33. What is a Photo EBT card and who needs to have one?

A small percent of DTA cash assistance (TAFDC) and SNAP households are issued EBT cards with a photo of the head of household.  But the majority of cash and SNAP households do not need to have a photo on their EBT card because they are "exempt" from the photo EBT rule.

Regardless of what your card looks like, all EBT cardholders and their household members have the same rights when using the EBT card to buy food. See additional information here: Masslegalservices.org/photoEBT

Note: Photo EBT cards do not include the household’s address nor date of birth. In general, the EBT photo card is not a substitute for a government issued ID card for any legal purposes such as: boarding an airplane, entering state or federal buildings that require ID, purchasing cigarettes or alcohol, or getting medications requiring ID.

There are generally 2 types of DTA EBT cards in Massachusetts:

The back of each DTA EBT card states: “This card may be used by any household member.” All household members are authorized to use the EBT card at the grocery store. The PIN is your electronic signature.

Here are your customer rights: 

• Stores must allow a household members to use the card, whether or not their name or picture is on the EBT card.  
• Stores may not set up “SNAP-only” checkout lines nor refuse to let you use self-checkout lines. 
• Store clerks must not treat SNAP recipients differently from other shoppers who use credit or debit cards.  
• Stores must not ask to see your photo EBT card unless it is store policy to ask for ID of all debit or credit card customers.

Federal rules protect the right of all authorized members to use the EBT card and to not be discriminated against: 7 C.F.R. §274.7(A), 7 C.F.R. §274.8(b)(5)(iv) and 7 §C.F.R..278.2(b).

Households EXEMPT from photo EBT card

You do not need a photo EBT card if you are the head of household (the person whose name is on the card) and you are:

• Age 60 or older
• Disabled or blind
• Under age 19
• Homeless
• A victim of domestic violence
• A person with a sincerely held religious belief.

DTA also does not issue photo EBT cards for authorized representatives nor for adults applying on behalf of their eligible dependents but not applying for themselves, such as a non-citizen applying on behalf of eligible children.

If you have a photo EBT card but you later became exempt from the photo EBT rules (for example, you turn age 60 or become disabled), you can ask for a "Valid-without-photo" EBT card. DTA will issue you a new EBT card without a photo and not charge you any replacement fee. 

DTA Online Guide 

See Appendix G for links to the DTA’s BEACON 5 Online Guide that apply to this section.