NYSLRS 15-to-90-Day Retirement Filing Window

The Statutory Window

New York law sets a strict filing window for your Application for Service Retirement: NYSLRS must receive your application no fewer than 15 days and no more than 90 days before your chosen retirement date. File outside this range and your selected date is invalid.

For a retirement date of July 1, the window opens April 2 (90 days out) and closes June 16 (15 days out). Your application must land at NYSLRS within that range.

Filing Through Retirement Online

The simplest way to file is electronically through Retirement Online. The timestamp on your submission serves as the official filing date — no waiting for mail delivery, no notary required.

You'll upload supporting documents (proof of age, beneficiary documentation) through the portal and complete your payout option election in the same session or separately before your deadline.

Filing by Paper (Form RS6037)

If you file on paper, the notarization requirement applies — your signature on Form RS6037 must be witnessed by a Notary Public.

How NYSLRS determines your filing date depends on how you send it:

Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested: The postmark date counts as your filing date. This is the safer option because it gives you a dated receipt and postal proof, regardless of how long delivery takes.

Standard mail: The date NYSLRS physically receives the envelope in Albany is your filing date. Postal delays of even a few days can push you outside the 15-day minimum, invalidating your chosen retirement date.

If your retirement date is close, use Certified Mail or file online. Standard mail and a tight timeline is a gamble that isn't worth taking.

What Happens If You Miss the Window

Filed too late (fewer than 15 days before your date): Your chosen retirement date is rejected. You'll need to select a new date that falls within a valid window from the filing date NYSLRS received your application.

Filed too early (more than 90 days out): Same result — the date is invalid. You'll need to refile or select a new date.

Neither scenario prevents you from retiring. It just means your retirement date shifts, which can affect your final paycheck timing, your first pension check, and any administrative deadlines tied to the original date.

Picking Your Retirement Date Strategically

School non-teaching staff often target June 30, the end of the school year.

Your first payment timing depends on your retirement date. NYSLRS issues the initial payment at the end of the month following your first full month of retirement. For example, a member who retires July 15 receives the first payment at the end of August, covering the partial month of July and full month of August.

The NYSLRS Retirement Guide includes a filing calendar that maps your chosen retirement date to the exact window boundaries and option election deadlines.

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