EDD UI Online registration error 'must have registered before' - need help ASAP

This happened to me too! The error message is super confusing. What it ACTUALLY means is that you already have an EDD account in their system from when you filed your claim, but you need to complete the registration process by creating a username and password. Try clicking on "Register using EDD Customer Account Number" instead of the SSN option. You should have received a letter with your EDD Customer Account Number after filing your initial claim. If you don't have that letter, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an EDD rep who helped me recover my account info. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km - totally worth it after I spent 3 days trying to get through myself!

omg same!!! so frustrating!!! i was about to throw my computer out the window lol 🤬

This is a common misunderstanding with UI Online. When you file a claim (even by phone), EDD automatically creates a partial account in their system. The error message "You must have registered before" is poorly worded - it should say "You already have a partial account in our system." You have two options: 1. Wait for your EDD Customer Account Number to arrive by mail (usually 7-10 business days after filing) and use that to complete registration. 2. Call the EDD technical support line at 1-833-978-2511 (not the regular claims line) and explain you need help completing your UI Online registration. They can verify your identity and help you finish setting up the account. Don't worry about certification yet - you typically can't certify until about 2 weeks after filing, and EDD will notify you when it's time to certify for your first payment.

i had this same problem and waited 2 weeks for the letter but it never came!!! had to call like 50 times before i got someone who could help. they told me my address was entered wrong when i filed by phone so the letter went to the wrong place. check ur claim details carefully once u get in!!

The technical support line usually has shorter wait times than the regular claims line, but you still might have trouble getting through. Make sure you're calling during their business hours (8am-8pm weekdays, 8am-5pm weekends). One trick that worked for me: if you have your claim confirmation number from when you filed by phone, have that ready. The tech support team can use that to locate your account more easily. Also, they might ask you verification questions about your previous employer and income, so have that information ready. And don't worry too much about certification timing - you'll have a week-long window to complete your first certification once it becomes available.

This EXACT thing happened to me in February!!! The EDD system is such garbage. I waited on hold for HOURS and kept getting disconnected. Nobody answers their phones!! I finally managed to find my EDD account number on a different letter they sent me about my claim being processed. Check ALL your mail from EDD - sometimes they include the account number on other notices too, not just the dedicated "account number" letter. The number starts with a capital letter followed by 9 digits.

Just to add some clarification: The registration error happens because EDD creates a partial account for you in their system when you file a claim, but you need to complete the registration process yourself by creating login credentials. If you haven't received any mail from EDD after 10 business days, it could indicate a problem with your mailing address on file. In that case, calling is definitely your best option. When you do call, make sure to specifically mention that you: 1. Filed by phone recently 2. Are trying to register for UI Online 3. Are getting the "must have registered before" error 4. Have not received any mail with your EDD Customer Account Number Being specific will help the representative understand exactly what assistance you need.

I forgot to mention this in my first reply - if you haven't received ANY mail from EDD after filing by phone, that's sometimes a sign that something went wrong with your initial claim filing. When I couldn't get through on the phone, I used the Claimyr service and the EDD rep told me my claim had been flagged for an issue with my identity verification. They hadn't sent me any notification about it! The rep was able to fix it right away once I got through. Just something to keep in mind if you keep hitting dead ends.

anyone else think its crazy that in 2025 we still have to deal with these ancient systems?? my friend in washington state said their unemployment website is way easier!

Update from someone who works with UI claimants: EDD has been experiencing delays with their mail processing recently. I've had several clients who didn't receive their account number letters until 12-14 days after filing. If you filed just 8 days ago, I'd recommend waiting a few more days for the mail before spending hours trying to call. Also, double-check that you're using the correct SSN format when trying to register - it should be entered without dashes (e.g., 123456789, not 123-45-6789). And make sure your name is entered exactly as it appears on your Social Security card. Even minor differences can cause the system to reject your registration attempt.

I went through this exact same frustrating experience last month! The "must have registered before" error is definitely confusing wording on EDD's part. What worked for me was calling the EDD technical support line (1-833-978-2511) early in the morning around 8:05 AM - I got through on my third try that way. The rep explained that when you file by phone, they create a "skeleton" account that needs to be activated, but the error message makes it sound like you already have a full account. Since you mentioned you have a hyphenated last name, that could definitely be part of the issue. When I was on the phone with the rep, they told me that their phone system sometimes records names differently than how people actually spell them, especially with hyphens and apostrophes. The rep was able to see exactly how my name was entered in their system and help me match it for the online registration. Don't stress too much about the timing - you've still got time before your first certification window opens up. But definitely keep trying to get through to someone since waiting for mail can be unreliable right now. Good luck!

I had this exact same issue a few months ago and it drove me absolutely crazy! The error message is so misleading - I spent hours thinking I had somehow forgotten creating an account. What ended up working for me was a combination of things: First, I called the technical support line (1-833-978-2511) that others mentioned here at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday and got through after about 20 minutes on hold. The rep was really helpful and explained that the system creates a partial account when you file by phone, but sometimes there are glitches in how the information gets transferred. In my case, it turned out my middle initial was missing from how they recorded my name during the phone filing, even though I'm pretty sure I gave it to them. The rep was able to update it on the spot and then walked me through the registration process while I was on the phone. One thing that might help while you're waiting to get through - try registering using different variations of your name. Since you mentioned having a hyphenated last name, try it with the hyphen, without the hyphen, and with a space instead. Sometimes the phone system records names in unexpected ways. Also, don't worry too much about the timing. I was stressed about missing certification too, but they give you plenty of notice before your first certification period opens up. You'll be fine!

I just went through this exact same nightmare situation a couple weeks ago! The "must have registered before" error is hands down the most confusing message EDD could have chosen - it makes you think you're crazy or forgot something when really it's just their system being unclear. Here's what actually happened when I called the technical support line: The phone rep explained that when you file by phone, their system automatically creates what they call a "stub account" with your basic info, but it's not a complete UI Online account yet. The error message should really say "Complete your account setup" instead of making it sound like you already registered before. Since you filed 8 days ago, you're right in that window where the account exists in their system but you haven't gotten the mail with your customer account number yet. I'd definitely recommend calling 1-833-978-2511 first thing Monday morning - I got through around 8:10 AM on my second try. Have your claim confirmation number ready if you have it from when you filed by phone. And don't stress about certification timing! They don't even let you certify until about 2-3 weeks after filing, so you have plenty of time to get this sorted out. The system will notify you when your first certification becomes available.

I had this EXACT same issue about 6 months ago and it was so frustrating! The "must have registered before" error message is terrible - it should really say "complete your account setup" or something clearer. What's happening is that EDD creates a partial account when you file by phone, but you need to finish setting it up online. Since you have a hyphenated last name, that's very likely the culprit! Their phone system often records names differently than how you'd normally write them. Here's what worked for me: I called the technical support line at 1-833-978-2511 at 8:02 AM on a Wednesday and got through after about 15 minutes. The rep could see exactly how my name was entered in their system (turns out they had recorded "O'Brien" as "OBRIEN" with no apostrophe) and helped me register using the correct format. Pro tip: While you're waiting to get through, try different name variations on the registration page - with hyphen, without hyphen, with space instead of hyphen. Sometimes you'll get lucky and find the exact format they used. Don't worry about certification timing - you typically can't certify until 2-3 weeks after filing anyway, so you have plenty of time to sort this out. The system will send you notifications when it's time to certify. You've got this!

I went through this same frustrating experience just last month! The "must have registered before" error is incredibly misleading - it should really say "complete your existing account setup" instead. What's happening is that when you filed by phone, EDD automatically created a partial account in their system, but now you need to finish the registration process online. The hyphenated last name is very likely causing the issue - their phone system often records names differently than how you spell them. I'd recommend calling the technical support line at 1-833-978-2511 right when they open at 8 AM. I got through on my second try by calling at 8:03 AM on a Thursday. The rep was able to see exactly how my name was recorded in their system (they had my hyphenated name as two separate words with a space instead of a hyphen) and walked me through the registration process. While you're waiting to get through, try different variations of "Doyle-Martinez" on the registration page - maybe "Doyle Martinez" with a space, or "DOYLEMARTINEZ" as one word. Sometimes their system records it in unexpected ways during phone filing. Don't stress about certification timing - you typically have 2-3 weeks after filing before your first certification window opens, so you have plenty of time to get this resolved. The key is being persistent with that technical support number!

I just went through this exact same issue two weeks ago and it was driving me absolutely crazy! The "must have registered before" error message is so poorly worded - it really should say something like "complete your account setup" instead. What's happening is when you file by phone, EDD creates what they call a "partial account" or "skeleton account" in their system, but you still need to complete the online registration process. The system thinks you should already know about this account, hence the confusing error message. Since you mentioned filing 8 days ago and having a hyphenated last name, I'd bet money that's the issue. Their phone system frequently records hyphenated names incorrectly - sometimes as two separate words, sometimes without the hyphen entirely, or even all caps with no punctuation. Here's what worked for me: I called the technical support line at 1-833-978-2511 at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday morning. Got through after about 25 minutes on hold. The rep could immediately see how my name was recorded in their system (they had "Smith-Johnson" recorded as "SMITH JOHNSON" with just a space) and helped me complete the registration using their exact format. While you're waiting to get through, try registering with different variations of "Doyle-Martinez" - maybe "DOYLE MARTINEZ", "Doyle Martinez", or even "DOYLEMARTINEZ" as one word. Sometimes you get lucky and find the exact format they used. Don't stress about certification timing - you won't be able to certify until 2-3 weeks after filing anyway, and they'll notify you when it's available. You have plenty of time to get this sorted out!