How to File for Unemployment in South Dakota
How to apply for unemployment in South Dakota, what you need, and what you must do each week to keep getting benefits.
Short answer: File online any time through the RA Benefits Portal, or by phone at 605-626-3179 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Central). SD DLR, Things to Know Before You File a Claim; Report Work and Earnings
| How to apply | File online any time through the RA Benefits Portal, or by phone at 605-626-3179 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Central). Have your Social Security number, driver's license or state ID, and your work history for the last 18 months with each employer's details, pay rate and reason you left. After filing, submit a weekly request for payment for each Sunday-to-Saturday week, reporting all hours and gross earnings. |
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| Earnings needed to qualify | You must have been paid covered wages in two or more quarters of your base period. Your highest quarter must be at least $728. Your wages in the other three quarters combined must be at least 20 times your weekly benefit. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. If you do not qualify that way, an alternative base period of the last four completed quarters can be used, and there is a special base period for long-term work injuries. |
| Work search requirements | Unless you are told otherwise, you must make a good-faith effort to find full-time work. Do at least two work search activities each week, such as submitting an application or resume, attending a job interview, or taking part in a DLR-approved reemployment program. Report each contact's details when you file and keep records, because searches are verified and audited. You must also register with the state workforce system. You are exempt if your employer has given you a recall date within 10 weeks, if you get work through a union, or in certain seasonal recall situations. |
| Logging in and filing weekly claims | South Dakota calls unemployment "Reemployment Assistance" (RA). The Department of Labor and Regulation's RA Benefits Portal is where you request weekly benefit payments online, 24/7. Each claim week runs Sunday through Saturday, and you have seven days after the week ends to file for it; make sure you get a confirmation that your request was accepted. You can also request payments by phone, 24/7, at 605-626-3212 using a PIN. After four consecutive weeks without requests, the claim becomes inactive and must be reopened. RA Customer Service: 605-626-2452 (TTY 711). RA Benefits Portal: https://www.sd.gov/rabenefits |
Where to get help in South Dakota
More South Dakota unemployment benefits
- Logging In to Your South Dakota Unemployment Claim
- Unemployment for Self-Employed and Gig Workers in South Dakota
- Unemployment After Being Fired in South Dakota
- Unemployment After Quitting in South Dakota
- How Much Unemployment Pays in South Dakota
- All South Dakota unemployment benefits rules
FAQ
How do I apply for unemployment in South Dakota?
File online any time through the RA Benefits Portal, or by phone at 605-626-3179 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Central). Have your Social Security number, driver's license or state ID, and your work history for the last 18 months with each employer's details, pay rate and reason you left. After filing, submit a weekly request for payment for each Sunday-to-Saturday week, reporting all hours and gross earnings.
How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in South Dakota?
You must have been paid covered wages in two or more quarters of your base period. Your highest quarter must be at least $728. Your wages in the other three quarters combined must be at least 20 times your weekly benefit. The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. If you do not qualify that way, an alternative base period of the last four completed quarters can be used, and there is a special base period for long-term work injuries.
What are the work search requirements for unemployment in South Dakota?
Unless you are told otherwise, you must make a good-faith effort to find full-time work. Do at least two work search activities each week, such as submitting an application or resume, attending a job interview, or taking part in a DLR-approved reemployment program. Report each contact's details when you file and keep records, because searches are verified and audited. You must also register with the state workforce system. You are exempt if your employer has given you a recall date within 10 weeks, if you get work through a union, or in certain seasonal recall situations.
Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in South Dakota?
South Dakota calls unemployment "Reemployment Assistance" (RA). The Department of Labor and Regulation's RA Benefits Portal is where you request weekly benefit payments online, 24/7. Each claim week runs Sunday through Saturday, and you have seven days after the week ends to file for it; make sure you get a confirmation that your request was accepted. You can also request payments by phone, 24/7, at 605-626-3212 using a PIN. After four consecutive weeks without requests, the claim becomes inactive and must be reopened. RA Customer Service: 605-626-2452 (TTY 711).
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.