (excluding immunization record), driver’s license or state issued ID card, passport or immigration card, medical insurance card or Medicaid card, voter registration card
2. Proof of identification: You should bring identification for yourself and for each person who is applying for WIC. The following are acceptable forms of proof of identification:
   • For infants and children: Birth or birth record, nursery ID bracelet, Medicaid card, medical record, medical insurance card, or immunization records
   • For adults: Birth certificate or medical records (excluding immunization record), driver’s license or state issued ID card, passport or immigration card, medical insurance card or Medicaid card, voter registration card
3. Proof of Residency (for infants and children, proof must be provided for the parent/caretaker also): you should bring proof of where you live. The document should include your name, physical address, city, state, and ZIP code. P.O. boxes are not accepted. The following are acceptable forms of proof of residency:
   • Valid Medicaid card  
   • Valid voter registration card  
   • Current rent or mortgage receipt showing address of residence and name of renter  
   • Current pay stub showing employee address 
   • Current utility bill (gas, electric, water, phone, etc.)  
   • State or local document indicating Louisiana residence, i.e., property tax notice  
   • Processed mail addressed to the participant or parent/caretaker at the physical address  
   • For migrants or victims of theft, loss or disaster with no proof of residence, a statement written and signed by staff of a social service agency, church, legal aid society, school counselor, or nurse attesting to residence.
4. Proof of Income: you should bring one of the following forms for proof of income for all members of your household.
   • If you receive Medicaid, SNAP (Food Stamps), or TANF, bring one of the following:
     • Medicaid letter showing current eligibility or valid Medicaid card, SNAP (Food Stamps) document showing current eligibility, TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families) document showing current eligibility.
   • If you DO NOT receive Medicaid, SNAP (Food Stamps), or TANF, the following are accepted:
     • Public assistance or welfare payments for the most recent 30 days  
     • Child support or alimony payments for the most recent 30 days  
     • Current pay stubs showing gross pay and time frame (weekly, monthly, etc.) for the most recent 30 days  
     • Current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for military personnel for the most recent 30 days  
     • Social Security award letter or notice stating current earnings  
     • Unemployment earning statement for the most recent 30 days  
     • Retirement, pensions, or annuities payments  
     • Scholarship letter showing the date and amount awarded  
     • W-2 forms or income tax return for the most recent calendar year  
     • Tax Returns for the self-employed from the most recent calendar year  
     • Signed statement from employer indicating gross earnings and time frame (weekly, monthly, etc.) for the most recent 30 days  
     • Winnings or payments from gaming, gambling, lottery, and bingo  
     • Other cash income, including regular contributions from persons not living in the household
5. For a complete list of examples of proof of residency and proof of income, click here to view the printable PDF

Families who have never been on WIC will be scheduled an Initial Certification Appointment. These appointments usually take longer as the WIC staff will need to check the family’s eligibility, complete the health screening and certify them. WIC staff will explain how to use the WIC EBT card at a participating grocery store. Your infants and/or children need to be with you for this appointment, and you should bring your proof if income and ID (even if you uploaded these to myWIC, just in case the documents are blurry).

Be sure to call your clinic if you have other questions about appointment types, and which appointment you should be scheduling.

The WIC Program lets you assign a proxy to attend WIC appointments and even shop for your WIC foods for you. In order to assign a proxy, you must fill out the Proxy at Certification Form and bring it to your next appointment. Remember: Make sure your family’s proxy is available for appointments, knows the answers about your family that will be asked at the WIC appointment, and can go grocery shopping when you are not available.

No. Louisiana WIC benefits must be added onto your card during WIC appointments. Nutrition education is an important part of the WIC Program and WIC staff want to be able to answer any nutrition questions that caregivers may have.

You should contact your WIC clinic to schedule an appointment so that you can either have benefits added onto your card, or so that WIC staff can look at your card and see what might be wrong.

Check out our Find a Store page to find a WIC grocery store near you!