If you leave public employment with at least five, but less than ten years of credited service, you may choose to:

• End your membership and withdraw your accumulated contributions (including interest compounded at 5 percent per year); or
• Leave your contributions in your account and qualify for a retirement benefit when you are 55.

To help you decide which would be more beneficial, most members can use our benefit calculator to estimate your pension using the “vested retirement” choice. You can also contact our Call Center to request a benefit projection.  

If you qualify for a retirement benefit and you do not withdraw your membership, you may apply for a retirement benefit when you reach age 55.

Once you have ten or more years of credited service, you cannot withdraw from the Retirement System.

To withdraw your membership, sign in to your Retirement Online account, go to the ‘My Account Summary’ area of your Account Homepage and click “Withdraw My Membership.” You can also apply by mail by submitting the Withdrawal Application (RS5014).

To withdraw your membership, you should apply no earlier than 15 days after you leave public employment