When Can You Retire from Federal Service?

FERS retirement eligibility depends on your age AND your years of service — not just one or the other. This guide covers every pathway, including the early-retirement options most federal employees don't know about until it's too late to plan for them.

Quick reference: FERS retirement pathways

*MRA ranges from 55 to 57 depending on your birth year. See table below.

Your Minimum Retirement Age (MRA)

The MRA is the floor for most FERS retirement pathways. It is determined by your birth year — not your hire date — and never changes once set.¹

Most federal employees currently approaching retirement were born in the 1960s or early 1970s, so their MRA is 56 to 57.

Interactive: When can I retire?

The three immediate unreduced retirement pathways

These are the pathways where your FERS annuity is calculated at full value (no penalty) and payments start immediately after retirement.

MRA + 30 years of service

Retire at your Minimum Retirement Age with at least 30 years of creditable service. This is the most common retirement scenario for career federal employees who joined in their 20s. You receive:¹

• FERS basic annuity at 1.0% × High-3 × years of service
• FERS Special Retirement Supplement — the bridge payment approximating your Social Security benefit, paid until age 62
• TSP access under the Rule of 55: penalty-free TSP withdrawals if you separated in or after the calendar year you turned 55 (age 50 for LEO/FF/ATC)

Example: A GS-13 employee born in 1967 (MRA = 56 years 6 months) who joined in 1994 at age 27 accumulates 30 years of service in 2024. At MRA in late 2023/2024, they can retire with full benefits — typically 7–8 years before Medicare eligibility, so FEHB continuation is critical.

Age 60 + 20 years of service

If you reach age 60 before accumulating 30 years of service, you can still retire with an immediate unreduced annuity once you've completed 20 years. You also receive the FERS Supplement until age 62. This pathway is common for employees who entered federal service in their 30s or 40s.¹

Age 62 + 5 years of service

The lowest service threshold — only 5 years — but you must wait until 62. At 62 with 20+ years of service, your multiplier increases from 1.0% to 1.1% per year of service.² On a 30-year career at a $100,000 High-3, that difference is $3,000/year for life.

If you were born in 1970 or later (MRA = 57) and joined federal service late, this may be your first realistic path to full benefits even though your MRA is 57.

MRA + 10: early retirement with a permanent penalty

If you reach your MRA with at least 10 years of service but fewer than 30 years, you may retire immediately — but your annuity is permanently reduced by 5% for every year (5/12 of 1% per month) that your retirement age is below 62.³

Key facts about MRA+10:

• The penalty is permanent — it does not go away when you turn 62
• No FERS Supplement is paid on MRA+10 retirements
• FEHB coverage is suspended if you postpone your annuity start date
• You can elect to postpone your annuity to a later date (up to age 62) to avoid the penalty entirely — but you lose FEHB during the postponement gap

Example: A federal employee born in 1968 (MRA = 56 years 8 months) separates at exactly MRA with 20 years of service. Annuity is immediately reduced by 5% × (62 − 56.67) = 26.7%. On a $35,000 annual annuity, that's a permanent $9,300/year haircut — for life.

Special category: LEO, firefighter, and ATC

Law enforcement officers (LEO), firefighters, and air traffic controllers are subject to a different set of rules under FERS that provide earlier retirement and a higher annuity formula in exchange for mandatory separation requirements.⁴

Special category eligibility

• Age 50 with 20 years of special service — immediate full annuity
• Any age with 25 years of special service — immediate full annuity

Special category annuity formula

The first 20 years of special service are calculated at 1.7% per year × High-3. Years beyond 20 are calculated at 1.0% per year × High-3. So 25 years of special service yields: (20 × 1.7% + 5 × 1.0%) × High-3 = 39% × High-3.⁴

Mandatory retirement ages

• LEO and firefighters: mandatory separation at age 57 (extendable to 60 with agency head approval)
• Air traffic controllers: mandatory separation at age 56

TSP access: Rule of 50

Under IRC § 72(t)(10)(B), public safety employees (including federal LEO and firefighters) who separate from service after age 50 can take penalty-free TSP distributions — five years earlier than the standard Rule of 55 that applies to regular FERS employees.

See the full breakdown: Special Category FERS Retirement Guide: LEO, Firefighter, and ATC.

VERA: Voluntary Early Retirement Authority

VERA is not a standing entitlement — it is offered by agencies during workforce reduction or restructuring events. To be eligible when an agency offers VERA, you must meet one of:⁵

• Age 50 with 20 years of service
• Any age with 25 years of service

Under VERA, your annuity is calculated at the standard formula (1.0% × High-3 × years of service) with no early penalty — unlike MRA+10. However:

• No COLA until age 62 (unless you are already 62+ at separation)
• FERS Supplement eligibility depends on your MRA — if you're below MRA at VERA retirement, supplement may not start until you reach MRA
• The Rule of 55 still applies to TSP access: if you separate before 55, you cannot access TSP penalty-free until 59½ (unless you roll to an IRA first and use substantially equal periodic payments)

VERA is most relevant in 2026 given ongoing federal workforce reductions. See: VERA & VSIP: Should You Take the Federal Early Retirement Offer?

Creditable service: what counts toward your years?

Not all federal employment counts equally, and some non-federal service can be credited:

• Civilian FERS service: counts in full
• CSRS service before converting to FERS: counts
• Military service credit (buyback): active-duty military years count toward FERS service if you pay the 3% deposit — and toward the pension calculation. Military buyback calculator
• Unused sick leave: converted at 2,087 hours = 1 year of service for annuity calculation purposes (since NDAA 2010) — but sick leave does NOT count toward retirement eligibility thresholds
• Part-time service: counts toward eligibility at full time-in-grade, but the annuity is prorated
• Temporary appointments, TAPER positions, non-FERS intermittent work: generally excluded unless specific service credit was elected and deposited

The Rule of 55 and TSP access at retirement

Under the tax code, distributions from employer plans (including TSP) made to employees who separate from service in or after the calendar year they turn 55 are exempt from the 10% early withdrawal penalty. This is separate from your FERS retirement eligibility.⁶

The interaction matters most for employees who retire on a MRA+30 or VERA path before 55:

• Retire at MRA of 56 with 30 years? Rule of 55 applies — you were 56+ when you separated, so TSP withdrawals are penalty-free immediately.
• Retire under VERA at age 52 with 25 years? Rule of 55 does NOT apply. TSP withdrawals before 59½ incur the 10% penalty unless you qualify for another exception or roll to an IRA for a 72(t) SEPP ladder.

See the detailed interaction: TSP Stay vs. Rollover: The Complete Decision Guide

Social Security timing is a separate decision

FERS retirement age and Social Security claiming age are independent decisions. The FERS Supplement stops when you reach 62 regardless of whether you claim Social Security — so you face a gap analysis at 62. Key considerations:

• The supplement stops the month before you reach 62
• You can claim Social Security as early as 62 (at 70% of FRA benefit) or as late as 70 (at 124% of FRA benefit for most current retirees)
• For federal employees, the 3-legged stool coordination guide covers sequencing FERS pension + supplement + TSP + Social Security

Common scenarios

Born 1967, hired 1993: MRA+30 in 2023

MRA = 56 years 6 months. Reaches 30 years of service in 2023 and MRA in June 2023. Retires June 2023 with full annuity, FERS supplement through May 2029 (age 62), TSP penalty-free (Rule of 55 met). This person can also do a Roth conversion window of ~6 years before RMDs kick in at 73.

Born 1968, hired 2004: Age 60+20 in 2028

MRA = 56 years 8 months. Reaches MRA in 2024 with only 20 years of service — not enough for MRA+30. Could take MRA+10 in 2024 (but takes a 26% permanent cut), or wait until 2028 when both age 60 and 20 years are met. Waiting 4 years avoids the penalty and adds ~$4,000/year in pension for life. Usually worth waiting.

Born 1970, hired 2002: No rush to 57

MRA = 57. Reaches 30 years of service in 2032, the same year they turn 62. At 62 with 30 years, the 1.1% multiplier applies. Waiting until 62 (5 years longer than MRA+30) yields a ~10% higher base pension. If they want to retire at 57, they can — but they leave the 1.1% multiplier on the table.

When to get a specialist involved

The FERS retirement age question is deceptively simple on the surface but becomes complex when you layer in:

• Military buyback decisions that change your eligibility date by 2–4 years
• VERA/RIF scenarios where the separation is involuntary or agency-timed
• Survivor benefit elections that are irrevocable at retirement
• TSP rollover decisions that have Rule of 55 / penalty consequences
• FEHB + Medicare Part B timing (especially if retiring before 65)
• The Roth conversion window — the gap between federal retirement and RMD age is the prime low-tax period

A fee-only advisor who specializes in federal employees can model your specific date, High-3 salary, and survivorship choices in a single integrated plan — rather than optimizing each piece in isolation.

Sources

1. OPM — FERS Retirement Eligibility. MRA+30, age 60+20, and age 62+5 criteria; FERS Supplement eligibility.
2. OPM — FERS Computation. 1.0% standard multiplier; 1.1% multiplier at age 62 with 20+ years.
3. OPM FAQ — MRA+10 Annuity. 5%/year (5/12% per month) reduction under age 62; no FERS Supplement.
4. OPM CSRS/FERS Handbook, Chapter 56 — Special Provisions Employees. LEO/FF/ATC eligibility (50+20 or 25 years), annuity formula (1.7%+1.0%), mandatory separation ages.
5. OPM — Guide to Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA). Eligibility criteria, no annuity reduction, no COLA until 62.
6. IRS — Exceptions to Tax on Early Distributions. Rule of 55 (separation in or after age-55 calendar year); IRC § 72(t)(10)(B) for public safety employees (age 50).

FERS retirement rules are governed by 5 U.S.C. Chapters 83–84 and 5 CFR Parts 831–842. MRA table, eligibility criteria, and penalty rates verified against OPM.gov as of May 2026. Eligibility determinations are made by OPM based on your official SF-50 service record.