Reciprocity

Skip to main content
Home

Sign in to My LACERA

  1. About LACERA

    Get Info
    About LACERA
    1. Who We Are

      1. News
      2. Mission, Vision, and Values
      3. Careers
      4. Business Opportunities
      5. Contact Us
    2. Leadership

      1. Board of Retirement
      2. Board of Investments
      3. Board Meetings
      4. Executive Team
      5. Divisions
    3. Accountability

      1. Retirement Law
      2. Governing Documents
      3. Investments
      4. Annual Reports
      5. Public Records
  2. Active Members

    Get Active
    Member Info
      1. General Plans

      2. Plans A/B/C
      3. Plan D
      4. Plan E
      5. Plan G
      6. Safety Plans

      7. Plans A/B
      8. Plan C
    1. Active Service

      1. Contributions
      2. Service Credit
      3. Compensation
      4. Reciprocity
      5. Terminating Service
      6. Felony Forfeiture
      7. Pre-Retirement Divorce
      8. Disability Retirement
    2. Retirement Planning

      1. Benefit Estimates
      2. Workshops
      3. Steps to Prepare
      4. Ready to Retire
      5. Retirement Options
      6. Beneficiaries
      7. Power of Attorney
  3. Retirees and Families

    Get Retirees and
    Families Info
    1. Retirement Payments

      1. Your Paystub
      2. Cost of Living
      3. Direct Deposit
      4. Tax Requirements
      5. Returning to Work
      6. Divorce
      7. Admin Appeals
    2. Families and Survivors

      1. Benefits Process
      2. Eligible Beneficiaries
      3. Survivor Benefits
      4. Survivor Healthcare
      5. Taxability of Benefits
  4. Retiree Healthcare

    Get Retiree
    Healthcare Info
    1. Program Basics

      1. Healthcare Eligibility
      2. Paying for Coverage
      3. Manage Your Enrollment
      4. Medicare
      5. Healthcare Resources
      6. Healthcare Legislation
    2. Healthcare Plans

      1. Anthem Blue Cross of CA
      2. Cigna
      3. Kaiser Permanente
      4. SCAN
      5. United Healthcare
      6. Dental/Vision Plans

Active Service

  1. Contributions
  2. Service Credit
  3. Compensation
  4. Reciprocity
    1. Disability Benefits
    2. Reciprocal Systems
  5. Terminating Service
  6. Felony Forfeiture
  7. Pre-Retirement Divorce
  8. Disability Retirement
Begin content

Reciprocity is a special relationship that exists between LACERA and certain public retirement systems located in California to encourage career-long public service. Reciprocal systems protect employees’ earned retirement benefits when those employees transfer between participating agencies within a specified time.

See a list of Reciprocal Systems that LACERA has agreements with.

Eligibility

You are eligible for reciprocal benefits if you terminate your County service and leave your retirement contributions, if any, on deposit with LACERA. Your employment at one public agency must terminate before employment at the next public agency begins. Overlapping service, even service due to vacation or sick time, may cause disqualification for reciprocity. Within six months, you must become employed by another public agency covered by a reciprocal retirement system within California. Once established, reciprocity cannot be revoked.

Contact us for more information or to request a Reciprocity package. Be sure to keep your contact information updated with LACERA when you leave County service, so we can inform you about important retirement matters and available benefits. You can contact us or log in to My LACERA to make updates.

Benefits of Reciprocity

Depending on your individual circumstances and membership date with LACERA or a reciprocal system, the following benefits could apply:

  • Your contribution rate in the new system could be based on your age when you joined the first system. This could be advantageous since generally—unless you are in a PEPRA plan with a flat rate—the younger you are when you join a contributory retirement plan, the lower your monthly contribution rate is.
  • Your years of service earned under each system can be added together to meet vesting requirements and the minimum years of service credit needed for retirement.
  • When calculating your retirement allowance, each system can use your highest final compensation, regardless of under which system it was earned.
  • You could be considered a pre-PEPRA member even if your LACERA membership date is on or after January 1, 2013 and:
    • You established reciprocity based on membership in a reciprocal system prior to 2013.
    • You are a former LACERA member who terminated membership and withdrew your contributions prior to 2013 and later returned to County service and redeposited your contributions.

If you are a reciprocal member, it might not be advantageous for you to apply for disability retirement. See more under Disability Benefits and Reciprocity.

Other Requirements

You must leave your contributions and interest on deposit with LACERA while your employment is covered by a reciprocal retirement system. Under reciprocity, you must apply for retirement from each system separately and retire from each system concurrently (on the same day).

Each system will provide you with a separate benefit payment, based on your age and years of service credit in that system.

Age Considerations for Retirement

If you reach age 72 and are no longer working, you must begin receiving required minimum distributions from your plan, even if you haven’t filed for retirement.

Keep in mind that your plan has a maximum benefit age, and postponing your retirement after that age will not increase your benefit. If you are a reciprocal member, check all your systems’ plans for the maximum benefit age (LACERA’s charts are available in your online plan book under Calculating Your Retirement Allowance).

See the Maximum Benefit Returns page for more details.

Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association

Appointment Reservations
LACERA Logo
Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association

Member Service Center

M – F, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. PT

Available by appointment only;
no walk-ins accepted.

Holiday Schedule

300 N. Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101

Contact Us

Member Services Call Center

M – F, 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. PT

800-786-6464

Retiree Healthcare

800-786-6464

Business

M – F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. PT

PO Box 7060
Pasadena, CA 91109-7060

Phone 626-564-6000

Fax 626-564-6155

  • ©2025 LACERA, All Rights Reserved
  • Disclaimer & Privacy Statement