When Do Unemployment Benefits Get Deposited? Answers by State

Unemployment application on a desk with a laptop and pen

Unemployment payment schedules vary by state. Your state may pay benefits weekly, bi-weekly, or use a combination of weekly and bi-weekly disbursements depending on the applicant.

Regardless of how often your state disburses benefits, you must file a claim or certification online or by phone before you receive your unemployment payment for each period.

For example, if your state pays weekly, you’ll need to get certified each week to verify that you are still eligible for benefits.

When it comes to unemployment payment methods, most states allow you to either set up a direct deposit to your bank account or receive a prepaid debit card specifically for your unemployment benefits.

Some states offer paper checks as an option as well or may mail a paper check for the first unemployment disbursement while your direct deposit or debit card is being set up.

For unemployment payment deposit details listed by state, see below.

Unemployment Benefit Deposits by State

We viewed official unemployment documentation from Departments of Labor in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to compile the payment details for each state.

Find the payment frequency, time frame, and method of each state’s unemployment payment in the table below. You can sort the table by selecting the arrows at the top of each column.

You can also select any state to be taken to the most relevant page on its Department of Labor’s website.

Note that none of the states have a set deposit time for bank accounts or prepaid cards (such as midnight or 8 a.m.); the deposit time will vary depending on when you complete your weekly or bi-weekly reporting and how fast the department is able to process your disbursement.

State Weekly or bi-weekly? Payment Dates Payment Method
AlabamaWeekly Day after weekly certification Direct deposit or AL Vantage Prepaid Benefits Card
AlaskaBi-weekly Five days after filing bi-weekly certificates Direct deposit or debit card
ArizonaWeekly Next business day after the prior week's claim processes Direct deposit or debit card
ArkansasWeekly The second day after you file the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
CaliforniaBi-weekly Within 24 hours of submitting certification Direct deposit, personal debit card, or EDD Debit Card
ColoradoBi-weekly Two to three business days after submitting the bi-weekly claim Direct deposit or prepaid debit card
ConnecticutWeekly About two days after filing the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
DelawareWeekly Up to two days after filing the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
FloridaBi-weekly Two or three days after the bi-weekly claim processes Direct deposit or debit card
GeorgiaWeekly About two days following the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
HawaiiWeekly or Bi-weekly Three business days after the claim processes Paper check or direct deposit
IdahoWeekly About three to four days after filing your weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
IllinoisBi-weekly Two to three business days after weekly certification Direct deposit or debit card
IndianaWeekly Two to three days after filing the weekly voucher Direct deposit or debit card
IowaWeekly Two to three days after filing the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
KansasWeekly Within five business days of filing the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
KentuckyBi-weekly Two to five days after filing the bi-weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
LouisianaWeekly Three to four days after filing the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
MaineWeekly Within 48 hours of weekly claim approval Direct deposit or Maine Automated Payment Card
MarylandWeekly By 5 p.m. the next business day after filing weekly Paper check or Maryland Unemployment Insurance Benefits Debit Card
MassachusettsWeekly Two business days after filing the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
MichiganBi-weekly Two to three days following the bi-weekly certification Direct deposit or debit card
MinnesotaWeekly Five days or less after filing the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
MississippiWeekly Within five days of weekly certification Direct deposit or debit card
MissouriWeekly Next business day following weekly claim Direct deposit or Missouri Access Mastercard debit card
MontanaWeekly or bi-weekly Within two days of claim processing Direct deposit or debit card
NebraskaWeekly Within two or three business days of weekly filing Direct deposit or debit card
NevadaWeekly Within 48 hours of filing weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
New HampshireWeekly Five days or less after filing weekly claim Paper check or direct deposit
New JerseyWeekly Within two full business days following weekly certification Direct deposit or prepaid debit card
New MexicoWeekly Within three business days after filing weekly claim Direct deposit or New Mexico Unemployment Insurance Visa debit card
New YorkWeekly About three business days after weekly certification Direct deposit or debit card
North CarolinaWeekly Three business days after weekly certification processes Direct deposit or debit card
North DakotaWeekly The next business day following weekly certification Direct deposit or Way2Go prepaid debit card
OhioWeekly Within three business days of weekly claim processing Direct deposit or debit card
OklahomaWeekly Within two to three days of filing the weekly claim Direct deposit or prepaid debit card
OregonWeekly Two business days after weekly claim processing Direct deposit or debit card
PennsylvaniaBi-weekly One to two business days following the bi-weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
Rhode IslandWeekly One to two days after weekly claim processes Direct deposit or Electronic Payment Card
South CarolinaWeekly Two to three business days following weekly claim processing Direct deposit or debit card
South DakotaWeekly The next business day after weekly certification Direct deposit or Way2Go prepaid debit card
TennesseeWeekly Within 48 hours after weekly certification Direct deposit or Way2Go prepaid debit card
TexasWeekly Within two business days following weekly certification Direct deposit or debit card
UtahWeekly Two or three business days after weekly reporting Direct deposit or debit card
VermontWeekly Within three business days of weekly claim filing Direct deposit or debit card
VirginiaWeekly Within two business days of weekly claim processing Direct deposit or Way2Go prepaid debit card
WashingtonWeekly Within one day of weekly claim filing Direct deposit or debit card
West VirginiaWeekly Three to four days following the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
WisconsinWeekly Up to three days after weekly claim filing Direct deposit or debit card
WyomingWeekly Up to five business days following the weekly claim Direct deposit or debit card
District of ColumbiaWeekly Within two business days after weekly filing Direct deposit or debit card

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