WIC offices in Chicago, Illinois

Four things: photo ID for the adult; a birth certificate, crib card or medical record for each child applying; proof of your Chicago address (lease, utility bill or official mail); and proof of income — recent pay stubs, OR simply your Medicaid, SNAP or TANF card, which proves income eligibility by itself. Don't have everything? Go anyway: a sworn statement is generally accepted as a last resort and you typically get 30 days to complete proof.

Illinois uses the federal maximum of 185% of poverty. For July 2026 through June 2027: $29,526/year for a household of 1, $40,034 for 2, $50,542 for 3, $61,050 for 4, plus $10,508 for each additional member — gross income, before taxes. A pregnancy counts as at least one extra household member, and anyone with Medicaid, SNAP or TANF is automatically income-eligible regardless of these numbers.

Illinois does not offer a full online application — enrollment runs through your local clinic: call a wic clinic near you to request an appointment. Call one of the Chicago clinics above to book; certification is usually completed in a single visit.

Yes — the Illinois WIC state hotline is 1-800-323-4769 (toll-free), run by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Use it for benefit questions, clinic referrals and appointment help. For your eWIC balance, the state WIC app and your last receipt show it instantly, and the clinics listed above answer local questions directly.