Maryland Form DUI 15 is the Request for Separation Information that the state Division of Unemployment Insurance sends when a claim needs a closer look at why a job ended. You fill it out, describe the separation in your own words, and return it through the BEACON portal at beacon.labor.maryland.gov or by mail to the Division by the deadline printed on the form. What you write becomes evidence a claims examiner uses to decide whether benefits are paid, delayed, or denied, so the form deserves more care than a routine questionnaire.
Why the Division Sent You This Form
Straightforward layoffs usually move through without extra paperwork. DUI 15 shows up when the separation raises a question the initial application cannot answer on its own: you quit, you were fired, or your former employer disputes the account you gave.
Maryland law requires a claims examiner to run a “predetermination proceeding” whenever a claim turns on a disputed fact, and to give both sides notice and a chance to respond.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 8-806 DUI 15 is one of the tools the Division uses to collect that information. In some cases the Division also schedules a telephone fact-finding interview, and a separate mailed notice will give you the date and time if that happens.2Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance. Claimant Help Display
The examiner compares your version of events against the employer’s. When the two accounts conflict, the side that provided more specific, consistent detail usually prevails. Vague answers are the most common way people lose claims they could have won.
What to Gather Before You Start
Pull your records together first. You will want your Social Security Number, the employer’s name and account number (both appear on prior correspondence or your W-2), the exact hire date and last day of work, and any written warnings, emails, or other documents tied to why the job ended. Having the paperwork in front of you keeps your answers precise and consistent with what the employer is likely to say.
How to Fill Out Each Section
Identifying Information
The top of the form asks for your personal details and the employer’s. Double-check the employer account number. A single transposed digit can keep the Division from matching your response to the right claim file.
Reason for Separation
The form asks you to classify the separation as a layoff, discharge, or voluntary quit, and then explain the circumstances in a narrative section. The narrative carries the most weight, and it is the part most people rush.
If you were fired, describe the specific incident or pattern the employer pointed to. Include dates, what was said, who was present, and whether you had received prior warnings. The examiner is looking at whether the employer’s reason rises to the level of “misconduct” under Maryland law, so concrete detail does more work than a general statement like “they didn’t like me.”
If you quit, the form has to show why. Maryland disqualifies people who leave work voluntarily unless the cause was directly connected to the job itself, such as unsafe conditions, harassment, or a major unilateral change in duties or pay.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 8-1001 Explain what the problem was, when it began, and what you did to try to fix it before leaving. The state looks specifically at whether you had “no reasonable alternative other than leaving,” so documenting that you raised the issue with a supervisor or HR beforehand strengthens the claim considerably.
Witnesses and Supporting Documents
If coworkers saw the final incident or can back up your account, list their names and contact information. You can reference written evidence as well, such as emails from your manager, screenshots of schedule changes, or disciplinary notices. The form itself is primarily a narrative document rather than an upload portal, so save the actual supporting files for submission through BEACON or for a telephone interview.
How to Submit It
Return the completed form by the deadline printed on it. The Division holds initial benefit payments for a set period while waiting on responses; the BEACON Claimant Guide notes a 10-day hold when the employer has not yet replied to the separation request, after which the hold lifts automatically.4Maryland Department of Labor. BEACON Claimant User Guide Responding quickly keeps the file moving.
The fastest route is through the BEACON portal. Log in at beacon.labor.maryland.gov, select “Account Profile and Maintenance” from the left menu, then “Upload Document,” choose your file, and click upload.5Maryland Department of Labor. Claimants – Instructions for Using the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Portal (BEACON) Make sure every page is legible. Photos and scans both work, but blurry documents get kicked back.
If you prefer paper, mail the form to:
Maryland Department of Labor
100 S. Charles Street, Tower I
Baltimore, MD 21201
Check the form for any case-specific mailing address or fax number, since the Division sometimes directs responses to a particular processing unit.
What Happens After You Respond
A claims examiner reviews your form alongside whatever the employer submitted. In discharge cases the employer carries the burden of showing the behavior amounted to misconduct, and general dissatisfaction with your work, without a documented violation of a specific rule or standard, usually is not enough.
The Division issues a written determination once the review is finished. You can find it by logging into BEACON, selecting “Correspondence” from the left menu, and clicking the “Search” tab to display your notices.5Maryland Department of Labor. Claimants – Instructions for Using the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Portal (BEACON) The determination will say whether benefits are approved or denied, and if denied, it will cite the statutory provision that applies.
What a Denial Actually Costs
The size of the penalty depends on how the examiner classifies the separation, and Maryland law draws sharp lines between the categories. This is why the narrative on DUI 15 matters so much: it often determines which tier applies.
For a voluntary quit with good cause connected to the job, there is no disqualification and benefits begin on the normal schedule. A quit without good cause but with valid circumstances brings a 5-to-10-week delay before benefits start, at the examiner’s discretion. A quit with neither good cause nor valid circumstances brings full disqualification: you have to find new covered employment, earn at least 15 times your weekly benefit amount, and then lose that job through no fault of your own before benefits restart.6Maryland Department of Labor. Section 8-1001 – Maryland Unemployment Decisions Digest
For a discharge, simple misconduct under Section 8-1003 brings a 5-to-10-week delay in benefits.7Maryland Department of Labor. Discharge – Sections 8-1002, 8-1002.1, 8-1003 – Maryland Unemployment Decisions Digest Gross misconduct under Section 8-1002 brings full disqualification until you find new covered work and earn at least 25 times your weekly benefit amount.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 8-1002 Aggravated misconduct under Section 8-1002.1 is harsher still, requiring earnings of at least 30 times your weekly benefit amount in new covered employment.
Gross misconduct means a deliberate and willful disregard of the employer’s standards, or repeated rule violations showing a regular disregard of your obligations.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Labor and Employment 8-1002 Whether a firing lands in the “simple” or “gross” column usually comes down to the specifics both sides put on DUI 15.
How to Appeal If the Determination Goes Against You
Either side can appeal. The deadline is 15 calendar days from the date the determination was mailed, not the date you received it.9Maryland Department of Labor. Unemployment Insurance Appeals Check your BEACON correspondence and physical mailbox regularly after sending DUI 15 so the clock does not run out on you.
Appeals go to the Lower Appeals Division, a separate unit from the Division of Unemployment Insurance.10Maryland Department of Labor. Lower Appeals – Unemployment Insurance Appeals A hearing examiner holds a hearing, typically by telephone, where both parties present testimony and evidence. You can bring witnesses and submit documents you did not include with the original form.
The most reliable way to file is by email at uilowerappeals.labor@maryland.gov. You can also reach the Lower Appeals Division by phone at 410-767-2421 or fax at 410-225-9781. The mailing address is:
Maryland Department of Labor
Lower Appeals Division
2800 W. Patapsco Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 2123010Maryland Department of Labor. Lower Appeals – Unemployment Insurance Appeals
A hearing examiner can extend the 15-day deadline for good cause, but do not count on it. If you are a day or two late, file anyway and explain the delay. Treat the printed deadline as firm.