Details
If the Employment Development Department denies your unemployment claim, the decision is not final. You have a right to appeal it to an independent judge — but the window is short and it starts running from a date printed on the notice, not from the day you read it.
The deadline: 30 days
According to the EDD, you must submit your appeal in writing within 30 days of the mailing date on your Notice of Determination and/or Ruling. The mailing date is on the notice itself. Miss the window and you can still file, but you will need to explain the delay and the judge decides whether to accept it.
How to file
The appeal must be in writing. You can use the Appeal Form (DE 1000M) — download it, or use the copy that came with your notice — or simply write a letter. Mail it to the address printed at the top of your Notice of Determination.
Say plainly that you are appealing, identify the determination you are appealing, and give your reasons. You do not need legal language.
Who decides
Appeals are heard by an Administrative Law Judge at the Office of Appeals, part of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board — an entity separate from the EDD staff who made the original decision.
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The hearing
The Office of Appeals schedules a hearing and sends a Notice of Hearing at least 10 days beforehand, with the date, time and location. Your former employer may take part. Bring your evidence — pay records, termination letters, written communications, and anyone who witnessed the events. The judge issues a written decision, mailed to you, your employer and the EDD.
Keep certifying while you wait
An appeal does not pause your claim. Continue to certify for benefits for each week you are unemployed and otherwise eligible. If you win, benefits generally cannot be paid for weeks you never certified for.
If you lose
An Administrative Law Judge’s decision can itself be appealed to the Appeals Board. The written decision explains that next step and its own deadline.
Deadlines here are counted from the mailing date on your notice. Check the notice and the source above rather than relying on a remembered date.