New Jersey food stamp households outside Cumberland, Essex and Mercer counties have until Friday, November 20, 2026 to activate their new chip EBT cards. After that date, the state’s Division of Family Development says, chip cards that were never activated will be deactivated in the remaining counties.
The old magnetic-stripe cards have already stopped working there. The state’s chip card page, last modified October 21, 2026, lists October 20 as the day the old cards ended in the remaining counties, which is why the division tells cardholders in those counties to activate now so they can use their November benefits…