According to Raleigh Mom Club, you start WIC with a phone call in all three counties: in Wake, call 919-250-4720 or fill out the county's online application; in Durham, call Lincoln Community Health Center at 919-956-4042 (or the clinic at the Human Services Building, 919-560-7824); in Orange, call 919-245-2422 or 919-245-2447 to book at the Hillsborough clinic. If you get Medicaid, SNAP or Work First (TANF), you automatically meet the income rule. Any county can also be reached through the state's WIC referral form, and a clinic will contact you within 20 days (10 days if you are pregnant or have a baby under 6 months).
Quick Answers
Who qualifies
WIC is a federal nutrition program run by the state. North Carolina's rules say you need all four: be pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, an infant or a child under 5; live in North Carolina; be at nutritional risk (a nutritionist or other health professional checks this at no cost); and have household income under 185% of the federal poverty guidelines.
NCDHHS says "a person receiving Medicaid, Work First Families Assistance (WFFA or TANF), or assistance from the NC Food and Nutrition Services" automatically meets the income rule. The state's chart effective June 8, 2026 lists yearly maximum gross income of $29,526 for a household of 1, $40,034 for 2, $50,542 for 3 and $61,050 for 4, plus $10,508 for each additional person. The USDA says a pregnancy adds one to your household size. I found no chart dated July 1, 2026, so check the state page if your income is close.
What to bring
The state asks for one proof each of identity (for everyone applying), where you live, and income for anyone with income. Identity can be a driver's license, birth certificate, Medicaid card, immunization record or a hospital crib card for a newborn. Residency can be a utility bill, lease or bank statement. Income can be pay stubs or an employer letter. If you get Medicaid, SNAP or TANF, you need nothing else for income. Wake says photocopies are not accepted, bills must be no older than 60 days and pay stubs no older than 30 days. It also wants your child's height, weight and hemoglobin if a doctor has them; if not, stop by any Wake WIC site between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to get them free.
Orange and Durham do not post their own lists, so ask when you book. Orange says "we will let you know the information you will need to bring."
Wake County
Durham County
Durham's WIC clinics are run by Lincoln Community Health Center. Call for an appointment; walk-in rules are not posted as of Oct 30, 2026.
Lincoln says WIC information is confidential.
Orange County
The WIC clinic is at the Health Department, 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough. Call 919-245-2422 or 919-245-2447 to make an appointment. Hours and walk-in rules are not posted as of Oct 30, 2026. The county's WIC page also carried a notice that phone lines were having trouble receiving calls. If you can't get through, use the state referral form.
What WIC gives you
Orange lists milk, cheese, eggs, cereal, juice, beans, peanut butter and infant formula and cereal. Wake adds fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, brown rice, yogurt and tofu, and baby-food meats for fully breastfed infants. North Carolina says all local agencies provide manual and electric breast pumps and many have mother-to-mother peer counselors. You also get nutrition education and health referrals. For more help feeding a baby, see free breastfeeding and postpartum help.
Using your eWIC card
You get an NC eWIC card at your first visit and use it at authorized grocers and pharmacies. To check your balance or set your PIN, log in to ebtEDGE.com or use the ebtEDGE app, or call eWIC customer service at 1-844-230-0813. Wake says the app also locates stores near you.
Need diapers too? See free diapers in the Triangle, and for other groceries, food pantries for families.