How to File Your Maryland Weekly Certification on BEACON (2026 Guide)

Filing your weekly certification on BEACON is the only way to get paid each week from Maryland unemployment — and you must complete your 3 job search activities in MWE before you can certify. Here’s exactly how to do it in 2026, with deadlines, the 7 questions explained, and the mistakes that delay payments.

✓ Updated: May 13, 2026  ·  ⏱ 9 min read  ·  📍 Maryland (MD Department of Labor / BEACON)

What the Weekly Certification Is (and Why It Matters)

Filing your initial Maryland unemployment claim is only the first step. To actually receive payments, you must file a weekly certification in BEACON for every week you remain unemployed. The certification is your formal request to be paid for the week that just ended.

By certifying, you’re telling the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance four things:

• You were able and available for work each day of the week.
• You completed your 3 job search activities (including 1 direct job contact) and logged them in the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE).
• You earned $X in gross income (or zero) for the week.
• Any other facts that affect eligibility (school, training, pension, commission pay).

Skip a week’s certification and that week’s benefit is generally forfeited. The Division of Unemployment Insurance does not retroactively pay weeks where no certification was filed.

Deadlines: When You Can File

Maryland’s “benefit week” runs Sunday through Saturday. You certify after the week ends — for the week that just closed.

The Filing Window

• Window opens: Sunday at 12:01 a.m. after the claim week ends.
• Window closes: the following Saturday at 11:59 p.m.
• Example (per MD Department of Labor): a benefit week running Sunday May 9 → Saturday May 15 must be certified between Sunday May 16 and Saturday May 21 at 11:59 p.m.

What If I Miss the Window?

That week’s certification is generally lost. Maryland does not allow late certifications through BEACON. If a system outage or agency error caused you to miss the window, contact a claims agent at (667) 207-6520, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. — but expect “no” for plain forgetfulness.

3 Ways to Certify

• Online — BEACON portal: the standard method, beacon.labor.maryland.gov.
• Mobile app: the official “MD Unemployment for Claimants” app on iOS and Android.
• Phone (24/7 automated): 410-949-0022 (Baltimore area or out of state) or 800-827-4839 (within Maryland but outside Baltimore). Always write down the confirmation number.

Before You Start: MWE Job Search First

Maryland uniquely requires that your job search be logged in the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE) before you certify in BEACON. Skipping this step or doing it after certifying can delay or deny your benefit.

Step-by-Step: Logging Job Searches in MWE

1. Go to Maryland Workforce Exchange (mwejobs.maryland.gov).
2. Sign in (your MWE account is created automatically when you file your initial claim — same login as BEACON in many cases).
3. Open your Job Search Activity Log.
4. Add at least 3 activities for the week you’re about to certify, with at least 1 direct job contact (an actual application or contact with an employer who has openings).
5. Save / submit each entry. BEACON will auto-pull them when you certify.

What to Have Ready Before BEACON

• Your BEACON username + password.
• 3 work search activities already logged in MWE.
• Any gross earnings from the Sun–Sat week being certified (wages, self-employment, odd jobs, tips, remote work, paid training).
• Records of any commission pay received during the week (different rule — see below).
• If applicable: pension/401(k) effective date or amount changes.
• School / training attended that week.

How to Certify on BEACON — Step-by-Step

Step 1 — Log In to BEACON

Go to beacon.labor.maryland.gov, enter your username and password, and select Login.

Step 2 — Open the Weekly Certification Tile

From the BEACON Claimant Portal homepage, click the File a Weekly Claim Certification icon. You can also access it from the menu on the left side of the screen (Weekly Certification) or via an open Action Item on your dashboard.

Step 3 — Review the Weekly Certification Screen

BEACON displays the week available for certification, your claim status, and any pending action items. Confirm the week shown matches the Sunday–Saturday period you’re claiming.

Click Next to proceed.

Step 4 — Read the Guidelines and Disclaimer

BEACON shows the Guidelines for Requesting a Claim Week. This page summarizes eligibility rules and warns about fraud penalties. Read it carefully — knowingly misreporting can result in disqualification, repayment with interest, and potentially criminal prosecution.

Check the disclaimer box and click Next.

Step 5 — Answer the 7 Initial Questions

BEACON asks 7 standardized questions about the past week. You cannot proceed until all 7 are answered. See the next section for a full breakdown of each question.

Click Next when complete.

Step 6 — Verify Your Job Contacts (auto-pulled from MWE)

BEACON displays the job contacts and job search activities you entered in MWE during the benefit week. Verify all 3 (minimum) appear correctly. If you see nothing here, your MWE log is empty — exit, log them in MWE, and come back. Don’t try to certify without entries showing.

If you have a valid job search waiver (DWD-approved training, definite recall date, or DWDAL-approved exemption), you’ll be allowed to continue without job search entries.

Step 7 — Review and Submit

BEACON shows a Review and Submit summary of every answer. This is your last chance to edit. Hit the Edit button on any section that needs correction. Once you submit, you cannot fix mistakes online — you’d have to call a claims agent.

Check the Acknowledgement checkbox certifying every answer is complete and accurate, then click Next to submit.

Step 8 — Confirmation Page

BEACON displays a Confirmation page with your submission timestamp and a confirmation number. Click Print if you want a hard copy. A PDF is also auto-saved to the Correspondence section of your Claimant Portal.

If your claim is fully approved and there are no holds, payment typically arrives within 2–3 business days via your Bank of America Maryland Unemployment Insurance debit card or your linked direct deposit account.

The 7 Weekly Certification Questions Explained

BEACON asks the same 7 questions every week. Get them wrong and your benefit can be delayed or denied — even unintentionally.

Q1 — Were you able to work each day of the week?

“Able” means no medical or physical condition prevented you from doing your normal work. Answer No if you were sick, hospitalized, or had a condition that prevented work. Answering No can delay or disqualify the week.

Q2 — Were you available for work each day?

“Available” means no personal restrictions kept you from accepting work during your normal hours — childcare, transportation, school, or unavailability all count as restrictions. Lack of childcare or transportation is a common reason claimants accidentally answer “yes” when the correct answer is “no.”

Q3 — Did you attend school or training?

Yes if you attended any school or training (online or in-person) during the week, including programs approved by the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning (DWDAL). Unapproved training can affect your eligibility — DWDAL may follow up.

Q4 — Did you actively look for work (3 activities + 1 job contact)?

Yes only if you completed and logged at least 3 job search activities, 1 of which was a direct job contact, in the Maryland Workforce Exchange before certifying. If MWE is empty, answer “no” — but expect the week to be denied.

Q5 — Did you work or earn income?

Yes if you earned anything from any source during the week — wages, part-time work, self-employment, gig work, tips, paid training, remote work, or odd jobs. Report gross income for the week the work was performed, even if you haven’t been paid yet. Exception: commission pay is reported the week you receive it, not the week you earned it.

If your earnings equal or exceed your weekly benefit amount, you are not considered unemployed for that week and won’t receive a payment.

Q6 — Did you receive commission, pension, or retirement pay?

Report any commission payment received during the week (gross). Also report any pension or 401(k) payments from any employer in the last 18 months that you didn’t disclose on your initial claim, plus the effective date and any changes. Do not include Social Security here.

Q7 — Are you interested in low-cost health insurance?

If you say yes, the Maryland Health Connection will contact you about subsidized coverage. Your answer does not affect your unemployment eligibility.

The 3 Job Search Activities Rule

Per the MD Department of Labor, you must complete and document at least 3 valid reemployment activities each week, including at least 1 direct job contact. All 3 must be logged in the Maryland Workforce Exchange before certifying.

What Counts as a Direct Job Contact

• Submitting a job application (online, in person, by mail, or through MWE).
• Interviewing for a job (in person, by phone, or video).
• Contacting an employer who may have openings.
• Following through on a referral from a Workforce Center.

Other Valid Reemployment Activities

• Attending a job fair or networking event.
• Meeting with a Workforce Specialist at an American Job Center.
• Completing a career-related workshop or assessment.
• Creating or updating a resume or cover letter.
• Posting a resume on MWE or another professional networking site.
• Searching for jobs in MWE (registering as a job seeker counts).
• Participating in a Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) appointment.

Job Search Waivers

You’re exempt from the 3-activity requirement if any of these apply:

• You’re enrolled in DWDAL-approved training.
• You’re a job-attached worker with a definite recall date within 10 weeks of separation.
• You’re a member in good standing of an approved union hiring hall.

Mistakes That Stop Your Payment

• Certifying before logging job search in MWE — your certification will fail or be denied. MWE first, BEACON second.
• Logging only 2 activities or 0 direct job contacts — Maryland requires 3 activities plus at least 1 direct job contact.
• Reporting net earnings instead of gross — triggers an overpayment when employer wage data is matched.
• Reporting wages by paycheck date instead of week worked — same overpayment risk. Exception: commission pay reports by date received.
• Forgetting to report tips, gig work, or remote side income — all count and all must be reported gross.
• Missing the Saturday 11:59 p.m. deadline — the week is forfeited.
• Stopping certifications during a pending appeal or hold — back-pay only releases for weeks with a certification on file.
• Answering “yes” to able-and-available when childcare or transportation prevented work — this is a fraud-flagged answer if employer or DOL records contradict.
• Not writing down the phone confirmation number when certifying via 410-949-0022 or 800-827-4839 — without it you have no proof.
• Not closing the claim when you return to full-time work — keep a final partial-week certification if your first week back has earnings below your WBA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

The Unemployment is an independent informational resource. We are not affiliated with the Maryland Department of Labor or any government agency. Always verify benefit details directly at labor.maryland.gov/unemployment-insurance.

Official Sources

1. MD Department of Labor — Completing Your Weekly Certification
2. MD Department of Labor — Knowing Your Job Search Requirements
3. MD Department of Labor — How to Apply for and Collect Benefits
4. BEACON Claimant Portal
5. Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE)
6. List of Maryland’s Valid Reemployment Activities (PDF)
7. A Guide to Reemployment — Unemployment Insurance in Maryland (PDF)