You are eligible for a regular retirement upon meeting one of two criteria, whichever occurs first:
- At any age as long as you have at least 30 years of membership service.
- At age 60 if you have at least 5 years of membership service.
Early Retirement Eligibility
You are eligible for an early, although reduced retirement once you reach age 55 and have at least 25 years of service credit.
Disability Retirement Eligibility
If you become totally and permanently disabled, you are entitled to a monthly disability retirement benefit as long as you have completed five or more years service. If you are disabled as a result of an accident while on the job, you are entitled to a monthly disability retirement benefit regardless of the number of years of service.
All applications for disability retirements are reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees. Applicants are also required to undergo a medical evaluation by the Board’s designated physician.
Deferred Retirement
If you leave City employment with five or more years service credit, you can leave your contributions in the System and become eligible for retirement benefits upon reaching age 60. In order to take a deferred retirement option, you must:
- Apply for deferred retirement within one year of the termination of employment, and
- Pay any outstanding loan within one year of leaving City service.
Purchase of Service Credits
Military Service
You can purchase up to three years of service credit for military service you performed prior to becoming a member of the Retirement System. You can make the purchase at any time before retirement, and the purchase can be made through payroll deduction with pre-tax dollars. Also, the military service credit can be purchased all at one time or in one-year increments.
You may only purchase retirement service credit for active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States. This includes service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Auxiliary Corps as established by Congress, or member of the Army Nurse Corps, Navy Nurse Corps, or Red Cross Nurse who has served in the Army, Navy or hospital service of the United States.
To be eligible for purchase of military service credit, you must have been honorably discharged and provide the Retirement System with a copy of discharge form DD214 and complete an application form.
The cost of purchasing military service credit is based on the following:
- Number of years, months and days of military service (maximum three years).
- Retirement contribution of 7% based on the annual salary rate at the time membership in the Retirement System was established. (For military service performed before January 1, 1978, the rate is 6%).
- Interest of 4%, compounded annually, from the date of discharge to the date of payment.
Prior City of Cincinnati Service
If you have had prior service as a City of Cincinnati employee but withdrew your retirement contributions, you can repurchase the service credit that was lost when you withdrew the contributions. To purchase the prior service credit, you must repay the withdrawn contributions with interest.
Prior Service with Another Ohio Retirement System for State and Local Employees
If you have had prior service credit with another Ohio Public Employees retirement system (Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, Ohio Police and Fire Pension Plan, Ohio State Teacher's Retirement System, Ohio School Employees Retirement System, and Ohio Highway Patrol Retirement System), you may be eligible to have that credit transferred to the CRS. If you left your contributions on deposit with the other Ohio retirement system, there may be little or no cost to transfer the service credit depending on the retirement system. If you withdrew your contributions, there will be a cost associated with the transfer of service credit. You would be required to repay the contributions withdrawn as well as an interest payment which is calculated from the date the contributions were withdrawn until the date they were repaid.
