How to Appeal an Unemployment Denial in Colorado
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Colorado · Last updated 2026-09-06
An unemployment appeal is the formal, written request you file to challenge a decision that denied, reduced, or ended your unemployment benefits, asking a neutral hearing officer to review the agency's ruling. In Colorado, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) issues that decision through a deputy on a Notice of Determination. You must appeal within 20 calendar days of the date the Notice of Determination was mailed, and a hearing officer holds a hearing on your case. If the hearing officer rules against you, you can appeal again to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office (ICAO) within 20 calendar days of that decision. A late appeal may still be accepted if you explain why it is late, though an appeal more than 180 days late is dismissed. Keep requesting weekly payments through MyUI+ while your appeal is pending.
Find out where you stand in Colorado
Where are you in the unemployment appeal process?
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How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Colorado?
Submit a written appeal within 20 calendar days of the date your CDLE Notice of Determination was mailed. File through your MyUI+ account, which the state recommends, or complete the appeal form on the back of the notice and mail it to the Unemployment Appeals Section or fax it. Explain why you disagree.
How long do I have to appeal an unemployment decision in Colorado?
You have 20 calendar days from the date printed at the top of your CDLE Notice of Determination showing when it was mailed. If the 20th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Missing it can end your appeal rights.
How do I file an unemployment appeal with CDLE in Colorado?
Colorado recommends filing through your MyUI+ account for faster processing. You can also complete the appeal form on the back of your Notice of Determination, or write a letter, and mail it to the Unemployment Appeals Section, PO Box 8988, Denver, CO 80201-8988, or fax it to 303-318-9248.
Can I keep receiving benefits while my appeal is pending in Colorado?
Keep requesting weekly payment through MyUI+ while your appeal is pending if you are still unemployed, regardless of whether you are currently being paid. CDLE only pays weeks you requested and were otherwise eligible for, so stopping can cost you back payments even if the hearing officer later rules in your favor.
Colorado unemployment appeal law at a glance
In Colorado, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) decides unemployment eligibility and issues a Notice of Determination through a deputy. A claimant who disagrees must file a written appeal within 20 calendar days of the date the Notice of Determination was mailed. If the 20th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. The first-level appeal is a hearing before a hearing officer. If the hearing officer rules against you, a second-level appeal goes to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office (ICAO), which must receive it within 20 calendar days of the hearing officer's decision. A late appeal is still accepted if you explain why it is late, but an appeal more than 180 days late is dismissed and the deputy's decision becomes final. CDLE advises claimants to keep requesting weekly payment through MyUI+ while the appeal is pending.
Appealing a Colorado unemployment denial after a quit-versus-fired dispute
Suppose CDLE mails you a Notice of Determination denying benefits because a deputy treated your job separation as a voluntary quit. You disagree, believing you were laid off. Because the mailing date controls, you note the date at the top of the notice and file your appeal within 20 calendar days through MyUI+, explaining that your separation was an involuntary layoff and attaching your final pay stub and a supervisor email. You keep requesting weekly payment while you wait. At the hearing, a hearing officer takes testimony from both sides and reviews your evidence. If the hearing officer still rules against you, you file a second-level appeal to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office within 20 calendar days. Attorney review of your appeal statement is available through DocDraft.
Relevant Laws
C.R.S. 8-74-106 (Colorado review and appeals of unemployment decisions)
The section of Colorado's Employment Security Act that governs review and appeal of unemployment determinations, under which the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment administers the 20-calendar-day appeal process described on this page, including the appeal of a deputy's determination to a hearing officer.
CDLE Unemployment Insurance, Submit an Appeal
The CDLE agency page states that an appeal must be received within 20 calendar days of the date the Notice of Determination was mailed, with a next-business-day extension when the deadline falls on a weekend or legal holiday, and explains filing through MyUI+, by mail to the Unemployment Appeals Section, or by fax.
CDLE Unemployment Insurance, Appeals FAQs
The CDLE FAQ page confirms the 20-calendar-day deadline, explains that a late appeal requires a reason and that an appeal more than 180 days late is dismissed, states that a written appeal requests a hearing before a hearing officer, and tells claimants to keep requesting weekly payment through MyUI+ during the appeal.
CDLE Unemployment Insurance, Appeal Decision and the ICAO
The CDLE decision page explains the second-level appeal: a claimant who disagrees with a Hearing Officer's Decision may appeal to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office (ICAO), which must receive the written appeal within 20 calendar days of the date the decision was mailed.
Regional Variances
Colorado unemployment appeal rules at a glance
Appeal deadline
20 calendar days from the date the CDLE Notice of Determination was mailed. If the 20th day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. The clock runs from the mailing date, not the date you received it.
How to file
In writing, filing through MyUI+ (recommended), or using the appeal form on the back of the notice or a signed letter, mailed to the Unemployment Appeals Section, PO Box 8988, Denver, CO 80201-8988, or faxed to 303-318-9248.
Who hears it
A hearing officer holds the first-level hearing, usually by phone. A second-level appeal goes to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office (ICAO), which must receive it within 20 calendar days of the hearing officer's decision.
Late appeals
Allowed if you explain why the appeal is late; CDLE decides whether to accept it. An appeal received more than 180 days late is dismissed, and the deputy's decision becomes final.
Benefits during appeal
CDLE advises claimants who are still unemployed to keep requesting weekly payment through MyUI+ while the appeal is pending, because payment is only possible for weeks requested and otherwise eligible.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Find the mailing date on your CDLE notice
The day you receive the Notice of Determination days after startingLocate the date printed at the top of your CDLE Notice of Determination showing when it was mailed. That date starts the 20-calendar-day appeal window, so calendar it immediately and work backward from it. Note the next-business-day rule if the 20th day is a weekend or legal holiday.
Read the reason the deputy gave for the decision
As soon as you receive the notice days after startingIdentify the exact eligibility issue the deputy relied on, such as a quit-versus-fired dispute, availability, or an overpayment. Your appeal is stronger when it responds directly to that finding rather than restating your situation generally.
Write your appeal on the form or in a letter
Within 20 calendar days of the notice mailing date days after startingComplete the appeal form on the back of your Notice of Determination or a signed letter, identifying the decision appealed and why it is wrong. Attach supporting pay records or statements. Attorney review of your appeal statement is available through DocDraft.
File the appeal within 20 days
By the 20th calendar day after the notice mailing date days after startingSubmit the appeal through MyUI+ (recommended), by mail to the Unemployment Appeals Section, PO Box 8988, Denver, CO 80201-8988, or by fax to 303-318-9248 before the deadline. Keep a dated copy. If you are already late, file immediately and explain the reason.
Keep requesting weekly payment
Every week while the appeal is pending days after startingContinue requesting weekly payment through MyUI+ if you remain unemployed. CDLE can only pay weeks you requested and were otherwise eligible for, so unbroken weekly requests protect back payments if the hearing officer rules in your favor.
Prepare for the hearing officer hearing
Before the hearing date on your notice days after startingGather documents and witnesses, review the case file, and organize the facts that support your position. CDLE mails a hearing notice with the date and format, usually by phone. Attending is critical, because missing it can lead to a decision against you.
Note your ICAO appeal rights
Within 20 calendar days of the hearing officer's decision days after startingIf the hearing officer denies your appeal, you can appeal to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office within 20 calendar days of the date the decision was mailed. The ICAO reviews the hearing record, so make sure every argument and exhibit is presented at the hearing officer stage.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find the mailing date on your CDLE notice | Locate the date printed at the top of your CDLE Notice of Determination showing when it was mailed. That date starts the 20-calendar-day appeal window, so calendar it immediately and work backward from it. Note the next-business-day rule if the 20th day is a weekend or legal holiday. | - | The day you receive the Notice of Determination |
| Read the reason the deputy gave for the decision | Identify the exact eligibility issue the deputy relied on, such as a quit-versus-fired dispute, availability, or an overpayment. Your appeal is stronger when it responds directly to that finding rather than restating your situation generally. | - | As soon as you receive the notice |
| Write your appeal on the form or in a letter | Complete the appeal form on the back of your Notice of Determination or a signed letter, identifying the decision appealed and why it is wrong. Attach supporting pay records or statements. Attorney review of your appeal statement is available through DocDraft. | - | Within 20 calendar days of the notice mailing date |
| File the appeal within 20 days | Submit the appeal through MyUI+ (recommended), by mail to the Unemployment Appeals Section, PO Box 8988, Denver, CO 80201-8988, or by fax to 303-318-9248 before the deadline. Keep a dated copy. If you are already late, file immediately and explain the reason. | - | By the 20th calendar day after the notice mailing date |
| Keep requesting weekly payment | Continue requesting weekly payment through MyUI+ if you remain unemployed. CDLE can only pay weeks you requested and were otherwise eligible for, so unbroken weekly requests protect back payments if the hearing officer rules in your favor. | - | Every week while the appeal is pending |
| Prepare for the hearing officer hearing | Gather documents and witnesses, review the case file, and organize the facts that support your position. CDLE mails a hearing notice with the date and format, usually by phone. Attending is critical, because missing it can lead to a decision against you. | - | Before the hearing date on your notice |
| Note your ICAO appeal rights | If the hearing officer denies your appeal, you can appeal to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office within 20 calendar days of the date the decision was mailed. The ICAO reviews the hearing record, so make sure every argument and exhibit is presented at the hearing officer stage. | - | Within 20 calendar days of the hearing officer's decision |
Frequently Asked Questions
An unemployment appeal is your formal, written request asking a neutral hearing officer to review a CDLE decision that denied, reduced, or ended your benefits. In Colorado you file it against a Notice of Determination issued by a deputy, and it sets up a hearing before a hearing officer who is independent of the deputy who decided your claim.
The CDLE determination is the deputy's initial decision on your eligibility, sent to you as a Notice of Determination. An appeal is the separate step where you challenge that decision before a hearing officer who is independent of the deputy. The determination comes first; the appeal is how you contest it within 20 calendar days.
You have 20 calendar days from the date your CDLE Notice of Determination was mailed to file a written appeal. If the 20th day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. The clock runs from the mailing date, not the day you opened the envelope.
You can still submit an appeal after the 20-calendar-day deadline, but you must explain why it is late, and CDLE decides whether to accept it. File as soon as possible and state your reason clearly. If your appeal is received more than 180 days late, it is dismissed and the deputy's decision becomes final.
A hearing officer decides the first-level appeal, independent of the deputy who issued your Notice of Determination. When you submit a written appeal, you are requesting a hearing before that hearing officer. The officer holds the hearing, reviews the case file and your evidence, questions both sides, and issues a written decision.
CDLE mails a notice with your hearing date, and the hearing is usually held by phone. The hearing officer takes testimony under oath from you and from CDLE or your former employer, reviews documents, and lets each side ask questions. A written decision follows, explaining the result and your further appeal rights.
Yes. If the hearing officer rules against you, you can file a second-level appeal to the Industrial Claim Appeals Office (ICAO) within 20 calendar days of the date that decision was mailed. The ICAO reviews the hearing record rather than holding a new hearing, so present all of your evidence at the hearing officer stage.
Yes. If you are still unemployed, CDLE tells you to keep requesting weekly payment through MyUI+ while your appeal is pending, whether or not you are being paid now. You can only be paid for weeks you requested and were otherwise eligible for, so skipping weekly requests can forfeit back payments you might win.
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