The California EDD fax number for a paper unemployment application is 1-866-215-9159, printed on the Unemployment Insurance Application (DE 1101I). For everything else, the right number depends on what you are sending: unemployment appeals go to the EDD office on your notice, appeals already at the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (CUIAB) go to that board's local Office of Appeals, and paper State Disability Insurance (SDI) claim forms should not be faxed at all.

This guide sorts out which EDD documents can go by fax, gives the numbers we verified on edd.ca.gov and cuiab.ca.gov, and covers the deadlines that make your fax confirmation worth keeping.

  • Unemployment application (DE 1101I): fax to 1-866-215-9159
  • SDI claim form (DE 2501): do not fax; file online or mail the original
  • Appeals at the CUIAB: fax the Office of Appeals named on your notice or decision

Table of Contents

Which EDD documents can be faxed

EDD runs three programs that people confuse: Unemployment Insurance (UI), State Disability Insurance (SDI), and Paid Family Leave (PFL). They have different rules on fax.

Unemployment Insurance. The paper application (DE 1101I) can be mailed or faxed, together with any attachments. EDD says to allow 10 days for processing before you expect claim materials in the mail.

State Disability Insurance. The paper claim form (DE 2501) says plainly: do not fax the form. Mail the original in the envelope provided, or file in SDI Online. The form also sets the filing window: no earlier than nine days and no later than 49 days after your disability begins.

Paid Family Leave. We found no claimant fax number for PFL on edd.ca.gov. PFL claims and supporting documents go through SDI Online or the mail, so if you see a "PFL fax number" on a third-party site, do not use it.

Appeals. Both EDD and the CUIAB take written appeals. Fax works at the CUIAB stage, where every Office of Appeals publishes a fax line.

Verified EDD and CUIAB fax numbers

Every number below is published on edd.ca.gov, cuiab.ca.gov, or an official form hosted there. Verified November 2026.

What you are sending Fax number Source
Paper Unemployment Insurance Application (DE 1101I) and attachments 1-866-215-9159 EDD DE 1101I
Employers only: Voluntary Plan Group (voluntary disability plans) 1-916-319-1438 EDD DE 2040
CUIAB Los Angeles Office of Appeals (213) 897-5282 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Inglewood Office of Appeals (310) 337-4392 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Pasadena Office of Appeals (626) 304-7981 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Orange County Office of Appeals (La Palma) (714) 562-5592 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Inland Office of Appeals (Rancho Cucamonga) (909) 481-5779 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB San Diego Office of Appeals (619) 521-3334 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Oxnard Office of Appeals (805) 981-8350 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Fresno Office of Appeals (559) 440-5571 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB San Jose Office of Appeals (408) 232-3048 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Bay Area Office of Appeals (Oakland) (510) 622-3929 (alternate (510) 622-3930) cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Sacramento Office of Appeals 916-263-6765 cuiab.ca.gov
CUIAB Appellate Operations (Sacramento) (916) 263-6837 cuiab.ca.gov

A few notes:

  • No SDI or PFL claimant fax is listed because EDD does not publish one for claim forms. The DE 2501 tells you not to fax.
  • First-level appeals (form DE 1000M) are returned to the EDD office whose address is on the notice you are appealing. The form does not give a fax number, so fax only if your notice prints one.
  • CUIAB's myAppeal FAQ says documents can be submitted by fax or US mail as an alternative to the portal, sent to your assigned Office of Appeals.

The number on your notice wins

EDD and the CUIAB route mail by office. A Notice of Determination, a Notice of Hearing, and a judge's decision each name the office handling your case, and that office is where your response belongs.

So if a notice prints a fax number, use it, even if it differs from the table above. If it prints only a mailing address, mail it or check whether your case is in myAppeal (for CUIAB cases) or UI Online (for EDD unemployment claims), where you can upload documents directly. A fax sent to the wrong Office of Appeals is not lost forever, but it has to be found and forwarded, and appeal deadlines keep running while that happens.

How to fax EDD, step by step

  1. Find the notice or form you are responding to. Note the office, the case or claim number, and any fax number printed on it.
  2. Check that the document can be faxed. UI applications and CUIAB appeal documents can. SDI claim forms cannot.
  3. Write your Social Security number on every page. EDD forms ask for it on all pages, attachments included. For CUIAB cases, add the case number from your notice.
  4. Sign by hand in black ink. The DE 1000M asks for black ink, and a light signature can disappear at fax resolution.
  5. Scan it clearly and send. You do not need a fax machine: you can send a fax online for $2.99, with no subscription and no account.
  6. Keep the confirmation together with a copy of the pages you sent.

Appeal deadlines

Appeals are where fax is most useful, because the deadlines are short and the confirmation shows when your appeal arrived.

  • Appealing an EDD determination: 30 days from the mail date of the notice. Disaster Unemployment Assistance claimants have 60 days. If you are late, the DE 1000M says to explain the reason, and a judge decides whether you had good cause.
  • Board appeal to the CUIAB: 30 calendar days from the issue date of the administrative law judge's decision. You can file through myAppeal or send the Board Appeal form or a letter to the Office of Appeals listed on the decision.
  • Keep certifying. Both the DE 1000M and the Board Appeal form remind claimants to keep filing for benefits while an appeal is pending.

Why EDD faxes get lost or rejected

  • Faxing a form that must be mailed. A faxed DE 2501 is not a valid SDI claim. Mail the original or use SDI Online.
  • Missing identifiers. A page without your Social Security number or case number is hard to match to your file.
  • Wrong office. Sending a Board appeal to EDD, or a first appeal to a random CUIAB office, adds forwarding time.
  • Using a number from a fax directory. Several numbers circulating online for EDD are unverified. Stick to the notice and the official sources above.
  • Duplicate filing. EDD warns that filing a paper SDI application after filing online can delay benefits.

Faxing California EDD works when you match the document to the right channel: the DE 1101I fax line for paper UI applications, the Office of Appeals on your notice for appeals, and SDI Online or the mail for disability and family leave claims.

Fax your EDD documents now →

Frequently asked questions

What is the EDD fax number for unemployment?

The paper Unemployment Insurance Application (DE 1101I) tells you to fax the completed application and any attachments to 1-866-215-9159. For other unemployment documents, use the fax number or address printed on the EDD notice you are answering.

Can I fax my State Disability Insurance claim to EDD?

No. The instructions on the paper Disability Insurance claim form (DE 2501) say not to fax the form. File in SDI Online, or mail the original form in the envelope provided, within 49 days of the date your disability began.

Can I fax an unemployment appeal in California?

A first-level appeal (form DE 1000M) is returned to the EDD office whose address is on the notice you are appealing; fax it only if that notice gives a fax number. Once your case is at the CUIAB, each Office of Appeals publishes its own fax number, and CUIAB says documents can be sent by fax or mail as an alternative to its myAppeal portal.

What is the CUIAB fax number?

There is one per office. Los Angeles is (213) 897-5282, Sacramento 916-263-6765, San Diego (619) 521-3334, and Oakland (Bay Area) (510) 622-3929, for example. Use the office named on your hearing notice or decision.

How long do I have to appeal an EDD decision?

30 days from the mail date on the notice, according to the DE 1000M appeal form. Disaster Unemployment Assistance claimants have 60 days. A Board appeal to the CUIAB must be filed within 30 calendar days of the issue date of the judge's decision.

Sources