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How to Get SUN Bucks

How to Get SUN Bucks

Phone number
(877) 328-9677
Category
Children
Food
Auto tags
Eligibility
Children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, or receive CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal at or below 185% FPL
Auto Summary
SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) gives California families $120 per eligible child for summer groceries, loaded onto an EBT card you swipe like a debit card. Most kids get it automatically — if your child gets free/reduced-price school meals, or your household gets CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal (at or below 185% FPL), the card comes in the mail (mailed alphabetically by last name, starting early June). If not auto-enrolled but income looks eligible, turn in a School Meal Application or Universal Benefits Application at your child's school by Aug 31, 2026. Spend it within 122 days — it expires. Doesn't affect immigration status; stacks with CalFresh and school meals. Helpline (877) 328-9677. Verified 2026-05-30.
Value
$120 per eligible child loaded onto an EBT card for summer food purchases
Espanol
Cómo Obtener SUN Bucks - Programa de asistencia nutricional de verano de California que proporciona $120 por niño elegible en una tarjeta EBT para compras de alimentos. Los niños que califican para comidas escolares gratuitas o reducidas, CalFresh, CalWORKs o Medi-Cal son inscritos automáticamente.
URL
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks/how-to-get-sun-bucks
Last verified 2026-05-17
SUN Bucks (also called Summer EBT or S-EBT) gives California families $120 per eligible child for summer groceries — June, July, and August. The money loads onto an EBT card you swipe at the store like a debit card. Most kids get it automatically; some families need to turn in one form at school.

Who qualifies

Your child gets SUN Bucks if any of these are true:
  • They get free or reduced-price school meals (income at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level).
  • Your household gets CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal (Medi-Cal must be certified at or below 185% FPL) anytime between July 1, 2024 and September 2, 2026.
  • They get SSI/SSP or are in the Adoption Assistance Program.
  • They are in foster care, homeless, a migrant child, or a runaway.
Kids ages 0–22 can qualify if they attend a California school that runs the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks/who-is-eligible (accessed 2026-05-17)]

How much you get

$120 per eligible child, loaded once on the SUN Bucks EBT card. Every card gets the full $120 no matter when it arrives. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks (accessed 2026-05-17)]

How to get it — most families do nothing

About 5 million California kids are enrolled automatically. If your child already gets free or reduced-price meals at school, or your household gets CalFresh / CalWORKs / Medi-Cal (≤185% FPL), the card will come in the mail. You don't need to apply.
Cards are mailed alphabetically by the child's last name:
When it arrives
Last name
Early June
A–C
Mid-June
D–F
Late June
G–L
Early July
M–Q
Mid-July
R–S
Late July
T–Z
Kids who become eligible later (through a school meal application or by enrolling in CalFresh / CalWORKs / Medi-Cal after Stage 1 starts) get their cards in Stage 2, August onward. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks/how-to-get-sun-bucks (accessed 2026-05-17)]

If you need to apply

You should turn in a form if your child is not already getting free/reduced school meals and is not in CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal — but your household income looks like it qualifies.
  1. Ask your child's school for a School Meal Application or Universal Benefits Application (UBA). Both work.
  1. Fill it out and return it to the school.
  1. Deadline: August 31, 2026. Applications after that date go toward 2027 SUN Bucks. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks/who-is-eligible (accessed 2026-05-17)]
Just getting free meals through California's Universal Meals Program is not enough — that program feeds all kids regardless of income. You still need to turn in an income-based application for SUN Bucks.

Use it within 122 days

The $120 expires 122 days after it's loaded on the card. Unused money disappears and can't be put back. If your family also gets CalFresh, use SUN Bucks first — CalFresh doesn't expire as fast. [Source: cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks/how-to-get-sun-bucks (accessed 2026-05-17)]
You can buy the same foods you'd buy with CalFresh: groceries, fruits and vegetables, bread, dairy, meat, cereal, and seeds or plants that grow food. No hot prepared food, no alcohol, no pet food, no household supplies.

Common problems

  • Card didn't arrive but my child should be eligible. Call the SUN Bucks helpline: (877) 328-9677. They can check status, update your address, and replace lost cards.
  • Moved recently? Cards mail to the address your child's school has on file (CALPADS system). Update the school office before June if you've moved.
  • Lost or stolen card? Call (877) 328-9677 right away to freeze the card and order a replacement.
  • Forgot the PIN? Set or reset it through the SUN Bucks helpline or the California EBT cardholder website.

Where to get help

  • SUN Bucks helpline: (877) 328-9677 — automated 24/7, live agents Mon–Fri 6 a.m.–8 p.m.
  • Your child's school office — they have the application forms.
  • Nevada County families: Nevada County Health & Human Services can help with CalFresh / Medi-Cal enrollment, which also gets you SUN Bucks: (530) 265-1340.

Other notes

  • SUN Bucks does not affect your immigration status — it's not considered a public charge benefit.
  • You can use SUN Bucks on top of CalFresh, free school meals, and summer meal programs. They don't cancel each other out.
  • One eligible child = one $120 card per summer. A family with three eligible kids gets $360 total.

Sources

  • USDA Food and Nutrition Service — SUN Bucks