Near retirement checklist
You’re eligible to retire if you're age 55 with at least five years of service credit—or fewer, if you retire under the special circumstances of concurrent service retirement (or age 50 with at least 30 years of service credit if under CalSTRS 2% at 60).
Eligible for retirement
- Transfer eligible unused sick leave from a previous employer, if you have any, to your current employer.
- Sign up for a CalSTRS and Your Retirement group benefits planning session to receive personalized benefit estimates prepared by a CalSTRS benefits specialist.
- Submit the Preretirement Election of an Option form if you want to provide a lifetime monthly benefit to someone should you die before retirement.
- Make sure your one-time death benefit recipient information is current.
- Look for your Learn and Discover: Near Retirement booklet from us in the mail and learn about important considerations as you get closer to a well-earned retirement.
- Complete and submit your Service Retirement Application online using myCalSTRS for faster processing up to six months before your retirement date. If you have a complex application, you can still complete it online, then print, sign and mail or fax it to us.
At retirement
- Familiarize yourself with the federal Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset rules if you or a spouse paid into Social Security through non-CalSTRS covered employment.
- Complete and submit your Service Retirement Application online using myCalSTRS for faster processing up to six months before your retirement date. If you have a complex application, you can still complete it online, then print, sign and mail or fax it to us.