Most State and municipal employees are required to join the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) when they are hired. But for some employees, membership is optional, meaning you are not automatically enrolled. To join NYSLRS, you must submit a membership application to your employer, who will then enroll you in NYSLRS. It’s important to understand the valuable benefits of NYSLRS membership and why you should join as soon as possible.
Whose Membership is Optional or Mandatory
Membership is optional if:
- You work less than 12 months per year, including 10-month school employees working full-time;
- You work less than 30 hours per week or less than the number of hours for full-time employment, as established by your employer for your position;
- You are in a temporary or provisional position (under Civil Service Law); or
- Your annual compensation is less than New York State’s minimum wage multiplied by 2,000 hours.
Membership is mandatory if:
- You are in a permanent, full-time, 12-month position of an employer who participates in NYSLRS; and
- You are in a full- or part-time position covered by the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS), such as police officers and firefighters.
If you aren’t sure whether you’re a member, your employer should be able to let you know. Contact us if you have questions.
Benefits of Joining NYSLRS
NYSLRS is one of the largest retirement systems in the world, administering benefits for more than 1.2 million members, retirees and beneficiaries.
If you aren’t sure whether to join NYSLRS, here are the advantages:
- Your NYSLRS pension is a defined benefit plan. When you retire, you will receive a monthly pension payment for the rest of your life. Once you reach retirement age, you can retire with as few as five years of service credit (part-time service is pro-rated).
- You can request additional service credit for your public employment before joining NYSLRS or if you served in the U.S. Armed Forces and received an honorable discharge from active military duty.
- You can transfer service if you are still a member of another public retirement system in New York State.
- You can reinstate service if you withdrew your membership in NYSLRS or another public retirement system in New York State.
- You can take a loan against your retirement contributions once you meet eligibility requirements.
- NYSLRS retirement plans provide death and disability retirement benefits.
Nearly 3,000 employers participate in NYSLRS, allowing you to continue your membership if you take a job at another New York State public employer. And if you decide to leave public employment before you have ten years of service credit, you can withdraw your contributions plus interest or roll over your contributions into another retirement savings plan.
NYSLRS Membership Basics
Once you join and become a NYSLRS member:
- You are assigned to a tier based on your date of membership. New members are in Tier 6.
- You are required to contribute a percentage of your earnings toward your retirement. As a Tier 6 member, your contribution rate (between 3%–6%) will be based on your earnings.
- You receive service credit, which is a major factor in calculating your pension, for all your public employment beginning with your date of membership. (Learn how school employees earn NYSLRS service credit.)
Don’t Delay Joining
It’s important to join NYSLRS at the start of your employment. If you don’t join right away, you can purchase service credit for your public employment from before you became a member, but it will cost more—6% of your earnings plus interest rather than contributing a percentage based on your earnings. Also, while you can request previous service credit and pay for the cost at any time, you must earn two years of service credit as a NYSLRS member before your purchased service can be credited.
Get Credit for All Your Public Service
Because service credit is a major factor in calculating your pension benefit, it’s important to make sure you get credit for all your public service. Once you join NYSLRS, you should request any additional service as early in your career as possible.
- NYSLRS will need time to request records from your previous employer or retirement system.
- The sooner you purchase your credit, the less it will generally cost.
- Requesting early gives you time to pay for additional service.
Your request will be reviewed to determine your eligibility. We will send you a letter with the amount of service credit you are eligible to receive if you choose to purchase it, the cost and payment options. There are certain situations where purchasing additional service credit will not increase your pension. For more information, read about whether should you purchase additional service credit.
I don’t understand what happened. I have been a member for years and receive checks every month. Do I have to apply again?
Your message is important to us, and we have sent you a private message in response.
Good morning: Please send me my 2025 1099R for 2025 personal tax. Thank you
If you did not change your 1099-R delivery preference to email in Retirement Online, your printed 1099-R form was mailed to the address we have on file for you by January 31.
Retirement Online is the fastest way for your husband to view, save or print his 1099-R.
Otherwise, you can request a 1099-R reprint for calendar year 2025 by completing and submitting the online form. Reprints are typically mailed within 5 to 7 business days.
Before requesting a reprint, we recommend you sign in to Retirement Online, check the address we have on file for you and update it if necessary. If your address has recently changed, select Yes for that question on the reprint request form. Enter both your old and new address and all required information to verify your identity.
I have work for Suny State College of Optometry from October 1999 to March 25, 2026. After 26 years working decided it was time to retire.
i need to have my banks routing noand myaccuunt no
Retirement Online is the fastest and most convenient way to update your direct deposit information. Your changes will generally be applied to your next month’s pension payment.
Be sure the account number and routing number you enter are correct. You are limited to one direct deposit transaction in Retirement Online per day.
For more information—including steps to take if you have a joint account holder on your bank account—visit our Direct Deposit Program page.
I am survivor of a retiree passed since 06/25/2020 am I eligible for type of benefits as an elderly woman in 2026?
For questions about death benefit eligibility, 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.
I HAVE QUESTIONS. What is my life insurance/death benefit?
Also, it is too late to change medical insurance? I never received anything in the mail this past year re: insurance. I moved to this Elma Address June 1. Things should have been forwarded to me there, but they were not I assume? Please respond asap.
If you are a NYSLRS retiree, your beneficiaries may be entitled to a Post-Retirement Death Benefit. This is a one-time, lump sum benefit payable to your beneficiaries if you die after retiring directly from service, or within one year of leaving public employment. Not all retirees are eligible—it depends on your retirement plan and tier. Visit our website for general information about death benefits.
You may want to check that we have the correct mailing address on file for you. Retirement Online is the fast and convenient way to view and update your mailing address.
If you don’t have a Retirement Online account, you can:
NYSLRS does not administer health insurance programs so we cannot answer questions about coverage. The New York State Department of Civil Service administers health benefits under the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) for former employees of New York State agencies and some participating local governments and school districts. If you are covered under NYSHIP, please call Civil Service at 1-800- 833-4344. Otherwise, please contact your former employer’s benefit administrator.
if a vested member leaves the state and returns 6 years later, can s/he buy back lost service in order to add to years of service?
You may be able to request additional service credit if you worked for your current or another public employer before joining NYSLRS, or if you served in the U.S. Armed Forces and received an honorable discharge from active military duty. In most cases, you do have to purchase the additional service credit, but it will usually increase your pension.
You can’t purchase credit for time when you were not working for a public employer.
For information about your specific situation, please call our customer service representatives at 866-805-0990 (press 2, then follow the prompts). You can also message them using our secure contact form. Filling out the secure form allows them to safely contact you about your personal account information.
I worked for my present employer back in 1989 summer program. Completed and came back in 1999 will this be included into my retirement?
You may be able to request additional service credit if you worked for your current employer before joining NYSLRS. In most cases, you do have to purchase the additional service credit, but it will usually increase your pension.
For information about your specific situation, 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.