If you’re one of the millions of Californians relying on CalFresh to help feed your family, there’s one critical date you can’t afford to miss this summer: July 5, 2025. That’s the last day most recipients can submit their annual renewal paperwork before their benefits are at risk of being paused or stopped altogether.
Every CalFresh household is required to recertify their eligibility at least once a year. This ensures that the state has your most current income and household information. For most people, that 12-month benefit window ends in July—which means your renewal form, often called an Annual Report or SAR-7, needs to be in by the fifth day of the month.
You can submit on July 5 and still stay in the system. But here’s the catch: July 4 is a national holiday, and many government offices are closed. So if you’re mailing in forms or relying on paper processing, your paperwork might not be stamped on time. That’s why experts say the safest bet is to get everything submitted by July 1 or 2 at the latest.
What happens if you’re late? While your July benefits will still be deposited as usual around the 2nd of the month, if your renewal isn’t received and processed on time, your August benefits could be delayed or canceled. If you’re more than 30 days late, you may even have to reapply from scratch, which could cause a gap in coverage for you and your family.
So how do you make sure you’re covered?
Three Quick Ways to Submit Your Renewal:
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Online – The fastest and safest way is through your county’s website or MyBenefitsCalWIN.
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In Person – You can drop it off at your local county office. Make sure you get a timestamp or receipt as proof.
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Fax or Mail – This works too, but it’s slower. Always keep a copy and confirmation page if you fax it in.
You may also need to complete a short phone interview as part of your recertification. It’s not always required, but counties often call to verify your info. Missing that call could hold things up—so keep your phone handy and your voicemail cleared out.
The bottom line: July 5 is the final deadline—but don’t wait that long. Submitting even a day early can help you avoid last-minute stress, processing delays, or worse—losing access to your food benefits.
If you’re unsure when your benefits expire or haven’t received your renewal notice, call your local CalFresh office immediately. Renewal packets are usually mailed 30–45 days in advance, but delays can happen.
