1. Freeze or report it right away
The moment you realize the card is gone, lock the card in your state's EBT app (most states have one) or call the number on the back of the card / your state's EBT customer-service line. This stops anyone from spending your benefits. Reporting it also starts the replacement.
2. Request the replacement
Ask for a new card when you call or in the app/portal. Replacement cards are free and usually arrive by mail in about 5–7 business days (some states offer same-day pickup at a local office). Your benefit balance moves to the new card — you don't lose your funds.
3. Change your PIN
When the new card arrives, set a new PIN you haven't used before, and don't pick something easy to guess (no 1234, no birthdays). Never write the PIN on the card.
If benefits were already stolen (skimming)
If money was taken — often through card skimming at a tampered card reader — that's different from a lost card. Federal replacement of stolen benefits ended in December 2024, and only a few states still replace them with state funds. Change your PIN, report it immediately, and check your state's current rule with the stolen-EBT checker.
Protect yourself going forward
Change your PIN every month, check your balance often (how to check your EBT balance), and inspect card readers for anything loose or odd before you swipe. Freezing the card in the app between shopping trips is the strongest protection.
What if benefits were spent before you froze the card?
If someone used your benefits before you locked the card, that's theft, not a simple loss — and a replacement card won't bring the spent money back. Report it the moment you notice: change your PIN, file a report with your state EBT office (and, for skimming, the police), and ask what your state's current replacement rule is. Federal replacement of electronically stolen SNAP ended in December 2024, so today only a handful of states restore stolen benefits with their own funds. Check your state's status with the stolen-EBT tool, and going forward, keep the card frozen in your state's app between shopping trips.
General guidance, not a determination — rules vary by state and change over time. Confirm with your state SNAP office.
Sources
Lost benefits or worried about losing them? Run the 5-question lost-benefits triage — appeal timing, emergency food, and alternative programs in one walkthrough.