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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 5Pt. 3Ch. 11Art. 5§ 21027 Military Service Credit

§ 21027 Military Service Credit

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

§ 21027 Military Service Credit

Key Takeaways

  • •If you worked in the military or Merchant Marine before joining a local job, that time can count toward your retirement if you retired before your employer joined a certain rule.
  • •You have to pay extra money to get credit for that military time, but there was a special deal between 2001 and 2003 where you could pay less.
  • •You can’t count more than 4 years of military time, and you can’t double-count time you already got credit for.
  • •This only works if you retired right after your local job and before your employer joined the new rule.

Example

A firefighter retired in 2000 after working for 20 years. Before that, they served 3 years in the Army.

The firefighter can add those 3 Army years to their retirement if they pay extra money. But if they already got credit for some of that time, they can’t count it again.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 21027 Military Service Credit

(a) “Public service” with respect to a local member who retired pursuant to this part before the effective date of the election of their employer to be subject to Section 21024 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 person’s first employment by the employer under this section in which the person was a member. (b) Any retired person 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 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 retired person may select which of two or more periods of service entitles the retired person to receive public service under this section. (e) This section shall apply to a retired person only if that person retired immediately following service as a local member, pursuant to this part, and before the effective date of the election by their employer to be subject to Section 21024. (f) The retirement allowance of a retired person who elects to receive service credit pursuant to this section shall be increased only with respect to the allowance payable on and after the effective date of the election. (Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 196, Sec. 3. (SB 1402) Effective January 1, 2023.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

public servicelocal memberArmed Forces of the United StatesMerchant Marine of the United StatesSection 21024retirement allowance

Related Statutes

  • § 21022 Layoff Service Credit Rules
  • § 21024 Military Service Credit Eligibility
  • § 21025 Public Service Transfer Rules
  • § 21026 Firefighter Nonprofit Service Definition
  • § 21020 Public Service Credit Eligibility

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 21027.
View Official Source