By state
Free government phone in California: two programs, one phone line
Independent site, not the FCC, USAC or a phone company. Lifeline applications are made only on the official National Verifier or through your state.
Enter your household and income: the tool tells you which of the two California programs you qualify for and what they add up to each month.
California LifeLine plus federal Lifeline
Monthly discounts
$19
| California LifeLine (limit $33,300) | up to $19 |
| Federal Lifeline (limit $29,214) | not eligible |
| Apply | separately to each program |
California amounts from the CPUC fact sheet of May 2026; the October 8, 2026 decision changes them once in effect.
California households can stack two separate discounts on one phone line. The state program, California LifeLine, run by the California Public Utilities Commission, takes up to $19 a month off a home or cell phone plan, plus up to $39 off the connection charge. The federal Lifeline program adds up to $9.25 a month, or $34.25 on Tribal lands. Each has its own income test: from June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027, California LifeLine accepts a household of one earning up to $24,600 a year and a household of four up to $50,800, while the federal limit is $21,546 and $44,550. So a household between the two limits can get the state discount only. The fact sheet says plainly that you must enroll separately in each program to receive the full combined subsidy, and only one discount per household is allowed in each.
Not eligible on these figures
No discount
| 2026 income limit, 2 people | $29,214 |
| Your income is over it by | $786 |
| Share of the poverty guideline | 139% |
| Where to apply | National Verifier (USAC) |
- Over the limit and no qualifying benefit. Enrolling in SNAP, Medicaid or SSI later opens Lifeline.
- California LifeLine (limit $33,300): you also look eligible for up to $19 more.
- One Lifeline per household (48 states, DC and territories table). How to apply
Everything you enter stays in this browser: nothing is sent or stored. This is an estimate from the published rules; the decision is made by the National Verifier or your state.
Rules and figures read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Two programs that do not share an application
In most states the National Verifier decides eligibility for federal Lifeline and that is the end of it. California adds a state layer. The CPUC fact sheet of May 2026 describes California LifeLine as a discount on home phone or cell phone service, separate from the federal Lifeline program and from Enhanced Lifeline for Tribal lands, and states that eligible subscribers must enroll separately in each program to receive the full combined monthly subsidy. The state program is run by a California LifeLine administrator named on that sheet; federal Lifeline is checked by the National Verifier like everywhere else except Oregon and Texas.
The practical consequence is simple: when you sign up with a company in California, ask whether it is enrolling you in one program or both. A company approved for both can usually take the two applications together, but the approval of one does not carry the other.
Income tables side by side
The state table runs from June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027; the federal one follows the 2026 poverty guidelines published in January. Gross yearly income, all members of the household together:
| Household | California LifeLine | Federal Lifeline (135%) | State limit higher by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $24,600 | $21,546 | $3,054 |
| 2 people | $33,300 | $29,214 | $4,086 |
| 3 people | $42,100 | $36,882 | $5,218 |
| 4 people | $50,800 | $44,550 | $6,250 |
| 5 people | $59,500 | $52,218 | $7,282 |
| 6 people | $68,200 | $59,886 | $8,314 |
The state table is more generous for small households and the gap narrows as the household grows. A couple earning $31,214 a year, for example, is above the federal limit of $29,214 but below the state limit of $33,300: it can receive up to $19 a month from California LifeLine and nothing from the federal program, unless one of them receives Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI, Section 8 or a Veterans Pension.
Not eligible on these figures
No discount
| 2026 income limit, 2 people | $29,214 |
| Your income is over it by | $786 |
| Share of the poverty guideline | 139% |
| Where to apply | National Verifier (USAC) |
- Over the limit and no qualifying benefit. Enrolling in SNAP, Medicaid or SSI later opens Lifeline.
- California LifeLine (limit $33,300): you also look eligible for up to $19 more.
- One Lifeline per household (48 states, DC and territories table). How to apply
Everything you enter stays in this browser: nothing is sent or stored. This is an estimate from the published rules; the decision is made by the National Verifier or your state.
Programs that count in California
For the state program, the CPUC lists Medi-Cal, LIHEAP, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8, CalFresh or SNAP, WIC, the National School Lunch Program, TANF, Tribal TANF, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (Tribal, income eligible), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Veterans and Survivors Pension. The federal list is shorter: Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance and the Veterans Pension, plus the Tribal programs for residents of Tribal lands. In California, the National Verifier’s automatic check covers Federal Public Housing Assistance, Medicaid and the Veterans Pension; a household qualifying through CalFresh may be asked for a copy of its benefit letter, as explained on the documents page.
What the October 2026 decision changes
On October 8, 2026 the CPUC approved a new subsidy method for wireless California LifeLine. It sets three tiers, each with a $20 monthly state subsidy and offered at no cost to the subscriber: unlimited talk and text with 8 GB of data and a 24 hours portability freeze, 15 GB with a 60 days freeze, or 20 GB with a 90 days freeze. Companies must add 4.5 GB a month for subscribers who also receive the federal $9.25. The Commission describes these as changes that apply once implemented, so the current amounts stay in force until companies and the administrator switch over; this page will change its figures on that date, not before.
How many Californians use it
California is the largest Lifeline state by far. In the USAC disbursement data for June 2026, companies claimed federal support for 1,528,835 California subscribers, rank 1 of all states and territories. The CPUC participant sheet counted 1,732,901 households in California LifeLine in FY 2024-25. USAC lists 31 companies offering Lifeline in the state, 10 of them for mobile service, across 2,454 ZIP codes. The company finder shows those serving your ZIP code, without ranking them; the transfer page explains how to change company later.