When you retire

When you retire from county employment, Benefits and Retirement Operations automatically notifies the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS).

You need to contact DRS 60 to 90 days before you leave to ask for:

A schedule of retirement planning seminars (DRS recommends attending a seminar two to five years before you retire, but it's never too late)
An estimate of your retirement benefits
An application for retirement.

After you submit your application for retirement, DRS sends you a letter confirming its receipt. Shortly before you retire, DRS sends you another letter confirming your retirement benefit. For more information, go to the DRS Member site or contact DRS.

Additional information is available in the county’s Exit Guide and Exit Class. Exit classes are held from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month in Room 121 on the first floor of The Chinook Building, 401 Fifth Ave., Seattle. To enroll, e-mail kc.orientations@kingcounty.gov.

DRS offers retirement seminars at locations throughout the state. Information about these seminars is available at the DRS Web site.

Retirement system open enrollment

PERS Plan 2 employees who elected to remain in PERS Plan 2 after Sept. 1, 2002, are given the opportunity to switch to PERS Plan 3 during an open enrollment period in January every year.

If you're one of these “grandfathered PERS Plan 2” employees, you will receive a reminder of your opportunity to transfer to PERS Plan 3 during the county's annual online open enrollment for health and insurance benefits.

PERS 3 To transfer, you must be in a PERS-eligible position and earn service credit in January. You must submit a state retirement system Member Information Form to Benefits and Retirement Operations between Jan. 1-Jan. 31. The transfer becomes effective in February. Once you decide to transfer, the decision is irrevocable after Feb. 1, and you cannot return to PERS Plan 2.

You can find transfer information at the DRS Web site.