How to file for unemployment in California

Filing, step by step

Apply online through myEDD (fastest). You can also apply by phone at 1-800-300-5616, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or fax or mail the paper Unemployment Insurance Application (DE 1101I). America's Job Center of California offices can help you with a paper application at no cost.

When to file and when your claim starts

Apply as soon as you lose your job or your hours are cut. Your claim usually starts on the Sunday of the week you first apply.

What to have ready

• Your name, birth date, address and Social Security number
• Photo ID (driver's license, ID card or passport) and one more identity document (such as a W-2, utility bill or birth certificate)
• Employer names, addresses, dates worked, gross wages and hours for the last 18 months
• Your last employer's contact details, your supervisor's name, your last day of work and your gross wages in that last week
• Why you are no longer working (or why your hours were cut)
• If you are not a U.S. citizen: your USCIS document, such as a Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Card
• Federal workers: Standard Form 8. Military: DD 214 Member Copy 4

Certify (claim your weeks)

How often: Every two weeks. Certify every two weeks online, by phone or by mail to show you are still eligible. You must report all work and gross wages for each week, in the week you did the work.

Your first payment

It takes about three weeks to process a new claim and pay eligible workers. Payments go to a Money Network prepaid debit card unless you choose direct deposit or checks.

Register for work

Most people must register in CalJOBS and post an online resume within 21 days from the date on the Notice of Requirement to Register for Work (DE 8405). EDD tells you if you do not have to do this step. If you do not post your resume, your benefit payments might stop.

CalJOBS

Paper forms

• Unemployment Insurance Application (DE 1101ID), English - for people who worked in California
• Unemployment Insurance Application (DE 1101ID/S), Spanish - for people who worked in California

Law: Cal. Unemp. Ins. Code sec. 1253(a), (b)

Official source: Source page

What applies in every state

• File with the unemployment program of the state where you worked. If you worked in another state or in several states, the agency in the state where you live now can tell you how to file with other states.
• It generally takes two to three weeks after you file to get your first payment. Some states require a one-week waiting period, so the second week you claim is the first week paid.

Free help

Call 1-800-300-5616. Legal aid and other free help in California → Official sources →