Processing Applications for Clients Residing in a Different County

Courtesy Applications

The following steps must be followed when an applicant residing in another county applies for aid in our county, or when an applicant requests aid on behalf of a relative or friend residing in a county outside Santa Clara. 

CalWORKs and CalFresh Applications

  1. Provide and obtain standard paperwork as if the client were applying for aid in Santa Clara County:
    1. Application,
    2. Identification Intake Record (SCD 41), and
    3. Appropriate application packet .
  2. Handwrite "Courtesy Application" on the top right-hand corner of the application.
  3. Schedule a regular appointment for the client with a Social Services Benefit Specialist (SSBS).
    1. Do not complete Application Registration or enter any information into CalSAWS.

    2. Note: The assigned SSBS forwards the complete set of paperwork to the county of residence.

CalFresh and Medi-Cal Applications

  1. Provide and obtain standard paperwork (Application, SCD 41, and the appropriate application packet) as if the client were applying for aid in Santa Clara County.
  2. Handwrite "Courtesy Application" on the top right-hand corner of the application.
  3. Schedule a regular appointment for the client with an SSBS.
    1. Application Registration should only be done on the Medi-Cal Program.
  4. Medi-Cal eligibility must be determined by the SSBS, benefits issued, and an ICT initiated to the county where the client/applicant resides.

    1. Note: The assigned SSBS forwards the complete set of paperwork to the county of residence for the CalFresh portion.

Medi-Cal Applications

  1. Provide and obtain standard paperwork (Application, SCD 41, and the appropriate application packet) as if the client were applying for aid in Santa Clara County.
  2. Handwrite "Courtesy Application" on the top right-hand corner of the application.
  3. Schedule a regular appointment for the client with an SSBS.
    1. Application Registration should be done on the Medi-Cal Program.
  4. Medi-Cal eligibility must be determined by the SSBS, benefits issued, and an ICT initiated to the county where the client/applicant resides.

e-Application Courtesy Applications and When to Use “Update County”

The "Update County" functionality in CalSAWS supports Courtesy Application procedures when an e-Application is submitted for an applicant who actually resides in another county. When this occurs, staff may use the "Update County" option to ensure the e-Application is routed to the correct county of residence, consistent with the Courtesy Application process described above.

The "Update County" feature: 

  • Highlights e-Applications that were transferred from another county 
  • Provides an option to update the county when needed 
  • Confirms the change once completed.

All documents submitted with the e-Application are automatically forwarded to the correct county. This ensures accurate routing, prevents delays, and allows the receiving county to process the case with the full set of information.

For additional information on the "Update County" functionality, refer to CA-265239 in the CalSAWS Release 25.01 presentation and Chewable Byte CB 2026-154: How to Clear Address for e-Application.