When you join the Retirement System, you are assigned to a tier depending on your date of membership.
| You are in: | If you joined: |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Before July 31, 1973 |
| Tier 2 | July 31, 1973 through June 30, 2009 |
| Tier 3 | July 1, 2009 through January 8, 2010* |
| Tier 5 | January 9, 2010 through March 31, 2012 |
| Tier 6 | April 1, 2012 or after |
| *PFRS members who joined July 1, 2009 through January 8, 2010, and did not elect to be covered by Article 22 (i.e., did not opt into Tier 5), can be covered by Article 11 or Article 14 benefits, depending on their retirement plan election. | |
There is no Tier 4 in the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System.