EDD Continued Claim Form DE 4581: How to Certify by Mail for California Unemployment

What Form DE 4581 Is

Form DE 4581 is the paper version of biweekly unemployment benefit certification. If you can't certify online through UI Online or by phone through EDD Tele-Cert, EDD mails you this form every two weeks. You fill it out, mail it back, and EDD processes it to release your benefit payment for those two weeks.

Most California claimants certify online, which is faster and avoids postal delays. But the paper form exists for people without reliable internet access, those who have trouble with the myEDD portal, or anyone who prefers a physical process.

When EDD Sends You the Form

If EDD has you on paper certification, they mail a DE 4581 automatically after each two-week certification period closes (each period covers two completed calendar weeks ending on Saturdays). The form arrives with the two weeks pre-printed — you're certifying for those specific weeks, not choosing which weeks to report.

EDD also sends the paper form if you requested it during your initial filing, if your online account has issues preventing digital certification, or if you reopened a claim by phone or mail.

How to Fill It Out Correctly

The form asks the same six core certification questions you'd answer online:

1. Were you physically able to work each day? Answer yes unless illness or injury prevented you from working on specific days.
2. Was there any reason other than sickness or injury that you couldn't have accepted full-time work? Travel, childcare conflicts, or other restrictions count here.
3. Did you refuse any offer of work? Any offer — even one you considered unsuitable.
4. Did you look for work? Unless EDD gives you an exemption (such as a temporary layoff with a return date within 30 days, a union hiring hall, EDD-approved training, or a seasonal-industry shutdown with little chance of finding other work), this should be yes.
5. Did you begin attending any school or training? Report any new enrollment.
6. Did you work or earn any money, whether paid or not? Report gross earnings for each week the work was performed, not when you received the paycheck.

For each question, you're answering for each of the two weeks separately. If you earned money during one week but not the other, report earnings only for the week you worked.

The full-time availability question does not mean every claimant must be available for full-time work. CUIC § 1253.8 can allow a claim based on part-time employment when you actively seek and are willing to accept work under essentially the same conditions as when you earned the wage credits, without other restrictions, where there is reasonable demand for that work in the local labor market.

Write clearly. Illegible responses delay processing. Use the exact gross dollar amount for any earnings — don't estimate or round.

The Deadline You Can't Miss

The form prints a "Complete and Mail This Form On" date above Question 1. Submit it within 14 days of that date. Mailing the form before the printed date may delay your payment. If you submit late, EDD may schedule a phone interview or send an electronic determination, and benefits for those weeks could be denied.

Mark your calendar when the form arrives. Don't let it sit on the kitchen counter for a week — postal processing time eats into your 14-day window.

Why Online or Phone Certification Is Usually Better

Paper certification adds postal transit time in both directions (EDD mailing the form to you, you mailing it back) plus manual processing time at EDD's end. Online certification through UI Online processes instantly, and phone certification via Tele-Cert (1-866-333-4606, available 24/7) confirms immediately.

If you're using the paper form because the myEDD portal isn't working for you, consider trying Tele-Cert by phone as a middle ground. It's automated, available around the clock, and avoids the mail delays.

If you're using the paper form because you don't have internet access, your local AJCC (America's Job Center of California) has computers available for public use where you can access UI Online.

Common Paper Form Mistakes

Mailing before the "Complete and Mail" date. The form is designed to cover a specific two-week period. Sending it early means you're certifying before the period is complete, which can cause processing errors.

Forgetting to sign it. An unsigned form gets returned or delayed.

Reporting net pay instead of gross. EDD uses gross earnings (before taxes and deductions) for all benefit calculations. If you report your take-home pay, it won't match what your employer reported, and that mismatch flags your claim.

Not reporting all work. Cash jobs, freelance gigs, and unpaid work for a family business all count. Unreported earnings can result in an overpayment notice and penalties.

The California unemployment claim guide covers all three certification methods and includes a week-by-week earnings worksheet so your numbers are accurate regardless of which method you use.

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