Electronic Visit Verification — EVV — is mandatory for most non-live-in IHSS providers in California. Missing a check-in can delay your paycheck and flag your account for review. This guide explains exactly how EVV works, how to check in and out correctly every time, and what to do when something goes wrong.
What is EVV?
EVV is a federal requirement under the 21st Century Cures Act (enacted 2016, implemented in California IHSS starting 2020) that mandates electronic verification of home care visits. The law requires states to confirm that personal care services are actually delivered — at the right location, at the right time, by the right provider. In California, CDSS implemented EVV for non-live-in IHSS providers through a mobile app and telephone check-in system that captures timestamp and location data at the start and end of each service visit.
EVV does not change how many hours you are authorized or how you are paid. It simply adds a verification layer that documents each service session electronically before it reaches the timesheet system. Think of it as clocking in and out, but with the additional step of confirming your location.
Who must use EVV
Non-live-in (NLI) providers must use EVV for every service session. If you commute to your recipient's home, check in when you arrive and check out when you leave each visit. Live-in providers are exempt from EVV because they reside in the recipient's home — their presence is continuous and does not lend itself to check-in/check-out verification. The live-in EVV exemption is one of the practical advantages of living with the recipient you care for. For the full overview of live-in provider rules and exemptions, see the live-in provider rules guide.
How to check in and out
California IHSS offers two EVV methods — the mobile app and the telephone system. Use whichever is most reliable for your situation; both are equally accepted.
Mobile app method:Download the IHSS EVV mobile app (available for iOS and Android — search “IHSS EVV” in your app store). Log in with your provider credentials. When you arrive at your recipient's home, open the app, select your recipient from your list, and tap Check In. The app records the timestamp and your GPS location. When you finish providing services, open the app and tap Check Out. The session is closed and the data is transmitted to CDSS.
Telephone method: Call the EVV telephone number provided by your county IHSS office. Follow the automated prompts — enter your provider ID, your recipient ID, and select check-in or check-out. The system records the timestamp based on the call time. Location data is not captured via telephone, but the system logs the call. Keep the EVV phone number saved in your contacts so it is immediately accessible when you arrive at each visit.
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A missed check-in or check-out creates an EVV exception on your timesheet for that day. An exception does not automatically cause your timesheet to be rejected or trigger a formal violation — it routes your entry to a manual review queue. You can correct a missed check-in or check-out in ESP within the same pay period by entering the actual start or end time manually along with a reason code explaining the correction.
Frequent missed check-ins are a different matter. Multiple uncorrected exceptions or a pattern of corrections without good reason codes can flag your account for a compliance review. Reviewers look for patterns — systematic failures to check in or out, check-ins that occur significantly after your reported service start time, or check-outs that precede your reported service end time. None of these are immediate violations, but they accumulate into administrative headaches that can delay payments and attract scrutiny. The best practice is simple: make EVV check-in the first thing you do when you arrive and check-out the last thing you do when you leave, every time.
EVV and your timesheet
Your EVV data flows directly into your ESP timesheet. After a pay period closes and you go to submit your timesheet in ESP, you will see your EVV-recorded sessions pre-populated as a reference. The hours you enter on your timesheet should match your EVV records. Discrepancies — for example, if your timesheet shows 8 hours for a day but your EVV records show only 6 — will flag your submission for review.
Legitimate discrepancies can occur: you provided additional services after your EVV check-out, or your app failed to record a session properly. In these cases, document the reason clearly and correct through the ESP exception process. Your county EVV administrator can view your records and help resolve disputes. For more on timesheet submission and what happens when hours are disputed, see the timesheet completion guide.
Community-based services and EVV
Not all IHSS services happen inside the recipient's home. Medical accompaniment, grocery shopping assistance, and other community-based services may involve providing care at locations other than the recipient's home address. EVV requirements for community services vary — the system is designed to verify visits at the recipient's home, and a check-in at a grocery store or medical office will show a different location. Contact your county IHSS office for guidance on how to handle EVV for services provided outside the home before the situation comes up. Being proactive avoids having a series of location flags accumulate on your account.
Privacy considerations
EVV captures your GPS location at check-in and check-out. This data is used exclusively for IHSS program compliance — confirming that services are delivered at the recipient's location — and is not shared beyond CDSS and your county. Location data is not used for any purpose outside of program verification.
If you have privacy concerns about location tracking or questions about how your data is stored and accessed, contact your union. SEIU Local 2015 and UDW both have negotiated privacy protections around EVV data. Your union representative can explain what protections are in place and what your rights are if you believe EVV data is being misused.