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Gas assistance by state
Fuel help is funded locally, so the honest answer differs by state. Every state and DC has an entry point here.
No state runs a programme that simply hands out free gas cards to anyone who asks. What differs by state is the name of the cash assistance programme, the community action network, and whether the state has a specific fuel programme. Seven states do: Ohio and Indiana are the strongest in the country.
Everywhere else, the route is the same: 2-1-1, then your Community Action Agency, then churches and ministries.
Best documented
The seven states with verified fuel programmes
| State | What makes it different |
|---|---|
| Ohio | County PRC plans fund gas cards outright. Fulton County issues four $100 cards a year; Mercer County up to $600 a year. The best-documented gas programme in the country |
| Indiana | Around 1,000 township trustees issue fuel vouchers paid straight to the vendor, with written decisions inside 72 hours and formal appeal rights |
| Washington | DSHS states that WorkFirst participants may get additional help including gas vouchers |
| Virginia | DSS states diversionary assistance can cover transport to get or keep a job, and emergency assistance is open whether or not you receive TANF |
| North Carolina | Medicaid managed care policy requires plans to issue gas vouchers to members who have a vehicle but cannot afford fuel |
| Oregon | The best local directory in the country — 211info.org publishes eligibility rules, limits and hours for each gas voucher provider |
| Iowa | The Iowa Plains workforce area issues gas cards where mileage reimbursement would cause hardship, and Molina Healthy Rewards can be spent on fuel |
Choose your state
All 50 states and the District of Columbia
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- IndianaDetailed
- IowaDetailed
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North CarolinaDetailed
- North Dakota
- OhioDetailed
- Oklahoma
- OregonDetailed
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- VirginiaDetailed
- WashingtonDetailed
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Each state page carries the community action association that will point you to your local agency, the name of the state cash assistance programme, and the routes that apply everywhere. States marked Detailed have additional verified programmes.
Fastest route
If you need gas today, start with one phone call
2-1-1 is free, confidential and usually answered 24 hours a day by a trained specialist who can see which agencies near you still have funds this week. It is the single most useful number in this whole subject.
Ask for it by name: say “gas voucher” or “transportation assistance”, not “financial help”. Many agencies will not mention fuel unless you ask.
Or text your ZIP code to 898-211, or search 211.org. Free from any phone. Interpreters available.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the best gas assistance programme?
Ohio, clearly. Each of its 88 counties writes its own Prevention, Retention and Contingency plan, and many fund gas cards outright with published amounts — Fulton County issues up to four $100 cards a year to employed households under 200% of the poverty level, and Mercer County funds up to $100 a month to a $600 annual ceiling. Indiana is second, through its township trustee system.
Is gas assistance the same in every state?
No. Fuel help is funded and administered locally, so both the rules and the availability differ by state and often by county. What is consistent everywhere is the route: call 2-1-1, then your Community Action Agency, then churches and local ministries, plus Medicaid transport if the trip is medical.
Why do only seven states have detailed pages?
Because only seven have programmes documented well enough in public records to write about accurately. Publishing a page for every state filled with generic text would produce exactly the thin, unhelpful content this site exists to avoid. Every state and DC has an entry page with its real community action association and programme name, and we add detail as we verify it.