Lost your job checklist

Last checked: October 18, 2026. We are not the EDD or the State of California. We never ask for your EDD login, Social Security number or any claim details.

1. 1. File your unemployment claim right away

   Deadline: As soon as you are out of work (the claim starts the Sunday of the week you apply)

   Apply the week you stop working or your hours are cut. Your claim starts on the Sunday of the week you apply, so waiting does not move the start date earlier. The fastest way is online in myEDD (UI Online). You can also apply by phone, or by fax or mail with the paper application. EDD says to apply even if you quit, were fired or were treated as an independent contractor: there is no penalty for applying and being found ineligible. Have ready: your name, birth date, address and Social Security number; a photo ID plus a second identity document; and your last 18 months of employers (names, addresses, dates worked, gross wages, hours, how often you were paid). Your last employer's phone number, supervisor and last day worked are asked too.

   Apply: EDD Step 2DE 1101ID: Unemployment Insurance Application (paper)

2. 2. Collect your final pay, vacation pay and the EDD papers

   Deadline: Fired: immediately. Quit: within 72 hours (same day if you gave 72 hours' notice)

   If you were fired or laid off, your unpaid wages are due immediately (Labor Code 201). If you quit without a written contract for a set period, they are due within 72 hours, or on your last day if you gave 72 hours' notice (Labor Code 202). If your employer's policy gives paid vacation, vested vacation is paid out at your final rate and cannot be forfeited (Labor Code 227.3). The Labor Department says no California law requires payout of sick leave or severance. A late final paycheck can add a daily waiting-time penalty of up to 30 days if the employer willfully fails to pay (Labor Code 203). Your employer must also give you printed unemployment-claim materials when you become unemployed (Unemployment Insurance Code 1089); EDD's required-notices page lists the pamphlet For Your Benefit (DE 2320).

   EDD required notices for employers

3. 3. Read your Notice of Award and fix any wrong wages

   Deadline: Within 30 calendar days of the mail date printed on the notice

   EDD mails the Notice of Unemployment Insurance Award (DE 429Z) after your claim is set up. It shows your claim dates, weekly benefit amount, maximum benefit amount and the wages your employers reported. It is not a final decision on your eligibility. If a wage or employer is wrong or missing, write to EDD at the mailing address on the notice with your name, address and Social Security number and proof such as a W-2, 1099 or pay stubs. Failing to report wrong information can lead to an overpayment and penalties.

   EDD Step 4: review your documentsDE 429Z: Notice of Unemployment Insurance Award

4. 4. Certify every two weeks; expect an unpaid waiting week

   Deadline: Every two weeks; mail the paper form within 14 days of the date printed on it

   You must certify every two weeks to be paid: online in UI Online, on EDD's Tele-Cert phone line (1-866-333-4606, English and Spanish) or on the paper Continued Claim Form (DE 4581) that EDD mails. EDD's first certification usually covers the unpaid waiting week plus one payable week. EDD says it takes about three weeks to process a new application and make the first payment, but that is not a promise. Payments go to a Money Network prepaid debit card unless you choose direct deposit or a mailed check in myEDD. Late certification can delay or deny payment.

   EDD Step 5: certify for benefitsEDD Step 6: first paymentEDD biweekly certification questions explained

5. 5. Register in CalJOBS and keep a job-search record

   Deadline: Within 21 days of the date on your Notice of Requirement to Register for Work (DE 8405)

   Most people must search for suitable work and register for work in CalJOBS, the state job-search site. EDD starts your account for you. Follow the work-search instructions on your Notice of Award and keep a record of the dates and places you looked. EDD notifies you if you do not have to register. If you move out of California, register for job-search services in your new state right away.

   EDD Step 3: register in CalJOBS

6. 6. Sort out health coverage within 60 days

   Deadline: 60 days (before or after your coverage ends for Covered California; COBRA: from the later of coverage end or your notice)

   Losing job-based coverage opens a special enrollment period. Covered California: apply up to 60 days before or after your coverage ends; apply before it ends to avoid a gap, and coverage typically starts the first of the month after you choose a plan. HealthCare.gov uses a 60-day window as well. Medi-Cal: you can apply any time of year, and Covered California lists adults up to 138% and children up to 266% of the federal poverty level. COBRA: you have 60 days to elect, counted from when coverage ends or from your election notice, whichever is later; plans must send the notice within 44 days of the qualifying event (or 14 days after you notify the plan). Federal COBRA lasts up to 18 months after a job loss. Cal-COBRA (state law, for small employers or to extend federal COBRA) has its own 60-day sign-up window.

   Covered California: lost job-based coverageDOL: COBRA continuation coverage

7. 7. Apply for CalFresh and ask about expedited service

   CalFresh (food benefits) counts unemployment benefits as income, but you can apply while you wait for your first payment. The county normally has up to 30 days to decide. Expedited service gets benefits within 3 calendar days if your household has gross monthly income under $150 and $100 in resources, or your housing costs are more than your income plus cash on hand, or you are a destitute migrant or seasonal farmworker household. Apply through your county or BenefitsCal and ask for expedited service. CDSS information line: 1-877-847-3663.

   CDSS CalFreshPayByTown: SNAP income limits by state

8. 8. Plan for taxes on your benefits

   Deadline: 1099-G ready by January 31; choose electronic delivery by December 27

   Unemployment benefits are taxable on your federal return and exempt from California income tax, so you do not report them on your California return. Each time you certify you can choose to withhold 10 percent for federal income tax; otherwise you may owe at tax time. EDD provides Form 1099-G by January 31 in UI Online (mailed unless you choose electronic delivery by December 27), and keeps it available for five years.

   EDD: tax information (Form 1099-G)Form 1099-G: Tax form for unemployment benefits

9. 9. If you are sick or injured, disability insurance is the other path

   Deadline: File 9 to 49 days after the disability begins

   If you cannot work because of an illness, injury or pregnancy that is not work-related, you may qualify for State Disability Insurance (SDI) instead of unemployment. EDD says you cannot receive unemployment and disability benefits for the same days, and that you cannot receive Disability Insurance and Unemployment Insurance at the same time. File with SDI Online or the paper Claim for Disability Insurance Benefits (DE 2501), no earlier than 9 days and no later than 49 days after the disability begins.

   EDD: how to file a Disability Insurance claimDE 2501: Claim for Disability Insurance (DI) Benefits (not unemployment)

10. 10. If EDD says no, appeal in writing and keep certifying

    Deadline: Within 30 days of the mail date on the notice

    Your Notice of Determination (DE 1080CZ) explains why EDD found you ineligible or reduced your benefits and prints the appeal deadline. Appeal in writing with the Appeal Form (DE 1000M) or a letter that includes your Social Security number, send it to the EDD office address on the notice, and explain why you disagree. A late appeal can still be accepted if you give your reasons: an administrative law judge decides whether you had good cause. EDD says to keep certifying while your appeal is pending; you can only be paid for weeks you certified and met all requirements.

    EDD: appealsDE 1080CZ: Notice of Determination