FRS Retirement for State, County, City, College, and University Employees

The Florida Retirement System covers far more than teachers and first responders. State agency employees, county and city workers who participate in FRS, constitutional officers’ staff, and many employees of Florida College System institutions and state universities all earn FRS benefits. Florida Pension Planners works specifically with people employed by FRS employers. We guide you through the FRS process, make sure your forms are right and your deadlines are met, and connect you with a licensed financial professional when you need one.

Step 1: Confirm your employer participates and which plan you are in

Most state agencies and all counties participate in FRS. Many cities and special districts do, but some run their own local pension plan instead, so confirm with your HR office. College and university employees may have had a choice of an optional retirement program (such as the State University System Optional Retirement Program) instead of FRS, so check what you elected when you were hired.

If you are in FRS, you are in either the Pension Plan or the Investment Plan. See FRS Pension Plan vs. Investment Plan.

Step 2: Find your normal retirement date

For most government employees in the Regular Class:

• Enrolled before July 1, 2011: vested (6 years) and age 62, or 30 years of service at any age.
• Enrolled on or after July 1, 2011: vested (8 years) and age 65, or 33 years of service at any age.

Regular Class service earns 1.60% of average final compensation per year at normal retirement, rising to as much as 1.68% for members who retire later or with more service. Senior Management Service (2.00%) and Elected Officers’ Class (3.00%; 3.33% for judges and justices) earn different percentages per year. If you have Special Risk service, see FRS Special Risk Retirement. Request an FRS benefit estimate so you are working from your own record.

Step 3: Decide whether DROP fits

DROP lets Pension Plan members who have reached normal retirement keep working while their monthly benefit builds in a DROP account, for up to 96 months under current law. Ask your employer how it handles DROP paperwork, how leave payouts are treated in your final year, and when your health coverage ends. Read What Is DROP? for the basics.

Step 4: Coordinate the rest

• Retiree health insurance through your employer or the State Group Insurance program, and the FRS Health Insurance Subsidy (HIS)
• Medicare and Social Security timing
• Deferred compensation (457) or other employer savings accounts
• Reemployment rules if you might return to any FRS employer, including a different agency, county, or city

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

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 Pension Plan Retirement Qualifications: https://frs.fl.gov/forms/Retirement_Qualifications.pdf
• FRS Employer Handbook, Ch. 9: https://frs.fl.gov/forms/EH_ch09.pdf
• FRS DROP Guide: https://frs.fl.gov/forms/drop_guide.pdf
• MyFRS: https://www.myfrs.com/