Lost my CalFresh EBT card - can I get same-day replacement at county office?
Hey everyone, I just realized my CalFresh EBT card is missing after grocery shopping yesterday. Checked everywhere - car, pockets, bags - it's gone for sure. I have about $340 in benefits that I NEED to access this week for my family. Does anyone know if I can walk into my county office today and get a replacement card right away? Or am I stuck calling that EBT customer service number and waiting for mail delivery? This is my regular CalFresh card (not P-EBT). Never lost it before in 3 years on the program and really panicking about how long we'll be without food money. Thanks for any help!!
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Alice Fleming
you gotta call the number on the back of your card. o wait u dont have it lol. its 877-328-9677 for the ebt customer service
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Steven Adams
•Thanks for the number! Do you know how long it usually takes to get the new card after calling? I'm worried about feeding my kids this week.
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Hassan Khoury
When you call EBT customer service at 1-877-328-9677, the first thing they'll do is deactivate your lost card so nobody can use your benefits. Then they'll mail you a replacement card, which typically takes 3-5 business days to arrive. Unfortunately, you cannot get a same-day replacement card at most county offices in California - they don't keep physical cards on-site anymore. Some counties do have emergency card printing capabilities for certain hardship situations, but this is rare and usually requires a special appointment and approval. Your best bet is to call EBT customer service ASAP to report it lost and request the replacement. Make sure your mailing address is current when you call!
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Steven Adams
•Thank you for explaining! I'll call right away. I had no idea they can't give cards at the office anymore. Really hope it doesn't take the full 5 days, my kids are big eaters.
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Victoria Stark
I WENT THROUGH THIS EXACT NIGHTMARE last month!! Called the EBT customer service line and spent 45 MINUTES on hold just to report my card lost. Then they said 7-10 business days for a new card!!! I have 3 kids and couldn't wait that long! Ended up calling my actual county worker (took forever to reach someone) and explained it was an emergency situation. They were able to expedite the card delivery to 3 days. Still had to borrow money from my sister for groceries though. The system is SO broken!!!
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Steven Adams
•Oh no! 7-10 days sounds even worse than what the other person said. Did you just call the main CalFresh office number to reach your worker? I don't even know who my worker is honestly...
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Benjamin Kim
I lost mine about 6 months ago and learned some important things: 1. Call EBT customer service right away (877-328-9677) to deactivate the lost card 2. When you call, ask them to "expedite" the replacement - they can sometimes do 2-3 day delivery instead of standard 3. Make sure your address is current in their system 4. Ask if your county has emergency card printing (some do for hardship cases) 5. While waiting, you can designate an authorized representative to use your benefits temporarily The authorized representative option saved me - I added my mom temporarily so she could buy groceries for us while waiting for my new card. To do this, you need to call your county office directly though.
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Steven Adams
•I didn't know about the authorized representative option! That might really help. Do they need to come with me to the office to set that up, or can I just call and give their info?
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Samantha Howard
lost mine 2 times lol. just call the number and they send you one. took like a week both times. kinda sucked but whatever. maybe try instacart while u wait?
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Megan D'Acosta
•Instacart doesn't accept EBT in all areas tho, I tried using it with my CalFresh and it didn't work in my town.
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Sarah Ali
I went through something similar back in January. Trying to reach anyone at the CalFresh office was nearly impossible - kept getting disconnected or waiting forever on hold. I finally tried this service called Claimyr that helped me actually get through to a real person at my county office. They connected me to a worker who explained my options for expedited card replacement. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 In my case, I was able to get the county to approve a 2-day expedited delivery instead of waiting a full week. Definitely worth trying if you're getting nowhere with the regular phone lines.
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Steven Adams
•Thanks for this suggestion! I'm already on hold with the regular EBT number but if I can't get through I'll check out that service. Did they just connect you or did they actually help solve the problem?
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Sarah Ali
•They just connect you - basically they wait on hold in the queue so you don't have to, then call you when they have a real person. After that you're talking directly to the county worker. In my case the worker was able to code my replacement as "expedited" once I explained it was an emergency situation.
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Benjamin Kim
One more important thing I forgot to mention - when you get your new card, you'll need to create a new PIN. The old PIN doesn't automatically transfer to the replacement card. And make sure you're home to receive the card because they won't leave it if nobody's there to sign for it.
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Steven Adams
•Oh that's good to know about the PIN and signature! I work during the day so I'll have to figure something out. Maybe I can have it sent to my mom's address since she's retired and home all day.
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Alice Fleming
my cousin said u can get emergency food at food banks while u wait for ur card. they dont even ask for id at some of them
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Steven Adams
•That's a good backup plan, thank you! I'll look up local food banks just in case there's a long delay with the card.
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Hassan Khoury
Just to update with the most current 2025 information: Some counties now offer virtual EBT cards through the BenefitsCal app while you wait for your physical replacement. This is a newer feature that not all counties have implemented yet, but worth asking about when you call. The virtual card works with retailers that accept mobile payment. Also, for your reference, the standard EBT card replacement timeframes are: - Regular mail: 3-5 business days (free) - Expedited mail: 1-3 business days (sometimes offered for hardship) - Emergency same-day: Only available in limited counties for extreme circumstances Hope this helps!
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Steven Adams
•Thank you for this update! I'll definitely ask about the virtual EBT option - that would be amazing if available in my county. Just got off a 35-minute hold and they're sending a replacement card, said 3-5 days. Fingers crossed it comes quickly!
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Nadia Zaldivar
I'm so sorry you're going through this stress! As a fellow CalFresh recipient, I know how panicky it feels when you can't access your benefits. Just wanted to add that if you're having trouble getting through to the EBT customer service line (it can be really busy), try calling early in the morning right when they open - I've had better luck around 8 AM. Also, some grocery stores like Walmart and Target have customer service desks that can help you find the EBT customer service number if you need it again. Hang in there, and I hope your replacement card arrives quickly! Your kids won't go hungry - there are always backup options like food banks if needed.
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