FRS Reemployment After Retirement Rules: The 6-Month Restriction

The 6-Month Rule

After your effective retirement date — or after you exit DROP — you must complete a strict 6-calendar-month termination period before you can work for any FRS-participating employer in any capacity. That means no paid work and no unpaid work. Not part-time, not temporary, not Other Personal Services, not adjunct teaching, not substitute teaching, and not services through a staffing agency. Volunteer services meeting the definition in Section 121.091(15), Florida Statutes, do not count as employment or provision of services to an FRS employer.

The restriction applies across participating FRS employers, not just the one you left. It can include a state agency, another participating county, or a participating municipal government.

There are no exceptions to the six-month termination requirement; qualifying volunteer services are excluded as described above.

What Happens If You Violate It

An employment relationship with an FRS employer during months 1 through 6 may void your retirement. You and the employer may be held jointly and severally liable to repay all retirement benefits received, including DROP accumulations or payouts.

Months 7 Through 12: What HB 151 Changed

Before House Bill 151 took effect on July 1, 2024, FRS retirees who returned to work with an FRS employer during months 7 through 12 had their pension benefits suspended for those months. HB 151 eliminated that suspension.

Under current law, if you start working for an FRS employer in calendar month 7 or later after retirement, you receive both your monthly pension benefit and your active employment salary. There is no forfeiture, no suspension, and no offset.

Month 13 and Beyond

From calendar month 13 onward, reemployment is unrestricted across all FRS employers. You can work full-time, part-time, or in any arrangement.

If you're reemployed in a regularly established FRS position on or after July 1, 2017, you're enrolled as a renewed member in the Investment Plan — meaning you earn a second-career defined contribution benefit on top of your existing pension. Your original pension benefit continues unaffected.

Non-FRS Work Has No Restrictions

Private employers, federal agencies, and public employers in other states are not FRS-participating employers. You can work for any of them starting the day after your retirement with zero waiting period. The 6-month rule only applies to employers that participate in the Florida Retirement System.

This distinction trips up retirees who contract through staffing agencies. The restriction covers employment relationships and services to FRS employers; confirm with the Division whether a proposed assignment falls into that category before accepting it.

Planning Around the Restriction

If you plan to return to FRS employment after retirement, structure your retirement date so the 6-month window falls during a period you wouldn't want to work anyway. Teachers often align it with summer break through early fall. The Florida FRS Retirement Guide includes a reemployment calendar worksheet that maps your specific retirement date to the earliest you can legally return to FRS work.

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