Arkansas’ new SNAP limits move forward despite court challenge

Arkansas’ restrictions on using SNAP benefits to buy certain soda, beverages and candy remain in effect after a federal judge vacated similar USDA-approved projects in five other states.

The Arkansas rules began July 1, 2026, and also apply to the state’s Summer EBT benefits. Current agency guidance means affected households must use another payment method for restricted products, while eligible staple foods, SNAP eligibility and monthly benefit allotments remain unchanged.

What Arkansas SNAP benefits cannot buy

The USDA approval record identifies these restricted categories:

• Soda
• Low- and no-calorie soda
• Fruit and vegetable drinks containing less than 50% natural juice
• Other unhealthy drinks, including the energy-drink category identified in current USDA implementation materials
• Candy

The restrictions change what benefits can purchase. They do not, by themselves, change who qualifies for SNAP, the size of a household’s monthly allotment or access to ordinary eligible groceries.

What recipients will see at checkout

When a restricted item is included in a transaction, it must be paid for separately with cash or a credit or debit card. Retailers are responsible for applying the rules when processing an Arkansas EBT card.

Arkansas DHS guidance says the restrictions also apply to online purchases and to shopping outside Arkansas when an Arkansas household uses its benefits. The cardholder’s state determines which waiver rules apply, so retailers and fulfillment centers may need to identify the state connected to the EBT card.

For households using 2026 Summer EBT benefits, the same product restrictions began July 1. Summer EBT eligibility and issuance are separate questions from the restrictions, so not every child or family automatically receives those benefits.

What the June 22 court ruling did

In Aragon v. Rollins, a U.S. District Court judge on June 22, 2026, granted the plaintiffs’ summary-judgment motion and vacated USDA approval documents for pilot projects in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The court found that USDA used the wrong statutory authority to approve the projects. It also ruled that the agency failed to follow a regulation requiring Federal Register notice at least 30 days before a demonstration project likely to have a significant public impact.

The court’s remedy vacated and remanded the approvals. The ruling did not decide whether Arkansas’ waiver is lawful, and it was not a nationwide injunction automatically invalidating every state’s food restrictions.

Why Arkansas is still operating

Arkansas was not one of the states directly covered by the listed court order. USDA’s current waiver materials continue to list Arkansas with a July 1 implementation date, and Arkansas DHS continues to describe the restrictions as statewide and in effect.

Those pages show the agencies’ current position; they are not a judicial ruling upholding Arkansas’ program. The longer-term legal status remains unsettled because the court’s reasoning addressed USDA’s statutory authority and notice procedures for comparable food-restriction projects.

The Associated Press reported that Arkansas officials were proceeding despite the ruling. Retailers have been preparing item lists and other tools to identify products that cannot be purchased with benefits, while online and multistate retailers may need to apply different rules based on the state associated with an EBT card.

What to watch next

The status of Arkansas’ program could change through an appeal, new USDA guidance, a federal directive or separate litigation involving Arkansas. Recipients should check current notices from Arkansas DHS and USDA before making assumptions about a product or transaction.

For questions about Arkansas SNAP rules, recipients can use the contact information provided by Arkansas DHS or consult the agency’s waiver FAQ. Retailers and online shoppers should rely on current state item guidance because product classifications may require a transaction-level decision.

Sources

• Arkansas SNAP Food Restriction Waiver — USDA Food and Nutrition Service
• SNAP Nutrition Waiver — Arkansas Department of Human Services
• Aragon et al. v. Rollins et al., Document 36 — U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
• Arkansas banning government food aid for candy and soda in spite of court ruling — Associated Press

Look for updates to this story

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