Eligibility Requirements for Reciprocity

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Requirements

  • The other system must be a California public service agency that is:
    • a county with a retirement system established under the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937
    • a CalPERS member agency
    • another California public retirement system having reciprocity with CalPERS, excluding University of California systems.
    • California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)

  • You must leave active membership in one system and enter active membership in the next system within six months.

  • There can be no overlapping time. In other words, the termination date from the first system must pre-date the start date in the following system.

  • You cannot take a refund from any reciprocal system.

  • You must retire from all reciprocal systems on the same date.

  • Currently members of the University of California retirement system who leave service and become members of Merced County Employees’ Retirement Association (MercedCERA) are not eligible to establish reciprocity with MercedCERA

Choosing to Participate

Remember, reciprocity is not automatic. You must contact both systems, old and new, to elect to have reciprocity established. If reciprocity is established, you must retire from the reciprocal systems on the same day.