Service credit may be purchased for certain types of non-County government service performed prior to the date you became eligible for LACERA membership. Descriptions, eligibility requirements, contract terms, and calculation methods of the different categories of purchasable service credit are explained below.
U.S. Government, or any Public Entity Located Within the State of California
Bylaws of the Board of Retirement
- Type of Service
- Employment with the United States government (including military service), the State of California, or any department or agency of either, or any public entity (including employment with the County of Los Angeles) located within the State of California. Such employment must have occurred prior to your first entry into LACERA membership, and you must not be eligible now or in the future for a pension or retirement allowance for such service, or reciprocity benefits if you redeposit the contributions withdrawn from a reciprocal retirement system.
- Eligible Members
- All contributory members.
- Term of Payment Contract
- Up to 10 years (120 months).
- Other Limitations
- The total months/years of service credit you purchase may not exceed the length of your actual County service at the completion of your contract.
- Calculation Method
- Based on actuarial tables that determine the present value of the additional benefit you will receive after retirement.
Other Public Agency
Gov. Code Section 31641.2(c); 1968 Board of Supervisors Resolution
- Type of Service
- Employment with the State of California, or any county in California, or the City and County of San Francisco, or any city or special district in Los Angeles County (excluding employment with the County of Los Angeles). Such employment must have occurred prior to your first entry into LACERA membership.
- Eligible Members
- Members who were active or deferred any time on or after January 1, 1968, and on or before November 1, 1974.
- Members who entered County service, enrolled in Plan A, and qualify under the specific membership dates above, and had no break in County service; or terminated employment and withdrew funds, then returned to County service and rejoined/restored Plan A membership.
- Term of Payment Contract
- Up to 5 years (60 months).
- Calculation Method
- Total compensation (salary) you would have earned had you been employed by the County receiving the compensation paid a carpenter during the time you were in service in the public agency, multiplied by your initial contribution rate upon becoming a member of LACERA, plus the interest that would have been credited had the above amount been on deposit from the date you became a member of LACERA through the expiration date on the Payment Contract. Payments not made by this date or payments made through payroll deductions are subject to additional interest until contract is paid in full.
Any Public Agency Located Wholly in L.A. County
Bylaws of the Board of Retirement
- Type of Service
- Employment in any public agency located wholly in the County of Los Angeles (excluding employment with the County of Los Angeles) prior to your first entry into LACERA membership.
- Eligible Members
- Members who were active or deferred prior to January 1, 1976.
- Members who entered County service, enrolled in Plan A, and qualify under the specific membership dates above, and had no break in County service; or terminated employment and withdrew funds, then returned to County service and rejoined/restored Plan A membership.
- Term of Purchase Contract
- Up to 5 years (60 months).
- Calculation Method
- Based on the total compensation (salary) you would have earned had you been employed by the County receiving the compensation paid a carpenter during the time you were in service in the public agency, multiplied by your initial contribution rate upon becoming a member of LACERA, plus the interest that would have been credited had the above amount been on deposit from the date you became a member of LACERA up to the expiration date on the Payment Contract. Payments not made by this date or payments made through payroll deductions are subject to additional interest until contract is paid in full.
Federal/Military
Gov. Code Section 31641.2(a); 1972 Board of Supervisors Resolution
- Type of Service
- Employment with the United States government, including military service, prior to your first entry into LACERA membership.
- Eligible Members
- Members who were active or deferred any time on or after December 1, 1972, or on or before July 1, 1974.
- Members who entered County service, enrolled in Plan A, and qualify under the specific membership dates above, and had no break in County service; or terminated employment and withdrew funds, then returned to County service and rejoined/restored Plan A membership.
- Term of Payment Contract
- Up to 5 years (60 months).
- Calculation Method
- Twice your initial retirement contribution amount upon becoming a member of LACERA multiplied by the number of months of credit, plus the interest that would have been credited had the above amount been on deposit from the date you became a member of LACERA up to the expiration date on the Payment Contract. Payments not made by this date or payments made through payroll deductions are subject to additional interest until contract is paid in full.