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FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FNS 215 RESIDENCE FNS 215 RESIDENCE Change #02-2026 August 4, 2026 215.01 RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT A Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) household must live in North Carolina to file an application and participate in the FNS program in North Carolina. The following conditions apply to residence requirements: A. There is no durational residency requirement to be considered a resident of North Carolina. B. No individual may participate as a member of more than one FNS household or in more than one state, in any month or any part of a month, unless an individual is a resident of a shelter for battered women and children and meets the requirements found in FNS 212.03 C. Household Composition Special Arrangements. C. Otherwise eligible households are not required to reside in a permanent dwelling or have a fixed mailing address as a condition of eligibility. D. There is no requirement to show intent to reside permanently in the State. E. Persons in North Carolina solely for vacation purposes shall not be considered residents. F. While legal custody can be considered a lead to determining residence for children, it in itself does not verify residence. FNS residence is based on the actual physical location of each individual. Example: A grandmother has legal custody of the children in Anytown, NC, but the children actually live with their mother in Other Town, NC. The children’s residence is the location that they physically live, which would be Other Town, NC. 215.02 FILING AN FNS APPLICATION A. In-Person: 1. The Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) unit must live in the county in which it makes an in-person application for FNS benefits. 2. If the worker determines that the applicant resides outside their county prior to starting the application process in North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology (NC FAST) they may refer the applicant to the county Department of Social Services (DSS) in the applicant’s county of residence and Section 215 Change #02-2026 August 4, 2026