ESP Registration

Published by IHSSHours.com · September 13, 2026 · Updated October 28, 2026

The Electronic Services Portal (ESP) — accessed at etimesheets.ihss.ca.gov — is where IHSS providers submit timesheets, check payment status, and manage direct deposit, and where recipients review and approve those timesheets. Both sides need their own separate registration; one person signing up doesn't cover the other.

Prefer an interactive version? Open the free ESP guide in the Provider Toolkit →

The most important thing to know before you start: a provider registering for ESP can submit timesheets right away — but the recipient can't approve them until the recipient also registers, either in ESP or through the phone-based alternative (TTS, covered below). If only one side signs up, timesheets can sit unapproved.

What You'll Need to Register

As a provider, have these ready before you start:

Your first and last name, exactly as it appears in IHSS records
Your provider number (found on your paper timesheet or pay stub)
Your date of birth
Your Social Security number
A valid email address

As a recipient, you'll need the same basic information, but your 7-digit recipient number instead of a provider number — it's on any recipient paperwork you've received from the county.

The Registration Steps

Once you're at etimesheets.ihss.ca.gov and select "Register Here," the process runs through a few clearly marked steps:

Step 1 — Identity verification: enter your information exactly as it's recorded in the IHSS system. This is checked against state records, so small mismatches (a nickname instead of your legal name, for example) can cause the registration to fail here
Step 2 — Email address: used both for login and for a required verification step
Step 3 — Security questions: you'll choose three from a drop-down list
Step 4 — Email verification: a confirmation email is sent to the address you provided; you'll need to click the link in it to finish setting up your account

The portal is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Armenian — a language option appears at the bottom of the screen.

Don't Have a Smartphone or Computer?

You don't need one. The Telephone Timesheet System (TTS) lets recipients approve timesheets entirely by phone, with no email address required:

Your registration code is mailed to you — it is six digits. If you do not have it, your county IHSS office or the Service Desk can help. Then call 1-833-342-5388 (also dialable as 833-DIAL-EVV), press 3 for Registration, and enter the code along with your 7-digit case number and date of birth
You then create your own 4-digit passcode. Never share it with anyone, including your provider — it is your electronic signature on the timesheet
Once enrolled, the system calls you each time your provider submits a timesheet, showing 833-342-5388 on caller ID. If you miss the call you can ring the same number back at any time
If you don't have your own phone to use, contact your local IHSS office — some counties can help arrange access
There is a separate accommodation line for blind or visually impaired users: 1-844-576-5445

Check-In and Check-Out: the Part That Isn't Optional

Registration is only half of what a provider needs to know. Since 1 July 2023, federal Electronic Visit Verification rules require providers who do not live with their recipient to check in at the start and check out at the end of each workday, from the location where services are given, and to indicate whether that was in the home or in the community. CDSS treats this as a condition of employment, not a preference.

Live-in providers are exempt. If you live with your recipient and have filed the live-in self-certification, you submit timesheets electronically but do not check in and out.

Non-live-in providers have three ways to do it, and can mix them day to day:

The IHSS EVV Mobile App, free on the Apple App Store and Google Play — search for "IHSS EVV Mobile App". This is the only option that captures location automatically
The Electronic Services Portal, at etimesheets.ihss.ca.gov
The Telephone Timesheet System, from the recipient's landline

EVV does not change your hours. It changes how time is recorded, not how much is authorized or how services are delivered. The location captured is a single in-home or in-community indicator — it is not continuous tracking, and it is not recorded between check-in and check-out.

Common Registration Problems

A few error messages come up often enough to be worth knowing about in advance, rather than assuming something's wrong on your end specifically:

"Matching IHSS consumer/provider not found": usually means the name, date of birth, or number entered doesn't exactly match state records — double-check against your paperwork rather than re-entering from memory
No confirmation email received: check spam/junk folders first; if it's genuinely not arriving, the Service Desk (below) can help
Wrong email address entered during registration: this can be corrected — contact the Service Desk rather than trying to re-register from scratch

If You Get Stuck

IHSS Service Desk (Statewide)

Role: Technical help with ESP registration, password resets, and general Electronic Services Portal questions — for both providers and recipients
Phone: (866) 376-7066, select Option 4
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm, excluding major state holidays

This is a statewide number for the ESP website itself — it's separate from your county's own IHSS office or Public Authority, which handles your actual case, hours, and provider relationship. For questions about your assessment or authorized hours specifically, contact your county office instead.

Sources

21st Century Cures Act — the federal requirement for Electronic Visit Verification of personal care services
CDSS, Electronic Visit Verification — check-in and check-out required of non-live-in providers from 1 July 2023, as a condition of employment; live-in providers exempt
Electronic Services Portal: etimesheets.ihss.ca.gov — timesheet submission and approval, payment history, direct deposit, sick leave claims
Telephone Timesheet System: 1-833-342-5388 (833-DIAL-EVV); accommodation line for blind or visually impaired users 1-844-576-5445
IHSS Service Desk: 1-866-376-7066, option 4, Monday to Friday 8am–5pm excluding major state holidays
WIC 12300.4 — workweek limits, which apply regardless of how timesheets are submitted

Contact details and requirements verified against CDSS and county IHSS published guidance. Educational information, not legal advice. More on our sources and method: How we calculate estimates.

Educational information, not legal advice. Only your county can authorize IHSS services, and only after an assessment. IHSSHours.com is an independent resource and is not affiliated with CDSS or any county IHSS office. · More IHSS guides