NYSLRS Option Election Deadline and 30-Day Change Window

When the Option Must Be Filed

The deadline for filing your payout option depends on your tier, system, and plan coverage:

ERS Tiers 4, 5, and 6 (Article 15 members): Your option election must be submitted by your effective retirement date. You can include it with your Application for Service Retirement or file it separately, but NYSLRS needs it no later than the day you retire.

All other ERS members and all PFRS members: The option election must be filed by the end of the month in which you retire. If you retire on July 15, NYSLRS needs your option selection by July 31.

If you don't file an option election by the applicable deadline, NYSLRS applies a default election under state law. That default may not be what you'd choose, and it becomes the starting point for any change within the post-retirement window.

The 30-Day Post-Retirement Change Window

Regardless of which group you fall into, you have a statutory window to change your mind. You can modify your payout option election up to 30 days after the first day of the month following your retirement date.

In practical terms: if you retire on July 15, the first day of the following month is August 1. You have until August 31 to submit a changed election. If you retire on August 1, the following month starts September 1, and your change window runs through October 1.

During this window, you can switch between any available options — from Joint to Single Life, from Pop-Up to Period Certain, or any other combination. You can also change your named beneficiary.

After the Window Closes

Once the 30-day window expires, your option election and your named beneficiary become permanently irrevocable. No exceptions exist for:

• Getting married or remarried
• Getting divorced
• Your beneficiary dying
• Regretting the amount of the monthly reduction
• Any other change in life circumstances

This is one of the most consequential deadlines in the entire NYSLRS retirement process. Treating it as a formality — or assuming you can adjust later — is a mistake that cannot be corrected.

Domestic Relations Orders Override Your Election

If a Domestic Relations Order (DRO) is on file with NYSLRS from a divorce, it can restrict or dictate your option election. A DRO might require you to name your ex-spouse as irrevocable beneficiary under a Joint Allowance option, or mandate a specific percentage share of the monthly benefit.

Check with NYSLRS before finalizing your election if you have any prior divorce — even one that seems unrelated to your pension. A DRO discovered after you file can freeze your retirement processing.

Practical Steps

File your option election early in the process, not at the last minute. Use Retirement Online to review all option amounts before committing. Take the full 30-day post-retirement window to reconsider if needed, but set a calendar reminder for the deadline — NYSLRS will not send you a warning.

The NYSLRS Retirement Guide includes a deadline calendar and walks through the option election process step by step, including what to check before the 30-day window closes.

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