Apply for Service Retirement
Are you eager to stop working and start retiring? Here’s how to officially begin your retirement process.
Important: You can only submit your application 90 days or less from your retirement date. Applications with dates outside of the 90-day window cannot be processed and must be resubmitted.
Complete the guided retirement application on My LACERA (recommended): Log in to My LACERA and click the Apply for Retirement button (only visible to eligible members).
The online application will walk you through submitting your retirement date, verifying beneficiaries, selecting an option, and submitting your necessary paperwork. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email confirmation. You can also track the progress of your application on My LACERA, including any necessary action steps.
Submit a signed retirement form and documents directly to LACERA: This can be either the Retirement Benefit Estimate Election Form you received during your counseling session, or you can use the service retirement application form.
Other forms you will need to provide include beneficiary designation, tax withholding, direct deposit, and special durable power of attorney forms, as well as other required documents depending on your individual situation. These forms are available on the Ready to Retire page.
- How to submit documents:
- Upload to My LACERA (recommended)
- Use the secure drop box at our 300 N. Lake location
- Fax to 626-564-6155
- Mail to LACERA at P.O. Box 7060, Pasadena, CA 91109-7060
Need help deciding the best dates to retire? Refer to the Choose Your Date page.
Once you’ve completed and provided your paperwork, following are some additional steps you will want to take and things to keep in mind.
Update Your Contact Information on My LACERA
Before you retire, make sure you have updated your My LACERA account with your personal email address and cellphone number, rather than your work contact information. This is important, since once you retire, you will no longer have access to your work contact methods. To make updates, log into My LACERA and click “Profile.”
Why is this important? First, for security reasons—so that LACERA can instantly confirm your identity when your account is accessed. Second, it helps you stay connected with LACERA and receive timely information and announcements.
Announce Your Retirement Date
It’s not required, but after you submit your retirement election form, we recommend that you notify your employer and supervisor about your retirement date to ensure a timely exit process (for example, some departments will require you to return property issued to you before they will process your termination). If you don’t want to make an announcement, LACERA will notify your department at the appropriate time.
If you change your mind about retiring, you have until 5 p.m. on the business day prior to the date you elected to retire to submit a signed Request to Rescind or Change Retirement Date form.
LACERA Will Notify Your Department of Your Pending Retirement
Once LACERA processes your retirement election and places you on the Board of Retirement’s agenda (which includes the official retirement list that the Board of Retirement ratifies at every meeting), we will send you a letter notifying you that the Board has approved your retirement. We will also send your personnel office an electronic notice that you have elected to retire and the date of your retirement.
The electronic notification to your personnel office triggers your department to begin processing your retirement in their payroll system. LACERA cannot pay you a benefit until your department has placed a termination date in their payroll system.
To ensure you receive your first allowance check by direct deposit at the end of the month following the month you retire, your termination date must be posted on the 15th of the month following the month you retire. Please make sure you verify that you have completed any necessary items with your department so that they can post your termination date timely. A delay in your termination date could delay your first check by a month.
Once your paperwork is submitted and accepted, you have received your Board letter, your transactions are completed, and your department is notified, you can retire.