Overview

If you're a California-licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner living in another state, you can still certify California State Disability Insurance (DI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL) claims for your clients. Living out of state doesn't disqualify you, and you do not need a California driver's license. However, there are key steps you must follow in order to successfully submit these claims.

Disability Claim Forms: New Claims (DE 2501) vs Extensions (DE 2525XX)

New Claims – DE 2501

For a new disability claim (DE 2501), there are two submission options:

1. SDI Online – Preferred: Electronic submission is the fastest and most trackable option and should be used whenever possible.
2. Paper submission – Backup only: If online submission is not possible, a blank DE 2501 can be completed and mailed to EDD. This process is significantly slower and requires ordering blank hard copies by mail and mailing them back to EDD once completed, which can take up to 4 months for EDD to fully process. Additionally, because most providers lack a scanner or HIPAA-compliant way to retain a copy, the paperwork cannot be easily uploaded to the patient’s chart. Once mailed to EDD, there is no way to track the status of the claim. 

***Important: Use only one submission method. Do not submit both electronically and by mail, as duplicate submissions can cause errors and significant delays.

Best Practice – DE 2501: Complete your SDI Online registration and order blank DE 2501 forms proactively. Paper forms can take 2–3 weeks to arrive, so having them available provides a backup if electronic submission is unavailable.

[See Part 4 for more information.]

Disability Extensions – DE 2525 XX

For an existing disability claim that needs to be extended, use the DE 2525XX.

SDI Online is strongly recommended for extensions. Unlike the DE 2501, providers cannot order or keep blank DE 2525XX forms on hand because EDD issues these forms specifically for individual claims.

Using the paper process requires the patient-specific form to be mailed between the patient, Rula, and the provider, which can significantly delay the extension.

[See Part 5 for more information.]

Quick-start checklist

Before you begin, gather:

Your California medical license number

Your National Provider Identifier (NPI)

Your Social Security number — ID.me uses it for identity proofing

A government photo ID: your out-of-state driver's license, a U.S. passport, or a passport card

A phone or computer that can take and upload a photo

A personal email address (not a work address — see Part 1)

Then work through these in order:

1. Create and verify your ID.me account
2. Add your professional credential inside ID.me
3. Create your myEDD account and register as a provider
4. Certify claims electronically as they come in 
   1. Electronic submission is the preferred method. 
   2. For new DE 2501 claims only, paper submission can be used as a backup if online registration/access is delayed.
   3. DE 2525XX extensions should be completed electronically whenever possible.

Plan for approximately one hour to complete Steps 1–3. These are initial setup steps that generally only need to be completed once.

Part 1 — Create and verify your ID.me account

Set up your ID.me account before starting your EDD registration. EDD will hand you off to ID.me during their workflow, so having your identity pre-verified ensures a seamless process.

Core ID.me Verification Guidelines 

• Use a personal email (not a work one): ID.me strictly allows only one wallet per person, tied directly to your Social Security Number (SSN).
• Match your NPI Records: Your legal name and address must match your NPI records exactly. Mismatches are a frequent source of delays.
• SSN Security: It is completely safe to provide your SSN. ID.me is a secure verification service trusted across U.S. government agencies, including the Social Security Administration.

Verification Steps

1. Go to the ID.me website and create your account.
2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
3. Upload a clear, glare-free photo of an accepted ID. If you do not have a California driver's license, the following are accepted:
   • Your home-state driver's license or state ID
   • A U.S. passport
   • A U.S. passport card
4. Take the requested video selfie to match your face to the ID.
5. Enter your SSN and confirm your personal details.

Live Video Call Verification (Fallback)

If automated verification fails, ID.me will direct you to a live video call with an agent to verify your identity.

• You must prepare two secondary documents (e.g., Social Security card, W-2, or utility bill) prior to joining the call.
• Expect a wait time for an available agent.

Resolving Duplicate Account Errors 

If you already have an ID.me account, do not attempt to create a second one. The system will flag your SSN and block your verification.

***Warning: Never delete or abandon an old ID.me wallet to start fresh. ID.me is a master key for federal portals (IRS, VA, SSA). Deleting it severs your access to those agencies and forces you to repeat the lengthy video-call verification process from scratch.

• If you know your old login: Log in using the original email. Navigate to Sign In & Security, add your new personal email, set it as the primary address, and then delete the old one.
• If you lost access to your old email: Go to the ID.me login screen and enter the old email address (even if you cannot check the inbox). When prompted for MFA, select "I don't have access to the email address anymore" to trigger the account recovery process via ID.me support.

Additional Resources

For further information on ID.me’s verification process, review Verify with ID.me as a California physician or medical provider for EDD.

Part 2 — Add your professional credential in ID.me

Verifying your identity and verifying your eligibility to certify claims are two separate steps. Complete this one inside ID.me before you return to EDD.

1. In ID.me, open the Wallet section and select Manage IDs.
2. Set License State to CA.
3. Set your provider type to NP. If NP isn't offered as an option, select Nurse.
4. Enter your NPI number with "NP" in front of it. The prefix is required. For example, if your NPI is 123456, enter NP123456.
5. Submit, and let the verification run.

Once you've submitted, you can sign out of ID.me and return to myEDD to complete your registration.

Part 3 — Create your myEDD account and register as a provider

1. Go to the myEDD login page and select Create Account.
2. Log in once your account is active.
3. From the myEDD home screen, select Disability and Paid Family Leave (SDI Online).
4. Choose Register as a Provider. Depending on the screen, this may appear as Physician/Practitioner. Take care here — registering as a claimant or an employer means starting the process over.
5. Complete your personal profile. Where it asks for practice information, match your NPI records.
   1. Rula’s Address: 4633 Old Ironsides Dr., Suite 304, Santa Clara, CA 95054
   2. Rula’s Phone #: (302) 966-3020 

Once you're verified, EDD returns you to your profile and you'll have access to patient forms.

Important: Use a Separate Email for Provider Registration 

If you previously lived in California and used myEDD/SDI Online for your own Disability Insurance (DI), Paid Family Leave (PFL), or other SDI claim, do not use the same email/account for your provider registration. This can cause myEDD to recognize you under your existing claimant profile instead of allowing you to register correctly as a provider.

If this happens:

1. Create/use a different personal email address that has never been associated with your prior claimant account.
2. Use that email to complete the provider ID.me/myEDD registration process.
3. If you're still being routed to your old claimant account or cannot access provider registration, contact EDD at 1-855-342-3645. and explain that you have an existing claimant account but now need access as a licensed healthcare provider.
4. Ask EDD to confirm that provider/electronic certification access is enabled before ending the call.

***Tip: Keep your claimant and provider login information separate to avoid account conflicts going forward.

If your registration stalls

Out-of-state registration doesn't always complete cleanly, and finishing ID.me verification isn't always the same thing as having working access to SDI Online. If you've verified with ID.me but still can't get in, don't keep retrying the form — call EDD at 1-855-342-3645.

When you call:

• Let the representative know you're a licensed healthcare professional, have completed ID.me verification, and are unable to access SDI Online.
• Have your professional license number, NPI, and registered email address ready. You may also be asked for a copy of your collaborating physician agreement.
• Before ending the call, ask the representative to confirm that electronic access is enabled for your account.
• Document the date and representative’s name in case follow-up is needed.

Hold times can run long. This is the main argument for registering well ahead of any actual certification deadline.

Part 4 — Completing the DE 2501 Form (Initial Claim)

Use this process for when a patient needs to go on short-term disability for the first time for a specific condition.

Important Submission Warning

Please choose only one method of submission—do not submit the paperwork twice! If you are unable to complete the form electronically, use the hardcopy version. Submitting both an electronic and a hardcopy version will cause duplicate errors and severely delay the patient’s claim.

What You Need from the Patient (Part A – Claimant’s Statement)

Before you can complete your portion of the paperwork (Part B – Physician/Practitioner’s Certificate), the patient must file their claim with the EDD first (Part A – Claimant’s Statement). You will need specific information from the patient depending on your submission method. 

• For electronic submission (SDI Online): You only need the last 4 digits of the patient’s SSN, along with their Receipt Number (R Number). This is a confirmation number proving the patient’s application was received and starts with the letter “R” followed by 15 digits. 
• For hardcopy submission (paper form): You need the patient’s full SSN, along with their Claim ID (DI Number). This is a unique identifier used to track the claim itself, beginning with “DI” followed by 10 digits. 

***Note: If your patient does not have a Receipt Number or Claim ID, they have not finished filing their portion. They must complete Part A before you can proceed. When advising patients, it is best to ask for their full SSN if you know you are doing a hardcopy, but the last 4 digits are sufficient if you are set up for online certification. 
 

Method 1: How to submit an initial claim online (recommended) 

Once your online registration is complete, this is a routine process that takes only a few minutes. Electronic certifications reach the EDD immediately and leave you with verifiable proof of submission.

Submit your certification (Part B)

1. Sign in to myEDD and open SDI Online.
2. Enter the patient's last 4 digits of SSN + Receipt Number (starting with “R” followed by 15 digits). 
3. Review the claim details and confirm the patient's information matches your clinical records.
4. Complete the certification: include your clinical findings, diagnosis, disability dates, and your estimate of when the patient can return to work.
5. Submit, then save or print the confirmation page.
    

Method 2: How to submit an initial claim via hardcopy (if online is unavailable) 

Because this manual route can take up to 4 months for EDD to fully process, use this method only if you cannot access the online portal. 

***Alternative Option: If you are unable to submit electronically and the patient declines the hardcopy route due to severe mailing delays, you can suggest the patient have their Primary Care Provider (PCP) obtain their clinical records and file the claim electronically on their behalf. → The patient can email records@rula.com to request for their medical records to be sent to their PCP. 

Step 1: Order blank forms (DE 2501) 

Rula does not provide blank hard copies of the EDD forms. You must order them from the EDD yourself—they are free and shipped directly to your mailing address (expect 2-3 weeks for delivery). We recommend ordering at least 10 copies at a time so you have them on hand.

1. Go to forms.edd.ca.gov/forms. 
2. Select Program → Disability Insurance, then Forms by Category → Forms and Applications. Click Search.
3. Locate DE 2501 (Claim for Disability Insurance Benefits). 
4. In the Quantity field, enter how many blank forms you want. They're free, so we recommend ordering at least 10 copies at a time so you have them in hand for future cases. 
5. Click Add to cart, then Checkout.
6. Enter your own mailing address, and put Rula in the Company Name field.
7. Click Next, then Submit.
8. Alternatively, you can call EDD to request them by mail. When prompted, say “claim form” and follow the instructions on the recording. 
   1. For blank copies of the disability form (DE 2501) → call 1-800-480-3287 
   2. For blank copies of the Paid Family Leave (PFL) → call 1-877-238-4373

Resource: https://edd.ca.gov/en/disability/Basics_for_Physicians-Practitioners 

Step 2: Complete and mail the physical form 

If you must submit a hardcopy, please reference the EDD’s Official Guide for Mailing DE 2501 and the instructions attached to your physical form to verify each section. Incomplete forms are returned by the EDD, which restarts the mailing cycle and severely delays your patient’s benefits.

Tips for Completing Hardcopies:

• Gather required information first: Obtain the patient's full Social Security Number (SSN) + Claim ID (starting with "DI" followed by 10 digits) beforehand so you have everything you need to complete Part B without interruption. 
• Use black ink: Complete the original paper form by hand using black ink. Do not use a printed/downloaded copy or type your responses. Write clearly and legibly, as EDD machine-scans the completed form.
• Fill every field: Do not leave anything blank. Write "N/A" where a field doesn't apply to your patient.
• Sign and date: The form must be hand-signed and dated by the provider. A missing signature date is one of the most common reasons forms are rejected.
• Make a copy (if possible): If you have a scanner, photocopy the completed form before you mail it. Upload it to the patient's chart in the Provider Portal. If you don’t have a scanner, skip this step.
• Mail properly: Mail the completed form directly to the EDD using the envelope included with the hardcopy packet. Do not rely on an address from an older document.

• Track and notify: Obtain a mailing tracking number if you can, and notify the patient confirming the form's completion and the exact date it was mailed.

   

Part 5 — Completing the DE 2525XX Form (Supplementary Certificate / Extension) 

Use this process when a patient has not fully recovered, and you need to push back their original estimated return-to-work date. 

Important Distinction: New Claims vs Disability Extensions 

DE 2501 = New Claims: Used to open a new disability claim. Hard copies can be ordered in bulk for providers to keep on hand.

DE 2525XX = Extensions: Used to extend an existing, active disability claim. Providers cannot order or keep blank copies because EDD issues these forms specifically for each individual claim.

***Because providers cannot keep blank DE 2525XX extension forms on hand, the paper process for disability extensions is strongly discouraged whenever electronic submission is available.

Method 1: How to submit an extension online (recommended) 

You do not need a paper form or any new numbers from the patient to do this. 

1. Log in to your SDI Online account.
2. Search for the patient's existing claim using their last 4 SSN or Claim ID.
3. Select the option to submit a Physician/Practitioner’s Supplementary Certificate (DE 2525XX).
4. Update the return-to-work date and clinical findings → then submit.

Method 2: Hardcopy extension (not recommended) 

We do not recommend the hardcopy process because: 

1. Blank DE 2525XX forms cannot be ordered or kept on hand. EDD mails a unique, scannable form directly to the patient near their estimated return-to-work date.

2. The patient would then need to mail the form to Rula → Rula mails it to the provider → provider completes and returns it, which can significantly delay the patient's extension.

    

How long each step actually takes

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Do I need a California driver's license?

No. An out-of-state driver's license or state ID, a U.S. passport, or a passport card all work for ID.me verification.

Can I certify a California claim if I reside in another state? 

Yes, as long as you hold an active California medical/nursing license.

My client doesn't have a Claim ID or Receipt Number.
If your patient lacks these numbers, they have not finished filing their claim with the EDD. These identifiers are generated immediately upon filing, and you cannot certify the claim without them. Advise the patient that they must go to the EDD website to complete their portion (Part A – Claimant’s Statement) first. Once finished, they must provide you with their SSN + correct identifier, depending on your submission method: 

• For Electronic Submissions: Ask for the Receipt Number aka R Number (starting with “R”, followed by 15 digits) + last 4 digits of SSN. 
• For Hardcopy Submissions: Ask for the Claim ID aka DI Number (starting with “DI,” followed by 10 digits) + full SSN. 

I already have an ID.me account from another agency.

Use it. ID.me allows one wallet per person, so don't create a second one. You may need to add documents or credentials, but the account itself carries over.

I have an ID.me account but can't get into it — it's tied to an old work email.

Contact ID.me support to update the email on the wallet. Don't create a new account; you'll hit the one-wallet-per-person limit.

My photo ID keeps failing verification.

Retake the photo in even light with no glare, and make sure all four corners of the ID are in frame. If it still fails, switch to a passport, or request the video call with an ID.me agent.

I finished ID.me but SDI Online still won't let me in.

Call EDD at 1-855-342-3645 and ask them to confirm that electronic access is enabled on your account. See Part 3.

Can I photocopy a blank form for a future client?

No. You must use the original EDD-issued hard copy to avoid possible rejection of the claim. We suggest ordering at least 10 blank hard copies at a time so you always have one on hand for future patients (they are free to order).  

Where to get help

ID.me support — Go to the ID.me website and select the blue chat bubble in the lower-right corner. Say that you cannot sign in; that phrasing routes you to the fastest assistance.

EDD support — 1-855-342-3645

SDI Online Tutorial: Online Access + Forms Submission 

Updated September 03, 2026 22:44