Under federal SNAP rules, you can buy soda with an EBT card because it’s classified as a non-alcoholic beverage, which is an eligible food item. That changes in 2026 for people in 18 states: the USDA has approved food restriction waivers that block soda (and in some states energy drinks, candy, and other sweetened items) from being purchased with SNAP benefits, with start dates staggered across the year. Whether soda still rings up on your card today depends on which state you live in and whether your state’s waiver has taken effect yet.
Why Soda Is Eligible Under Federal SNAP Rules
SNAP covers most food and drink meant for home consumption, including non-alcoholic beverages.1Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy? Soda falls squarely in that category alongside juice, coffee, tea, and bottled water. Sugar content, caffeine, and nutritional value don’t factor into the federal eligibility rule. If it’s a non-alcoholic beverage with a Nutrition Facts label, it qualifies.
Before 2026, no state had authority to narrow that list. SNAP recipients in every state could use benefits for any federally eligible food, and states that wanted to carve out soda or candy were turned down. That changed when the USDA began approving food restriction waivers submitted by individual states.2Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Food Restriction Waivers
States Where You Can No Longer Buy Soda With SNAP in 2026
Eighteen states have received waivers, each with its own start date and its own list of restricted items. The general targets are soft drinks, energy drinks, candy, and in some cases prepared desserts, but the specifics vary state to state.
Already in Effect
Indiana, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia began restricting soft drinks and related items on January 1, 2026. Idaho, Louisiana, and Oklahoma followed in mid-February.
Spring 2026
Texas restrictions start April 1, Florida on April 20, and Colorado on April 30. Florida’s waiver reaches further than most, also covering prepared desserts.
Summer 2026
Arkansas and Hawaii come online in July and August. South Carolina and Tennessee follow in August and September.
Fall 2026
Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, and Virginia are all targeting October 2026 start dates.2Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Food Restriction Waivers
What Counts as a Restricted Drink Depends on the State
The definitions matter. Utah and West Virginia target only soft drinks. Florida and Tennessee reach further, into energy drinks, candy, and processed foods. Arkansas has one of the more detailed definitions, covering soda plus any fruit or vegetable drink with less than 50 percent natural juice.
So a diet cola may be restricted in one state and a 40-percent-juice fruit drink restricted in another, while a neighboring state with a waiver leaves both alone. If you live in one of the 18 states, check your state SNAP agency’s website for the exact list before you shop. The words “soft drink” and “sweetened beverage” aren’t defined uniformly, and the register at the store follows your state’s rule, not the federal one.
Everywhere else, federal rules still govern, and soda remains an eligible SNAP purchase. Traveling with your card doesn’t lock you into your home state’s restrictions either; the store’s location determines which rules apply at checkout.
The Label Test for Energy Drinks, Protein Shakes, and Drink Mixes
Even in states without a soda waiver, one beverage category catches people out constantly, and it has nothing to do with the new restrictions. Whether a drink is SNAP-eligible often comes down to which label the manufacturer put on the package.
A product with a Nutrition Facts label is classified as food and qualifies for SNAP. A product with a Supplement Facts label is classified as a supplement and does not.3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Retailer Notice – Allowable Items
This shows up most often with energy drinks. A standard Monster or Red Bull on the shelf usually carries a Nutrition Facts label and rings up fine on EBT. Many energy shots, protein shakes, and powdered drink mixes carry a Supplement Facts label instead, and the terminal will reject them regardless of what’s in the can. Flip the container around and check the label before you get to the register. If it says “Supplement Facts,” you’ll need another form of payment.
What SNAP Never Covers
The new state waivers are narrow: they take specific beverages and snacks off the SNAP-eligible list within that state. They don’t change the categories that federal law has always excluded from SNAP, regardless of where you live:
- Alcohol of any kind.
- Tobacco products.
- Hot food sold hot at the point of sale, such as rotisserie chicken or deli meals from a hot bar.
- Vitamins, medicine, and anything with a Supplement Facts label.
- Food or drinks containing cannabis or CBD.1Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
- Non-food household items, including pet food, cleaning supplies, paper products, diapers, hygiene items, and cosmetics.3Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Retailer Notice – Allowable Items
The CBD line trips people up because CBD-infused drinks and snacks are common at ordinary grocery stores now. Even when the product looks like standard food, the CBD content makes it ineligible.
What to Do If You Live in a Waiver State
If your state appears on the list above, the practical steps are simple. Look up your state SNAP agency’s guidance on the exact items covered by the waiver, since the definitions differ. Assume the same restrictions apply to online SNAP orders as to in-store purchases; the retailer’s system enforces the same rules either way. And keep another payment method on hand for the items your card no longer covers, whether that’s soda specifically or a broader list depending on your state.
If you live in one of the 32 states without a waiver, federal rules still apply, and soda remains SNAP-eligible for now. The list of participating states is growing, so the answer for your state could change; the USDA’s food restriction waiver page is the source of record for which states have been approved and when their rules take effect.