15A NCAC 21D .0704 VALIDITY OF WIC FOOD INSTRUMENTS

(a) North Carolina WIC food instruments shall not be valid if:

(1) the instrument has not been legibly imprinted with an authorized WIC vendor stamp;

(2) the instrument has been counterfeited or the signature forged;

(3) the instrument has been mutilated, defaced or otherwise tampered with or altered;

(4) the instrument is not deposited in the vendor's bank within 60 days of the "date of issue" assigned to the instrument;

(5) the "pay exactly" amount (i.e. purchase price) is not recorded on the food instrument;

(6) the "pay exactly" amount (i.e. purchase price) exceeds the maximum price set by the state agency for the food instrument;

(7) the signature and countersignature do not match or the countersignature is missing;

(8) the "date transacted" entered on the instrument is not on or between the "date of issue" and "participant must use by" dates assigned to the instrument;

(9) the instrument is not completed in indelible ink.

Invalid food instruments will be stamped with the reason for invalidity and returned to the vendor without payment. A vendor may attempt to justify or correct an invalid food instrument and will receive payment if the agency is satisfied with the justification or correction.

(b) A local WIC agency may revalidate invalid food instruments when:

(1) the "pay exactly" amount has been altered and the vendor provides a receipt that confirms the altered amount is the correct "pay exactly" amount; or

(2) the food instrument is not deposited in the vendor's bank within 60 days of the "date of issue" assigned to the instrument and the State WIC office gives approval to the local WIC agency to revalidate.

History Note: Authority G.S. 130A-361; 42 U.S.C. 1786; 7 C.F.R. 246;

Eff. July 1, 1981;

Amended Eff. July 1, 1989; July 1, 1985;

Temporary Amendment Eff. May 17, 2000;

Amended Eff. April 1, 2001;

Temporary Amendment Eff. July 1, 2002.