Apply and keep it
Lifeline recertification: keeping the benefit each year
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 the date you enrolled or the date on your notice: the calendar gives your recertification window and the last day before de-enrollment.
Recertify by
February 25, 2027
| Anniversary of enrollment | December 27, 2026 |
| Length of the window | 60 days |
| De-enrollment if no answer | March 4, 2027 |
| Days left | 121 |
Without a notice, the date is an estimate: the window opens when USAC writes to you. Many subscribers pass an automatic check and have nothing to do. De-enrollment date counts weekdays; a federal holiday adds a day.
Everything you enter stays in this browser: nothing is sent or stored.
Every Lifeline subscriber is recertified once a year, and for many nothing has to be done. The National Verifier first runs an automated check of government databases; if it confirms your eligibility, the recertification is complete and no letter needs an answer. If the check fails, USAC sends a letter or email in English and Spanish with a barcoded copy of FCC Form 5630, and you have 60 days to recertify by mail, online or through an automated phone line. A subscriber whose eligibility was confirmed by a database the previous time but no longer appears in one must also send proof of eligibility, such as a benefit letter dated within 12 months or 3 months of pay stubs. Missing the window means automatic de-enrollment from the national database 5 business days after it closes, as USAC’s recertification page explains. In Oregon and Texas, the state administrator handles the yearly check instead of the National Verifier.
Rules and figures read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The two paths of a recertification
The rule behind the yearly check is 47 CFR 54.410(f): eligibility is confirmed through eligibility or income databases first, and only when that fails does the subscriber have to sign a certification. In states served by the National Verifier, USAC runs the process; in Oregon and Texas, under the state process, the state administrator does. The paths then split three ways:
| Result of the automated check | What you must do |
|---|---|
| Eligibility confirmed | Nothing |
| Not confirmed, never confirmed by a database before | Complete Form 5630 within 60 days |
| Not confirmed now, but confirmed by a database last time | Complete Form 5630 and send proof of eligibility within 60 days |
The third case can apply even when nothing changed in your life, because what triggers it is the database result, not a change you reported. The proof is the same as at enrollment, listed on the documents page.
The 60-day window, day by day
The window opens with the first mailing: a letter or email, with the barcoded form. During the 60 days you may receive up to three prerecorded calls and a reminder postcard, which stop once you recertify. When the window closes without an answer, USAC notifies you by mail or email and de-enrolls you 5 business days later; the company is told by an automated email. The calendar at the top places those dates on your own timeline.
The prerecorded calls are worth listening to rather than deleting. They tell you that it is time to recertify, give your deadline, and offer to continue straight away through the phone menu if your case allows it, or point you to the online portal or the mailed form. Companies may also contact you to say that USAC should have written to you and that you should answer USAC.
The de-enrollment rule sets the same frame for every entity running a recertification: the subscriber must be told in writing, separate from the bill, that failing to respond triggers de-enrollment, and gets 60 days to answer.
Three ways to answer
Online. The letter gives the address of the National Verifier portal and instructions; the result appears immediately. By mail. Return the barcoded Form 5630, with copies of documents if asked; no receipt is sent, and USAC mails a confirmation after success. By phone menu. Only for subscribers asked to complete the form without documents; it takes about ten minutes with the Application ID from your letter.
When your situation changed during the year
Recertification is also the moment the household is checked again. If someone moved in or out and you can no longer certify that your household receives only one Lifeline service, the rule asks for a new household worksheet. If your income rose above the limit, $29,214 for two people in the 48 states, and no one receives a qualifying benefit, the FCC asks you to contact your company to de-enroll rather than wait for the check, to avoid penalties. A company must act on a subscriber’s request within 2 business days.
Lifeline income limit for your household
2026 limit (135% of the guideline)
$36,882
| Your income | $32,000 |
| Room under the limit | $4,882 |
| Your income as a share of the guideline | 117% |
| Monthly equivalent of the limit | $3,073 |
Under the limit: the income route is open.
A recertification is separate from the usage rule: a free plan must still be used every 30 days, as the non-usage page explains, and a successful recertification does not protect an unused line.