State Local Government Employees
Normal Retirement Eligibility
If you became a member of OPERS before November 1, 2011:
- Age 62 – You can begin receiving full, unreduced retirement benefits when you are at least age 62, with six* full years of full-time-equivalent employment; or
- 80 Points – You can begin receiving full, unreduced retirement benefits when the sum of your age and years of service equals 80 if you became a member before July 1, 1992; or
- 90 Points – You can begin receiving full, unreduced retirement benefits when the sum of your age and years of service equals 90 if you became a member after June 30, 1992.
If you became a member of OPERS on or after November 1, 2011:
- Age 65 – You can begin receiving full, unreduced retirement benefits when you are at least age 65, with six* full years of full-time-equivalent employment; or
- 90 Points – You can begin receiving full, unreduced retirement benefits when you are at least 60 years of age and the sum of your age and years of service equals 90.
Early Retirement Eligibility
If you became a member of OPERS before November 1, 2011:
- You can begin receiving reduced retirement benefits once you have reached age 55 and have at least 10 years of participating service.
If you became a member of OPERS on or after November 1, 2011:
- You can begin receiving reduced retirement benefits once you have reached age 60 and have at least 10 years of participating service.
If you choose early retirement, you will receive a permanent actuarial reduction in your benefit based on your age at retirement.
* In this scenario, a member only needs six full years of full-time-equivalent employment and must be actively employed with a participating OPERS employer at the applicable age to become eligible for normal retirement.
* Those who became members of OPERS after January 1, 1983, must have at least six complete years of full-time-equivalent employment to be eligible to retire.