If you don’t agree with the Plan Administrator’s decision, you may file a petition within 120 days of your receipt of the decision. The DRS Petition Examiner handles the petition process and writes the petition decision. The petition process is informal and generally conducted using written documents. There’s no hearing involved.

Your petition should include:

• Your name, address, telephone number and signature
• The name, address and telephone number of your attorney (if you have one)
• An explanation of the facts
• Copies of any relevant documents
• A specific statement of what you are asking DRS to do (or not do)

Submit your petition to DRS by email at drs.petitions@drs.wa.gov or by mail:

Department of Retirement Systems
Attention: Petition Examiner
PO Box 48380
Olympia, WA 98504-8380

Do not send via any method requiring DRS to sign upon receipt.

The Petition Examiner will review your submission, including DRS records and other relevant information. The Petition Examiner will enter a written decision and mail it to you and to other interested parties.

If you don’t agree with the petition decision, you may file an appeal within 60 days of receiving the decision. The Presiding Officer handles appeals and writes the appeal decision (which will be the final order). An appeal is more formal than a petition and may involve a hearing to discuss the evidence.

There are usually two parties involved in an appeal — you and DRS (an Assistant Attorney General will represent DRS). The Presiding Officer will conduct a preliminary telephone conference to identify the issue, schedule pre hearing dates and the date and location of the hearing.  After the hearing, The Presiding Officer will then write a decision and mail it to the parties.

Your appeal should contain the specific information set out in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 415-08-023. A general summary of that information includes:

• Your name, address, signature and employer
• Your attorney’s name and address (if you have one)
• A description of the decision you are appealing, and why it is unfair or illegal
• An explanation of the facts
• A specific statement of what you are asking DRS to do (or not do)
• A statement that you have read the notice of appeal and believe it to be true

Submit your appeal to DRS by email at drs.appeals@drs.wa.gov or by mail:

Department of Retirement Systems
Attention: Presiding Officer
PO Box 48380
Olympia, WA 98504-8380

Do not send via any method requiring DRS to sign upon receipt.

For more specific information about petitions, you can read the DRS petition rules in Chapter 415-04 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). If you have questions, please contact the DRS Petition Coordinator at 360-664-7940.

For more specific information about appeals, read the DRS appeal rules in Chapter 415-08 WAC. Additional appeal rules are in Chapter 10-08 WAC (the procedural rules for adjudicative proceedings). If you have questions, please contact the DRS Appeals Coordinator at 360-664-7294.

The provisions governing petitions and appeals are contained in the Revised Code of Washington and Washington Administrative Code. This information is a summary of those provisions, not a complete description of the law. If there are any conflicts between what is written in this publication and what is contained in the law, the applicable law will govern.