The following rules apply to state elected officials and full-time local elected officials who choose to be covered by LEOFF Plan 1 while in office. Additional rules governing all LEOFF Plan 1 members are summarized in the LEOFF Plan 1 Member Handbook.
Retirement system membership is not required for elected officials.
You have the additional option of becoming a PERS 2 member during your time in office.
If you are a former LEOFF Plan 1 member at the time of your election you are not eligible to resume LEOFF Plan 1 membership, however, you may be eligible to become a PERS Plan 2 member. See PERS Plan 2 State Elected Official rules.
To continue membership you must notify the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) that you are taking a leave of absence to serve in elected office and wish to continue LEOFF 1 membership. If you are elected to additional terms of office and wish to continue LEOFF 1 membership you must reapply to DRS prior to the beginning of each new term.
Your Membership Decision is Final: Once you have established retirement system membership, you must remain a member until you separate from all eligible public employment.
Service in any state elected position is considered full-time service. Thus for each full year of legislative service, you are eligible to receive 12 months of service credit.
If you were elected to a full-time local or political subdivision office, you receive a full month of service credit for each month served.
You may choose at the beginning of your term to remain a LEOFF 1 member but not pay contributions or receive service credit.
If you choose not to participate in LEOFF 1 during your term of elected service, you cannot purchase credit for that service at a later date.
You will contribute a percentage of your salary each month to your retirement plan. Your contributions will be based on the salary for the LEOFF 1 position you held at the time you took a leave of absence to serve in elected office. LEOFF 1 contribution rates are set periodically by the Legislature.
LEOFF 1 retirement benefit formulas are the same for all LEOFF 1 members. The formula for calculating your monthly service retirement benefit varies according to your length of service.
Fewer Than 10 Years of Service: Months of service credit ÷ 12 x 1 percent x final average salary
At Least 10 but Fewer Than 20 Years of Service: Months of service credit ÷ 12 x 1.5 percent x final average salary
Twenty or More Years of Service: Months of service credit ÷ 12 x 2 percent x final average salary
Final average salary:
If you established membership in LEOFF after February 18, 1974, your service retirement benefit is limited to 60 percent of final average salary.
If you are a retired LEOFF 1 member who is elected to office, you cannot return to active LEOFF 1 member status while serving in office.
If you were a PERS or TRS member prior to 3/19/76, you have the option of returning to membership in the system you belonged to.
If you had less than 15 years of service in LEOFF when you retired and did not retire for disability, you are eligible to enroll in PERS 2 or PERS 3.
You must separate from service to become eligible to receive retirement benefits.
To discuss the application of these rules to your specific case, call DRS' Central Reception Desk and ask for the Legislative and Legal Services Unit. Be prepared to provide the beginning and ending dates for all of your elected service.
DRS will verify your service, and send you an enrollment letter and application.
You can write DRS at:
Department of Retirement Systems
LEOFF
PO Box 48380
Olympia, WA 98504-8380
DRS' central telephone number is toll free 1-800-547-6657 or in Olympia (360) 664-7000.
Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.
This brochure does not contain a complete description of the law. If there are conflicts between the information contained in this brochure and retirement law, the applicable law will govern.
This publication is available in alternate formats.
