How to File a Paid Family Leave Claim in SDI Online

If you think you’re eligible for Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits, file a claim to apply. The fastest and easiest way to file a PFL claim is through SDI Online.

Follow these steps to apply online.

Step 1: Gather Required Information

You must provide the following information to file a PFL claim using SDI Online:

• Valid California Driver License (CDL) or Identification (ID) card number.
• Your full legal name as it appears on your CDL or ID.
• Date of birth as shown on your CDL or ID.
• Social Security number.
• Most current employer’s business name, phone number, and mailing address (as stated on your W-2 or paystub).
• Last date you worked your normal or usual duties (or the date you began working less than full or modified duty).

Note: If any of the following apply, you should file for PFL by mail instead of online:

• You do not have a valid California driver license or ID.
• You do not have a valid SSN.
• You have a name that does not fit the space in the online form.
• You had a recent name change.
• You received an error code you cannot resolve or have any other difficulty filing an application online.

You must also give the following information only if it applies to you:

• Any wages you received or expect to receive from your employer (sick leave, paid time off, vacation pay, annual leave, and wages earned after your stopped working).
• Any workers’ compensation claim information.
• Proof of Relationship for bonding claims.
• Statement of care recipient and licensed health professional certification for care claims.
• Any military assist documentation required.

Step 2: Create your myEDD Account

Before you can use SDI Online, you must first create a myEDD account. (To change the language of all pages to Spanish, select Español on the myEDD login page.)

Important: myEDD is available 24 hours per day. Once you create your myEDD account, you are not done. You will receive an email to confirm your account, which includes a link. Select the link to complete your registration. For security purposes, the link will expire within 48 hours. If you don’t get this message in your inbox, check your spam or junk mail folder.

Step 3: Register for SDI Online

To register for SDI Online, follow these steps:

Log in to myEDD, then select SDI Online. You will be directed to your SDI Online Registration Options. Select the customer type that fits you and follow the instructions given.

Important: You will need to complete the identity verification process through ID.me before you can finish setting up a new SDI Online account to file your claim.

Next, fill out the requested information to complete your SDI Online account registration.

You will be assigned an EDD Customer Account Number once you complete the registration process. You will also receive a registration confirmation by email and mail.

Step 4: File Your PFL Claim Online

1. Log in to your myEDD account.
2. Select SDI Online.
3. Select New Claim.
4. Select Paid Family Leave Bonding, Paid Family Leave Care, or Paid Family Leave Military Assist and follow the steps in each section to fill out the form.
5. Choose your payment option when prompted: direct deposit, debit card, or check.

Note: If you are a new mother transitioning from a disability-related pregnancy claim, the form you need to complete, Claim for Paid Family Leave (PFL) Benefits – New Mother (DE 2501FP), will be located in your inbox once your Disability Insurance claim ends.

1. Review your completed form information for accuracy.
2. Select Submit to send the completed sections of the SDI Online application to the EDD.
3. Save your Receipt Number found on the confirmation page. If this is a PFL care claim, provide this number to the care recipient’s physician/practitioner.

• File your claim no earlier than the first day your family leave begins.
• File your claim no later than 41 days after your family leave begins to avoid disqualification.
• Do not submit the same claim more than once. This will delay your claim processing.

Step 5: Attach Additional Documentation Required

Bonding – New Mother: No additional documents needed.

Bonding – Other: Mothers without a prior pregnancy disability claim, new fathers, and foster or adoptive parents will need to provide a Proof of Relationship document with their claim. You can mail it as a paper document to be matched to your claim or scan and upload it to your computer to attach to your claim using SDI Online. See upload instructions below.

Care Claims: Along with completing sections one through five of the SDI Online application, you must also provide the Part C - Statement of Care Recipient signed by the care recipient or their authorized representative. The additional form can be obtained by downloading the Claim for Paid Family Leave (PFL) Care Benefits (DE 2501FC) from the confirmation page right after your initial claim is submitted online. You can scan and upload the completed forms to your computer to submit with your claim using SDI Online.

You also need Part D - Physician/Practitioner’s Certification of the Claim for Paid Family Leave (PFL) Care Benefits (DE 2501FC) completed and signed by the care recipient’s licensed health professional. Provide your Form Receipt Number to the licensed health professional so they can submit the medical certification. They can submit the certification using SDI Online, or you can have them complete and sign a paper version.

Talk to the licensed health professional about their process for submitting a PFL claim. They do not all follow the same process.

It is your responsibility to have the licensed health professional complete and sign the form and submit it to the EDD within 41 days from the date your family leave begins, or you may lose benefits.

Military Assist Claims: Along with completing sections one through five of the SDI Online application, you will need to provide supporting documentation and documentation for the qualifying event.

Acceptable supporting documentation includes:

• Covered active duty orders.
• Letter of impending call or order to covered duty.
• Documentation of military leave signed by the approving authority for the military member's rest and recuperation.

Documentation for the qualifying event must also be provided, which may include:

• A copy of a meeting announcement for informational briefings sponsored by the military.
• A copy of a bill for services for the handling of legal or financial affairs.
• A letter with detailed information (reason for meeting, location, contact information) for the meeting with a third party.

To upload documents to your PFL claim:

• Select File a New Claim under the main menu on your home page.
• Select Submit Electronic Paid Family Leave Bonding Attachment, Submit Electronic Paid Family Leave Care Attachment, or Submit Electronic Paid Family Leave Military Assist Attachment.
• Select the receipt number you received when you filed Part A.
• Select the Browse button to find and upload the document. For the question “Do you want to attach more than one document?” select Yes if you need to attach additional documents and select the Browse button again. When you are done, select No and then select Submit.
• You will receive a confirmation with a receipt number to show the attachment(s) were submitted. Save your receipt number for future reference if needed.

You may also mail the additional bonding, care, or military assist claim documentation to the EDD address shown on the SDI Online Confirmation page under Important Next Steps.

Step 6: Completion of Your PFL Claim Filing

Your claim will not be processed until all the required sections of the application are received, as explained in the previous steps. We will contact you with the status of your claim. If you want more information on how to file a claim online through SDI Online, review the SDI Online Claimant Tutorial.

Your employer will be notified that you have submitted a PFL claim. However, medical information is confidential and will not be shared with your employer.

Register for myEDD

Creating an account is an important step in this process. With myEDD, you can apply for Disability Insurance and manage your claim in SDI Online .

Find DI and PFL Information for You

• Independent Contractor/Self-Employed
• State Employees