Becoming vested is a crucial milestone in your NYSLRS membership.
You become vested after you earn enough years of service credit. Once you’re vested, you have earned the right to receive a retirement benefit, even if you leave public employment before retirement.
Legislation Changed Vesting Requirements for Tier 5 and 6 Members
As of April 9, 2022, Tier 5 and 6 members only need five years of service credit to be vested. This affects members of both the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) and the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS). Previously, Tier 5 and 6 members needed ten years of service to be eligible for a service retirement benefit (the new legislation does not change eligibility for disability retirement benefits that are established by your retirement plan).
You can sign in to your Retirement Online account to view your total estimated service credit and vesting status.
Tier 5 members with five or more years of service can estimate their pension benefit in Retirement Online. Tier 6 members with between five and ten years of service credit can contact us to request a pension estimate.
If you are a Tier 5 or 6 member with five or more years of service and you meet the minimum age requirements for your retirement plan, you can apply for a service retirement benefit if you wish. Most NYSLRS members are eligible to collect a pension as early as age 55, but, depending on your tier and retirement plan, benefits may be reduced if you retire before your full retirement age.
This legislation did not change Tier 5 or 6 benefit rules such as how long you must contribute, your pension benefit calculation, your full retirement age, reductions to retire early or the cost to purchase previous service. However, additional new legislation may affect contribution rates for some Tier 6 members.
Tier 5 and 6 members who left public employment with five or more years of service and did not withdraw their membership are now considered to be vested.
Tier 5 and 6 members who leave public employment with more than five but less than ten years of service as of April 9, 2022, now have the option to either apply for a retirement benefit once you reach retirement age or withdraw your contributions. You cannot withdraw your contributions once you have ten years of service. As a reminder, once you withdraw your contributions, you end your membership with NYSLRS and are no longer eligible for a retirement benefit.
If you were a Tier 5 or 6 member and were off the payroll for more than seven years prior to April 9, 2022, your membership is considered withdrawn and terminated. You would need to return to payroll and reinstate your withdrawn membership in order to be eligible for five-year vesting.
All Members — When Will I Be Vested?
NYSLRS members in Tier 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 need five years of service credit to be vested.
If you work part-time, it will take you longer to become vested. For example, if you work half-time, you earn six months of credit toward vesting for each year on the job.
If you purchase credit for previous service, that credit can be used toward vesting.
Vesting is automatic. You do not need to file any paperwork to become vested.
do we get reimbursed for the contribution we have paid over 5-6 years
No, most Tier 5 and 6 members contribute a percentage of their earnings for all their years of public service. NYSLRS pensions are defined benefits, which means your pension amount is a lifetime pension based on your years of service and earnings. Member contributions support the benefits earned by current and future retirees. For more information, visit our Defined Benefit Plan page.
I am 46 years old with 9 1/2 years of service credit. Would I be able to retire at 55 with my full pension because by the time I will have 20 years on the job or will be pension be at a reduced rate?
Your retirement calculation and any early-age reductions depend on your tier and retirement plan. Most members would receive a reduced pension if they retire before their full retirement age of 62 or 63. Some members are in special retirement plans that allow for retirement at any age once they complete 20 or 25 years of service.
You can estimate your pension based on your retirement plan — including any reductions for early retirement — using Retirement Online. Most members can use the online pension calculator in Retirement Online to create an estimate based on the salary and service information NYSLRS has on file for them. You can enter different retirement dates to see how your choices would affect your potential benefit.
For a comprehensive description of the benefits provided by your specific plan, find your NYSLRS retirement plan publication or message our customer service representatives using our secure contact form.
BUT, despite vesting, don’t u have to work for 10 years to get health insurance?
NYSLRS doesn’t administer health insurance programs for its retirees. For New York State retirees and some municipal retirees, the New York State Department of Civil Service administers the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP). You can contact the Department of Civil Service or visit their website at to learn more.
If you retired from a public employer other than New York State (a county, city, town, village or school district), your former employer’s benefits administrator should be able to answer your questions.
Can I make a cash contribution to my retirement account?
As a NYSLRS member, you are enrolled in a defined benefit plan. Defined benefit pension plans provide a specified payment amount at retirement. If you are vested and retire from NYSLRS, you will receive a monthly pension payment for the rest of your life. Your pension will be calculated using a preset formula based on your earnings and years of service. Your individual contributions to NYSLRS do not affect the pension you receive when you retire.
For a complete description of your benefits, review your retirement plan publication. To find yours, visit our Find Your NYSLRS Retirement Plan Publication page and follow the steps listed.
If you are looking to supplement your retirement with personal savings, you may want to look into the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan (NYSDCP), the 457(b) plan created for New York State employees and employees of other participating public employers in New York.
Our Supplement Your NYSLRS Pension With Retirement Savings blog post may also be helpful.
I work for a state university but my salary line isn’t funded by the state. If I switch to a state funded position, does my counter start at zero for vested benefits or will my previous employment years at the institution count?
Once you become a NYSLRS member, you receive service credit for all your public employment beginning with your date of membership. If your previous employer participated in NYSLRS, you may be able to buy back your past service.
For other questions about joining NYSLRS and earning service credit, please message our customer service representatives using our secure contact form. When filling out the form, if you don’t have a NYSLRS registration number, you can enter in a placeholder number, such as 12345678.
I have been working part time (20 hrs/week) at a local municipality and contributing to the pension plan for over 9 years. I have been having difficulty determining if I have reached enough service hours to be fully vested. When I log onto Retirement Online, the system pops up a message that it is unable to determine my status. Please help!!
If you can log in to Retirement Online, you can find your current estimated total service credit in the My Account Summary section of your account homepage. After you reach five years of service credit, your vested status will be shown there as well.
If you cannot log in to Retirement Online, please call our customer service representatives at 866-805-0990, press 2, then follow the prompts.
For information about how service credit is calculated for part-time employees, please read our recent blog post on How Full-Time and Part-Time Service Credit Works.
I am a former ERS employee (MC at DOCCS) and have 3.21 years of service credit. I have taken a job as a substitute teacher at the East Aurora Union Free School District. Can count my time as a substitute teacher, in this NYS public school system, towards my service service time?
If you are a NYSLRS member, you may be able to earn service credit working for a school district. Please contact your employer’s human resources (personnel) office for information about NYSLRS membership.
If I leave employment prior to attaining 5 years of service can I withdraw my employee contributions with interest?
Tier 3-6 members with less than ten years of service may withdraw their mandatory contributions, plus interest, 15 or more days after leaving public employment.
If you have questions about your situation, you can message our customer service representatives using our secure contact form.
I left service on November 29, 2022.
Am I able to recieve my vested benefits?
Kevin McHugh
If you were vested when you left public employment, you would be eligible to apply for a vested retirement benefit as early as age 55, but your benefits may be reduced if you apply before your full retirement age (62 or 63, depending on your tier).
To start receiving your benefits, you must apply 15 to 90 days before your retirement date. You can file for a NYSLRS pension using Retirement Online. You can also submit an Application for Service Retirement (RS6037). If mail your application, we recommend you use certified mail, return receipt requested.
For account-specific information about your benefits, please message our customer service representatives using our secure contact form. Filling out the secure form allows them to safely contact you about your personal account information.
If you are vested and have left public employment, you would be eligible to apply for a vested retirement benefit as early as age 55, but your benefits may be reduced if you apply before your full retirement age (62 or 63, depending on your tier).
To start receiving your benefits, you must apply 15 to 90 days before your retirement date. You can file for a NYSLRS pension using Retirement Online. You can also submit an Application for Service Retirement (RS6037). If mail your application, we recommend you use certified mail, return receipt requested.
For account-specific information about your benefits, please message our customer service representatives using our secure contact form. Filling out the secure form allows them to safely contact you about your personal account information.