Educate Yourself

I'm Ready to Retire

TRS RETIREMENT HANDBOOK

The TRS Retirement Handbook contains important information regarding your retirement. It provides you with a retirement checklist, retirement facts, information on the various retirement plans, types of creditable service and unused sick leave, as well as all of the forms you need to apply for retirement. Although the forms are included in this handbook, we do recommend that you apply for retirement online to expedite the processing of your retirement application.

Forms

The information you must provide to TRS may be completed and submitted online via your TRS account. There are forms your employer must complete and submit to TRS to complete your application. You may access the employer forms in the TRS Retirement Handbook or download them by clicking on the Download TRS Forms button.

We recommend that once you begin your online application, you also contact your employer and request that they complete a Retirement Certification Report form. Your application will not be not complete and your benefits cannot be calculated until your employer submits this form to TRS.

Everyone must complete and submit both the Federal and State Tax forms.

If you wish to designate more than one beneficiary, you should complete the Designation of Multiple Beneficiaries form.

In the event you wish to pursue receiving sick leave credit towards retirement, a Sick Leave Certification form must be completed by current and past employers and submitted to TRS. Your current employer will not be able to submit your final sick leave records until after your termination date; therefore, your monthly benefit payment may be adjusted retroactively for crediting of sick leave.

Depending on your situation, you may also have to complete and submit one or more of the following forms: Certification of Georgia Private School Employment , Certification of Georgia Service or Out-of-State Teaching Certification . These forms are available under the forms drop down menu.

NOTE: Because TRS does not have any control over the receipt of information from third parties (ie. current or previous employers, doctors, armed forces, etc.), TRS recommends that you begin soliciting the necessary information (ie. sick leave, out-of-state-service) from these parties before or at the same time you begin the retirement process. TRS cannot process your retirement application until ALL necessary documentation is received from all necessary parties. Also, the sooner you establish credit, such as out-of-state service credit, the less it will cost.