Transporting From The Teachers Retirement System of Oklahoma

OPERS members have an alternative to purchasing service credit for service accrued with the Oklahoma Teachers’ retirement System (OTRS). Members can transport service accrued with OTRS in one of two methods as determined by OTRS. The Statutes in effect at the time of election to transport will govern the method available and the cost to the member. Transports cannot be revoked or refunded.

NOTE: State employees who first become employed by a participating employer on or after November 1, 2015, and have no prior participation in OPERS will participate in a mandatory defined contribution plan called Pathfinder and cannot transport service to or from OTRS. Click here for more information.

METHOD 1

An active OPERS member who is a member of the OTRS, and whose last service with OTRS was with one of the entities listed below may transport OTRS service to OPERS without additional cost to the member provided the member has not previously withdrawn contributions for said service in OTRS.

To make such a transport the member must provide notice to OTRS and OPERS. The notice shall include a list of the years to be transferred, and verification that the member is not receiving or eligible to receive retirement credit or benefits from such service in any other public retirement system.

A member who transports service credit from OTRS to OPERS will receive credit for the transported service immediately upon payment from OTRS of the funds required to transport the service.

• An entity or institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
• The State Board of Education
• The State Board of Career & Technical Education
• The Oklahoma Department of Career & Technical Education
• The Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics
• The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology
• The State Department of Rehabilitation Services
• The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
• The Department of Corrections
• The State Department of Education
• The Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools
• The Board of Regents of the Oklahoma Colleges
• The Oklahoma Student Loan Authority
• The Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma

METHOD 2

Members who are not eligible to transport OTRS service under Method 1 may apply Method 2. Under Method 2 the member may either:

• Pay any difference between the amount of funds provided by the Teachers’ Retirement System and the cost of the service in OPERS to receive full credit for the years sought to be transported, or
• Receive prorated service credit for only the amount of service that could be purchased with the funds provided by the Teachers’ Retirement System. Any service credit that is not transported will be irrevocably canceled and cannot be reinstated, transported or purchased at any later date.

Members who transport pursuant to Method 2 are subject to the OPERS retirement eligibility requirements.

More about transporting service

Certain active OTRS members have similar provisions for the transport of OPERS service. Those who must repay withdrawn OPERS contributions for the purpose of transporting OPERS service to OTRS may only transport service under Method 2.

If the transporting member’s normal retirement date calculation is based upon the sum of the member’s age and number of years of credited service totaling 80 in OTRS, then the member shall retain 80 point eligibility in OPERS under either the Method 1 or the Method 2 transport.

Members who transport pursuant to Methods 1 or 2 will have all OTRS service credit cancelled.

Limits