FRS Special Risk Retirement: A Guide for Police, Firefighters, and Corrections Officers

Law enforcement officers, firefighters, correctional officers, and certain emergency medical and forensic positions with FRS employers are usually in the Special Risk Class. Special Risk members can reach normal retirement earlier than Regular Class members and earn a higher benefit per year of service. That also means DROP decisions arrive earlier in your career, often while you still have years of work ahead. Florida Pension Planners guides you through the FRS process so your forms and dates are right, and connects you with a licensed financial professional if you need one.

Step 1: Confirm your class and plan

Check MyFRS or your FRS statement to confirm two things: that your service is reported as Special Risk, and whether you are in the FRS Pension Plan or the FRS Investment Plan. DROP is only available in the Pension Plan. See FRS Pension Plan vs. Investment Plan.

Step 2: Find your Special Risk normal retirement date

According to the FRS Employer Handbook (Chapter 9, September 2026), Special Risk normal retirement is whichever of these comes first:

Initially enrolled before July 1, 2011 – 6 years of Special Risk service and age 55, or – 25 total years of Special Risk service and age 52 (may include up to 4 years of military service), or – 25 years of Special Risk service at any age, or – 30 years of any creditable service.

Initially enrolled on or after July 1, 2011 – 8 years of Special Risk service and age 55, or – 25 total years of Special Risk service and age 52 (may include up to 4 years of military service), or – 25 years of Special Risk service at any age, or – 33 years of any creditable service (may include up to 4 years of military service).

Older materials (and some websites) still list age 60 or 30 years for members hired after 2011. Those were the rules before a 2023 change in Florida law, so make sure you are working from current FRS materials.

If you have service in more than one class (for example, Regular Class before you became a deputy or firefighter), each class of service is calculated separately, which can change your dates. Request an FRS benefit estimate rather than relying on a coworker’s numbers.

Special Risk service on or after October 1, 1974 earns 3.00% of average final compensation per year (service from December 1, 1970 through September 30, 1974 earns 2.00%). Regular Class service earns 1.60% per year at normal retirement, rising to as much as 1.68% for members who retire later or with more service. Retiring before your normal date reduces your benefit by 5% per year early.

Step 3: DROP timing for Special Risk members

Once you reach normal retirement, you can enter DROP and keep working while your monthly benefit builds in a DROP account. Under current law, most members can stay in DROP for up to 96 months. Your DROP entry window and maximum end date are set from your normal retirement date, so Special Risk members often face this choice in their late 40s or early 50s. Questions worth answering before you file:

• When does my DROP election window open and close?
• If I wait to enter DROP, how does that change the number of months I can participate?
• How does my department’s contract, rank, or overtime affect my average final compensation?
• What happens to my health coverage and any local supplemental pension when DROP ends?

Learn the basics in What Is DROP?

Step 4: Plan for life after DROP

Many officers and firefighters plan a second career. FRS reemployment rules restrict working for any FRS employer for the first six calendar months after your DROP end date, and breaking them can void your retirement. A job with a private employer or a non-FRS employer is treated differently, but confirm the rules with FRS before you accept anything.

Areas we serve

We meet with FRS members across Central Florida, in person in DeBary, by phone, or on Zoom: Volusia · Seminole · Orange · Flagler · Lake · Osceola · Marion · Brevard · Putnam

Related guides: What Is DROP? · FRS Pension Plan vs. Investment Plan · Contact us

Also see: Retiring From a Florida Public School · FRS Retirement for Government Employees

Why the details matter

Many FRS decisions are final once they are processed. These are real examples from FRS’s own materials:

• Your benefit option is permanent. You pick one of four payment options before you retire or enter DROP. Once you cash or deposit any benefit payment, or the first payment is credited to DROP, you can’t change that option, add service credit, change your type of retirement, or cancel your retirement.¹²
• DROP can’t be cancelled once it starts. After your DROP application is final and your first month of participation passes, you can’t cancel DROP.³ You may be able to move your DROP end date within the maximum allowed, but only with a revised Form DP-ELE filed before your current end date and approved by your employer and the Division.⁴
• Working too soon can void your retirement. For the first six calendar months after your DROP end date (or retirement date), you can’t work for or provide services to any FRS employer, paid or unpaid, even as a contractor. If you do, your retirement can be voided, and you and the employer can be held liable for repaying benefits, including your DROP payout. FRS says there are no exceptions.³⁵
• Miss the DROP payout deadline and FRS chooses for you. If Form DP-PAYT isn’t received within 60 days of your DROP termination date, FRS is required by law to pay your DROP balance as a lump sum with 20% federal tax withheld, which can mean a large, unplanned tax bill.⁶
• You get only one second election. During your active FRS career you get one chance to switch between the Pension Plan and the Investment Plan, and it isn’t available after you retire, enter DROP, or leave FRS-covered employment.⁷

We help you avoid these mistakes by checking every form and every date with you before anything is filed. Final decisions on your benefits are made by FRS, so always confirm your own dates with the Division of Retirement or MyFRS.

Book your free review

With FRS, timing is everything. One wrong form, or the right form filed at the wrong time, can lock in a result that can’t be reversed. Book a free, one-on-one review and we’ll go through your dates, your forms, and your deadlines with you, so you know exactly what to file and when. It usually takes about 30 minutes, and there is no pressure. If you need help beyond the FRS process, such as investment or tax decisions, we can connect you with a licensed professional.

Book your free review · Call (850) 296-8828 · Email frshelp@floridapensionplanners.com

Disclaimer: Florida Pension Planners is an independent educational service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Florida Retirement System, the State Board of Administration, the Division of Retirement, or any school district. This page is general education, not individual tax, legal, or investment advice. FRS rules change; confirm your own benefits and deadlines with the FRS Division of Retirement (frs.fl.gov) or MyFRS (myfrs.com) before making decisions. Rollover and investment choices carry risk, and no outcome or return is promised. Florida Pension Planners provides educational guidance and referrals. We do not provide investment, tax, or legal advice. Any financial advisor or other professional we connect you with is independent and is solely responsible for their own advice and services.

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Sources (checked Oct 15, 2026)

• FRS Employer Handbook, Ch. 9 (September 2026), Special Risk normal retirement and early retirement reduction: https://frs.fl.gov/forms/EH_ch09.pdf
• FRS Pension Plan Retirement Qualifications: https://frs.fl.gov/forms/Retirement_Qualifications.pdf
• FRS DROP Guide: https://frs.fl.gov/forms/drop_guide.pdf
• MyFRS: https://www.myfrs.com/