Updated November 13, 2026. For FERS employees (most federal workers hired since 1984). Not financial advice; confirm your own numbers with your HR office and OPM.
1. When you can retire
Your earliest unreduced date is the first of these you reach. Your minimum retirement age (MRA) depends on the year you were born:
| Born | MRA |
|---|---|
| Before 1948 | 55 |
| 1948 | 55 and 2 months |
| 1949 | 55 and 4 months |
| 1950 | 55 and 6 months |
| 1951 | 55 and 8 months |
| 1952 | 55 and 10 months |
| 1953–1964 | 56 |
| 1965 | 56 and 2 months |
| 1966 | 56 and 4 months |
| 1967 | 56 and 6 months |
| 1968 | 56 and 8 months |
| 1969 | 56 and 10 months |
| 1970 or later | 57 |
| Path | Age | Service | Pension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate, unreduced | MRA | 30 years | Full, plus the FERS supplement until 62 |
| Immediate, unreduced | 60 | 20 years | Full, plus the FERS supplement until 62 |
| Immediate, unreduced | 62 | 5 years | Full; 1.1% per year if you have 20+ years |
| Immediate, reduced (MRA+10) | MRA | 10 years | 5% less for each year under 62, permanently (unless you postpone the start) |
| Deferred | Leave any time | 5+ years | Starts at 62 (or earlier with more service); 1% per year |
Special category (law enforcement, firefighters, air traffic controllers, CBP officers, and similar): retire at any age with 25 years, or at 50 with 20 years. The pension is 1.7% of high-3 for each of the first 20 years (34%) plus 1% for each year after that, and mandatory retirement is generally at 57. Section 2 of the full checklist covers the special-category rules in detail.
The rest of the checklist opens when you confirm your email
The special-category rules for law enforcement and firefighters (the 1.7% formula, LEAP in your high-3, mandatory retirement at 57), the pension formula with worked examples, what survivor benefits cost, the supplement's earnings test, the 5-year rules that decide whether you keep FEHB and FEGLI, TSP withdrawal rules, a year-by-year countdown, and the 10 mistakes that cost federal retirees the most.