FERS Minimum Retirement Age Explained
Your FERS minimum retirement age (MRA) is set by your birth year — 55 to 57 — and it's only half the story. Eligibility needs the age and the service years, combined four ways.
The MRA table
| Birth year | Minimum retirement age |
|---|---|
| 1947 or earlier | 55 years |
| 1948 | 55 years 2 months |
| 1949 | 55 years 4 months |
| 1950 | 55 years 6 months |
| 1951 | 55 years 8 months |
| 1952 | 55 years 10 months |
| 1953–1964 | 56 years |
| 1965 | 56 years 2 months |
| 1966 | 56 years 4 months |
| 1967 | 56 years 6 months |
| 1968 | 56 years 8 months |
| 1969 | 56 years 10 months |
| 1970–2100 | 57 years |
How MRA combines with service
Reaching your MRA alone doesn't qualify you. OPM's four combinations each need an age and service years — the date is whichever comes later:
- MRA + 30 years — the career route; usually earliest for early joiners.
- 60 + 20 years — for mid-career joiners.
- 62 + 5 years — the minimum-service door.
- MRA + 10 years — immediate but reduced annuity; postponing to 62 can avoid the reduction.
The FERS calculator runs all four against your dates and shows which gets you there first.
Why the MRA isn't a round number
Like Social Security's full retirement age, the MRA phases in by birth year — 55 for pre-1948 births, sliding to 57 for 1970+. The monthly steps keep adjacent cohorts close together instead of a cliff edge.
Related
Source: US Office of Personnel Management — FERS types of retirement
Frequently asked questions
Can I retire the day I reach my MRA?
Only with 30 years of service (or 10, with a reduced annuity). The MRA is an age threshold, not a standalone entitlement.
What's the reduced annuity under MRA+10?
The annuity is permanently reduced for each month you're under 62 at commencement. Postponing to 62 avoids it — the dates tell you when each option opens.
Does the MRA apply to special provisions?
No — law enforcement, firefighters and air traffic controllers have their own earlier rules. This guide and the calculator cover regular FERS.