Apply for Retirement for Active Employees
There are three steps to retirement. ERS members with retirement accounts can create a personalized retirement estimate (Step 1) at any time, even if they’re not planning to retire soon.
Step 1 - Sign in to your ERS OnLine account to create your personalized retirement estimate.
Create up to five estimates to include:
- your first retirement date (or a later date),
- one of six retirement payment options,
- a partial lump sum option (if applicable) and
- your tax withholding.
Step 2 - Apply for retirement no earlier than 90 days before your planned retirement date.
You must speak with a retirement counselor to prepare your retirement packet. Before you call or meet with a counselor, make sure you know:
- retirement payment options,
- partial lump sum option (if applicable),
- beneficiary information (including name, date of birth, relationship and Social Security number),
- direct deposit information (routing and account number) and
- your tax withholding status.
Step 3 - Complete the retirement process by returning your documents before your retirement date.
- Sign your Retirement Acceptance form in front of a notary public. The original notarized form must be mailed to ERS—photocopies are not accepted.
- If you’re married and choose someone other than your spouse as a beneficiary for a survivor payment option 1, 2 or 5, your spouse will also need to sign the Retirement Acceptance form in front of a notary public.
- Submit a copy (photocopies are acceptable) of your proof-of-age document.
- • Copy of your valid REAL-ID compliant state issued driver’s license or ID (seal in the upper right corner)
- • If you do not have a REAL-ID compliant driver’s license or ID, you must submit one of the following along with a copy of your non-compliant REAL-ID driver’s license or ID:
- a birth certificate,
- passport,
- naturalization certificate or
- US Lawful Permanent Residency Record.
- Note: A baptismal record, Bible record or school record are no longer valid proof of age documents.
- If you choose survivor payment option 1, 2 or 5, submit a copy of your beneficiary’s proof-of-age document.
- If you are transferring TRS service credit to ERS, complete the TRS Service Credit Transfer Request form.
- Complete the beneficiary designation form for the $5,000 Retiree Lump Sum Death Benefit. This benefit is separate from the Basic Term Life Insurance benefit.
- Mail all of the documents to ERS, P.O. Box 13207 Austin, TX 78711-3207.