When you apply to retire and enroll in DROP, you must choose a termination date. The chart below allows you to easily determine your maximum DROP termination date, based on your DROP begin date (assuming that you have 60 months of DROP eligibility*). Using this chart will help you avoid selecting an invalid DROP termination date.
Begin and End Dates for Five Year Participation Periods in DROP
| Begin 2019 – End Date | Begin 2020 – End Date | Begin 2021 – End Date | |
| 1/1/2019 – 12/31/2023 | 1/1/2020 – 12/31/2024 | 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2025 | |
| 2/1/2019 – 1/31/2024 | 2/1/2020 – 1/31/2025 | 2/1/2021 – 1/31/2026 | |
| 3/1/2019 – 2/29/2024 | 3/1/2020 – 2/29/2025 | 3/1/2021 – 2/28/2026 | |
| 4/1/2019 – 3/31/2024 | 4/1/2020 – 3/31/2025 | 4/1/2021 – 3/31/2026 | |
| 5/1/2019 – 4/30/2024 | 5/1/2020 – 4/30/2025 | 5/1/2021 – 4/30/2026 | |
| 6/1/2019 – 5/31/2024 | 6/1/2020 – 5/31/2025 | 6/1/2021 – 5/31/2026 | |
| 7/1/2019 – 6/30/2024 | 7/1/2020 – 6/30/2025 | 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2026 | |
| 8/1/2019 – 7/31/2024 | 8/1/2020 – 7/31/2025 | 8/1/2021 – 7/31/2026 | |
| 9/1/2019 – 8/31/2024 | 9/1/2020 – 8/31/2025 | 9/1/2021 – 8/31/2026 | |
| 10/1/2019 – 9/30/2024 | 10/1/2020 – 9/30/2025 | 10/1/2021 – 9/30/2026 | |
| 11/1/2019 – 10/31/2024 | 11/1/2020 – 10/31/2025 | 11/1/2021 – 10/31/2026 | |
| 12/1/2019 – 11/30/2024 | 12/1/2020 – 11/30/2025 | 12/1/2021 – 11/30/2026 | |
You may begin DROP participation in the month you reach your normal retirement date based upon your age, or the month after the month you reach your normal retirement date based upon your years of service.
You also need to be vested. If you are initially enrolled in the FRS before July 1, 2011, you must have six years of service to be vested. If you are initially enrolled in the FRS on or after July 1, 2011, you must have eight years of service to be vested.
Normal retirement date requirements for age or service if you were initially enrolled in the FRS before July 1, 2011, are:
- Special Risk Class – age 55 with at least six years of special risk service but less than 25 years of special risk service, age 52 with a total of 25 years of special risk service that include up to four years of purchased wartime military service, or any age before age 55 with 25 years of special risk service. These requirements apply to members of the Special Risk Administrative Support Class who have at least six years of special risk service.
- Regular Class, Elected Officers’ Class and Senior Management Service Class – age 62 with at least six years of service but less than 30 years of service, or any age before age 62 with 30 years of service. These requirements apply to members of the Special Risk Administrative Support Class who do not have six years of special risk service. If you were initially enrolled in the FRS before July 1, 2011, and reach your normal retirement date based on your years of service before age 57 (age 52 for Special Risk Class members) you may be eligible to defer your DROP participation.
Normal retirement date requirements for age or service if you were initially enrolled in the FRS on or after July 1, 2011, are:
- Special Risk Class – age 60 with at least eight years of special risk service but less than 30 years of special risk service, age 57 with a total of 30 years of special risk service that include up to four years of purchased wartime military service, or any age before age 60 with 30 years of special risk service. These requirements apply to members of the Special Risk Administrative Support Class who have at least 8 years of special risk service.
- Regular Class, Elected Officers’ Class and Senior Management Service Class – age 65 with at least eight years of service but less than 33 years of service, or any age before age 65 with 33 years of service. These requirements apply to members of the Special Risk Administrative Support Class who do not have eight years of special risk service.
If you were initially enrolled in the FRS on or after July 1, 2011, and reach your normal retirement date based on your years of service before age 60 (age 55 for Special Risk Class members) you may be eligible to defer your DROP participation.
If you reach your normal retirement date while holding an elected office, you may qualify to defer your DROP participation to a future date. Also, if you are employed as K-12 instructional personnel, you may be eligible to defer your DROP participation.
If you are a member of one of the closed retirement systems such as the TRS and SCOERS, your normal retirement date varies based on your membership date, class and plan. Please contact the Bureau of Retirement Calculations for more information on your normal retirement date.