Forty-nine states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico offer programs that provide free phones and free service to Americans on government assistance, or simply those who are below certain income thresholds. The programs and eligibility vary in each state. In some states you might get unlimited calling and texting, and even some data allowance; and plans in other states offer less, but still very good plans.
The Lifeline Assistance and Link-Up programs have been helping people afford landline phones since 1996. It wasn’t until 2008 that the first state certified a company to provide cell phones for free. That was when Tracfone launched Safelink Wireless in Tennessee.
Here we are a couple decades later and almost the entire country is covered. And if you qualify, you’ll quickly find a provider that will ship a free government cell phone shipped right out to you.
(By the way, in case you were wondering, Montana is the missing state. A few companies in Big Sky Country offer discounted Lifeline plans, but there are no free government cell phone plans available.)
ACP plans are available in all 50 states. This outstanding Federal program is so new that it’s still shiny. It was first unveiled in 2021.
To check on your own state’s providers and specific qualification criteria, just click on your state below. Some states have all of the major Lifeline and ACP cell phone companies and often quite a few smaller players. Some states have one or two companies. And, unfortunately, as we noted above, low-income residents of Montana are just plain out of luck.
CLICK ON YOUR STATE BELOW TO GET STARTED:
What are the Lifeline eligibility rules for each state?
The eligibility requirements vary from state to state, due to various government aid programs that are state-specific. However, these programs are simply added on to the qualifying federal programs that are available in all states. Here are the federal programs you can count on qualifying with in every state:
For example, in Massachusetts the MassHealth program qualifies you and in California participating in the Women, Infants and Children Program gets you a phone. So, even if you do not qualify according to the list above, check if your state has other programs under which you might be eligible.
Qualify by Participating in one of these Federal or State assistance programs
Most people will qualify for a Lifeline cell phone and service through their participation in a federal or state assistance program. The theory goes, if you are on these designated programs then you have already proven yourself to be in financial need, so there’s no need to prove it all over again. Here are the universal federal assistance programs you’ll find in every state:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
You may have to show proof of participation, like a benefit letter or official document, when you apply for Lifeline.
Qualify by participating in one of these Tribal Assistance Programs
If you live on Tribal lands, you can get Lifeline if your household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if you (or someone in your household) participate in:
- Any of the federal assistance programs listed above
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard)
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
In addition, you are able to qualify by your income level. Most states want to see that your total household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your state; a smaller number of states are at 150%. Each state page we link to above will tell you in detail what those income levels are.
What are the ACP eligibility rules for each state?
Yes, the eligibility requirements for Lifeline and ACP are similar, but different enough that we’ll go through them again.
Qualify by participating in one of these Federal assistance programs
You are eligible for the ACP if you (or someone in your household) participate in one of these programs:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
- Medicaid
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
- Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S.
- Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools
- Federal Pell Grant awarded in the current year
Qualify by participating in one of these Tribal assistance programs
If you live on qualifying Tribal lands, you are eligible for the ACP if you (or someone in your household) participates in any of these federal programs:
- Any of the federal assistance programs listed above.
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance.
- Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard).
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF).
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
If You Already Receive a Lifeline Benefit
We said that Lifeline and ACP are completely different programs, but this is the exception: If you already participate in the Lifeline free government cell phone program, you automatically qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program. And you can get both benefits at the same time.
Qualify Through Your Child or Dependent
You do not have to be the one who qualifies for ACP in order to get the benefit. Your household qualifies if any member of the household participates in one of the Federal programs listed above.
Quality through total household income
You can qualify or Lifeline if your household income is less than 135% of the Federal poverty guideline. But you qualify for the ACP discount your household income is at or below 200% of the guidelines. Because the permissible income level is so much higher, a lot more people qualify for the ACP discount.
If you need more information on the overall program before selecting a cell phone provider, please begin from the top at our free cell phones home page.
