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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 5Pt. 3Ch. 11Art. 5§ 21024 Military Service Credit Eligibility

§ 21024 Military Service Credit Eligibility

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 21024 Military Service Credit Eligibility

Key Takeaways

  • •If you worked in the military or Merchant Marine, you can count that time as 'public service' for your retirement benefits.
  • •You can only count up to 4 years of this military time for your retirement.
  • •You have to pay extra money to get this credit, and the rules for paying depend on when you ask for it.
  • •Your boss must tell you about this option when you start a new job.

Example

John served in the Army for 3 years before becoming a firefighter. He wants those Army years to count toward his firefighter retirement.

John can add his 3 years of Army time to his firefighter retirement, but he has to pay extra money for it. His firefighter department must tell him about this when he starts the job.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 21024 Military Service Credit Eligibility

(a) “Public service” with respect to a local member, other than a school member, also means active service with the Armed Forces of the United States or the Merchant Marine of the United States, including time during any period of rehabilitation afforded by the United States government other than a period of rehabilitation for purely educational purposes, and for six months thereafter prior to the member’s first employment by the employer under this section in which the employee was a member. (b) Any member electing to receive credit for that public service shall make the contributions as specified in Sections 21050 and 21052. However, any eligible member who requests costing of service credit between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2003, may, instead of making those contributions, make the payment calculated under this article as it read on December 31, 2000, which payment shall be made in the manner described in Section 21050. (c) The public service under this section shall not include military service in any period for which credit is otherwise given under this article or Article 4 (commencing with Section 20990), or to the extent that total credit under this section would exceed four years. (d) Notwithstanding Section 21034, a member may select which of two or more periods of service entitles the member to receive public service under this section. (e) This section shall apply to a member only if the member elects to receive credit while in state service in the employment of one employer on or after the date of the employer’s election to be subject to this section. (f) An employer shall inform a new employee at the time of hire of their rights to purchase service credit under this section. (Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 131, Sec. 83. (AB 1754) Effective January 1, 2024.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

public servicelocal memberschool member

Related Statutes

  • § 21022 Layoff Service Credit Rules
  • § 21025 Public Service Transfer Rules
  • § 21026 Firefighter Nonprofit Service Definition
  • § 21027 Military Service Credit
  • § 21020 Public Service Credit Eligibility

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 21024.
View Official Source