CalPERS Reciprocity Between California Retirement Systems

Editorial note: This page is educational and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Reciprocity outcomes depend on your dates of membership, employer contracts, and each system's rules. Confirm your specific facts with CalPERS and with the other retirement system, and consult a California licensed CPA or attorney before acting on any figure shown here.

Last updated: August 13, 2026 · By Gold California Editorial

This page explains reciprocity between CalPERS and other California public retirement systems. Reciprocity is a legal linking mechanism, not a transfer. It preserves rights a member has accrued in one system when the member joins another qualifying system, provided the member satisfies statutory conditions.

Every figure and rule below cites Government Code sections in Article 5 of Chapter 3, Part 3, Division 5 of Title 2, and the current CalPERS member publication PUB 16. The page does not predict future benefit levels and does not offer tax or investment advice.

What is reciprocity between California retirement systems

Reciprocity is an agreement among qualifying California public retirement systems that lets a member move between them without losing certain benefit rights. Each move is a separate reciprocal event. The member must establish reciprocity for each membership period.

The framework sits in Government Code Article 5 of Chapter 3, Part 3, Division 5 of Title 2, sections 20350 through 20356 (source: California Government Code Section 20351). Section 20351 authorizes CalPERS to enter reciprocal agreements with county systems, city systems, and other public agency retirement systems.

Reciprocity does not merge accounts. Each system keeps its own contributions, service credit, benefit formula, and payment stream. The member ends up a member of both systems and receives a separate allowance from each after retirement, per CalPERS PUB 16 (Revised 10/2022).

Which California systems have reciprocity with CalPERS

Three groupings of California public retirement plans link to CalPERS with full reciprocity. The first is the 20 county systems under the County Employees' Retirement Law of 1937. The second is the University of California Retirement Plan. The third is a set of independent city and public agency plans. Four additional statewide plans (CalSTRS, JRS, JRS II, LRS) have a limited, non-formal arrangement that shares some benefits without formal reciprocity.

The list below reflects CalPERS PUB 16, the current CalPERS member publication that governs reciprocity. Effective dates in parentheses mark when each independent agency executed its reciprocal contract with CalPERS.

Source: CalPERS, When You Change Retirement Systems (PUB 16), Revised 10/2022, pages 9 and 12. Checked August 2026 at calpers.ca.gov/documents/change-retirement-systems/download?inline.

The 20 County Employees' Retirement Law of 1937 systems

Twenty California counties operate retirement systems under the County Employees' Retirement Law of 1937, codified at Government Code Section 31450 and following. These are commonly called the 1937 Act systems or CERL systems. All 20 have full reciprocity with CalPERS.

The 20 counties are Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Ventura. The complete list appears on page 12 of CalPERS PUB 16.

The State Association of County Retirement Systems (SACRS) is the professional association for these plans. It publishes the annual actuarial valuation summaries and coordinates industry practice on reciprocity administration among the 20 systems.

Independent city and public agency reciprocal systems

Several California cities and special districts historically maintained their own retirement plans and later contracted with CalPERS to establish reciprocity. The reciprocal contract date determines which service credit qualifies for reciprocal treatment.

Where a city has since become a full CalPERS-covered employer (marked in the table above), reciprocity still applies to any service credit earned in the former city plan before the CalPERS contract took effect. That earlier service credit remains in the former plan and pays a separate allowance.

Not every California city plan appears on the list. If your former employer is not listed, no reciprocity exists between that plan and CalPERS, and any linking of benefits would follow the plan's own rules and any successor coverage. Confirm the current list directly with CalPERS before assuming reciprocity applies.

The University of California Retirement Plan

The University of California is a public agency that maintains the University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP). UCRP contracted with CalPERS to provide reciprocal benefits between the two systems effective October 1, 1963, per CalPERS PUB 16 page 12.

For members with UCRP defined benefit service and later CalPERS service, the final compensation exchange allows CalPERS to use the highest 12 or 36 month average annual compensation from either system. Both systems must have the same retirement date, and the compensation used must comply with CalPERS regulations.

UC members who chose the defined contribution Savings Choice option after 2016 are not in UCRP for reciprocity purposes. Reciprocity requires membership in a defined benefit plan. Confirm your UC benefit status with the UC Retirement Administration Service Center before assuming reciprocity applies.

CalSTRS, JRS, JRS II, and LRS: limited benefits

The California State Teachers' Retirement System, the Judges' Retirement System, the Judges' Retirement System II, and the Legislators' Retirement System are not formal reciprocal systems with CalPERS. CalPERS PUB 16 page 9 lists them as non-reciprocal plans that share similar benefits under a separate agreement.

The similar-benefit treatment includes the final compensation exchange. CalPERS uses the highest 12 or 36 month average annual compensation as a member of CalSTRS, JRS, JRS II, LRS, or CalPERS, provided the member retires on the same date from all qualifying systems.

Disability retirement between these systems has narrower rules. CalPERS PUB 16 page 10 states there is no provision for a CalPERS disability retirement when the member is eligible for a disability benefit from CalSTRS, JRS, JRS II, or LRS. Contact the other system for its rules.

The six-month rule between memberships

To qualify for full reciprocity, a CalPERS member must enter employment resulting in membership in the new reciprocal system within six months of leaving employment with the prior qualifying system. The six-month rule is set by Government Code Section 20355 for periods on and after January 1, 1976.

The prior rule, in effect before January 1, 1976, was 90 days. Section 20355 replaced it with the current six-month rule as part of the 1995 recodification of the Public Employees' Retirement Law (source: California Government Code Section 20355).

A narrow one-year window applies to elected officers who move between elected offices on and after January 1, 1977, under Government Code Section 20356. The other public retirement system and the local contracting agency must have both elected to be subject to Section 20356. Otherwise the standard six-month window controls.

Leaving a CalPERS employer and taking a job with a non-reciprocal or private employer does not preserve reciprocity. The clock runs from the date of separation from the prior qualifying system to the date membership begins in the new qualifying system.

What reciprocity does and does not transfer

Reciprocity preserves several benefit rights and imposes several conditions. The effects are set by statute and by CalPERS regulations. The table below summarizes the main items using CalPERS PUB 16 as the source.

Source: CalPERS, When You Change Retirement Systems (PUB 16), Revised 10/2022. Checked August 2026 at calpers.ca.gov/documents/change-retirement-systems/download?inline. Confirm any specific figure with CalPERS.

Two points recur in reader questions about reciprocity. First, no money moves between systems. Second, service credit does not merge. Each system uses its own formula and pays its own allowance. The final compensation exchange is the main dollars-and-cents effect for most members.

How to establish reciprocity with CalPERS

The steps below describe the general mechanics for a California public employee moving between qualifying systems. They do not replace CalPERS Customer Contact Center guidance on your specific membership.

1. Confirm the prior and new systems are qualifying reciprocal systems. Check the current list on CalPERS PUB 16 page 12 and the non-reciprocal similar-benefits list on page 9. If either system is not listed, reciprocity does not apply.
2. Time the move within six months. The date of separation from the prior qualifying system and the date membership begins in the new system must be six months or less apart, per Government Code Section 20355. A one-year window applies only to certain elected officers under Section 20356.
3. Do not overlap employment. CalPERS PUB 16 page 6 requires the member to discontinue employment from the first system before entering membership with the subsequent system. Time counted as leave still counts as employment.
4. Keep prior contributions and service credit on deposit. CalPERS PUB 16 page 6 requires the member to leave service credit and contributions in the first system. A refund of contributions before establishing reciprocity generally breaks the link.
5. Submit the Confirmation of Intent form to CalPERS. Log in to myCalPERS, select Retirement then Retirement Summary, and under Reciprocity choose submit a request to establish reciprocity. A paper Confirmation of Intent form is included in PUB 16 (form CalPERS-1006, Revised 10/2022) for members who prefer to mail the request.
6. Wait for the CalPERS determination letter. CalPERS reviews the request and sends a letter confirming receipt. The determination status is visible in the myCalPERS account. If limited reciprocity applies rather than full, CalPERS notifies the member of the specific benefits available.
7. Coordinate concurrent retirement. Both systems must receive a retirement application for the same retirement date. Contact each system three to six months before the intended retirement date to allow processing time.
8. Apply for the final compensation exchange if appropriate. If the member believes a prior system paid a higher salary than the last CalPERS employer, notify CalPERS in the retirement application. CalPERS uses the highest 12 or 36 month average annual compensation from any reciprocal system, subject to regulation.

None of these steps replaces confirmation from CalPERS on your specific membership. A California licensed CPA or attorney can help you fit the reciprocity outcome into your broader retirement income and estate plan.

When this page does not answer your question

This page covers reciprocity between CalPERS and the California public retirement systems on the current CalPERS PUB 16 list. Several adjacent topics are worth flagging so a reader does not draw the wrong conclusion from what is here.

• Federal Social Security offsets. Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset were repealed by the federal Social Security Fairness Act signed into law on January 5, 2025, per the Social Security Administration. Effects on your specific CalPERS or CalSTRS benefit require confirmation with SSA and your California CPA.
• Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). FERS and the federal Civil Service Retirement System are federal plans and do not participate in California reciprocity. Federal service does not link into CalPERS.
• Out-of-state public retirement systems. A pension earned in another state does not link to CalPERS through reciprocity. Only the systems listed on CalPERS PUB 16 pages 9 and 12 qualify.
• Private sector pensions or IRAs. Reciprocity applies only among the listed California public retirement systems. Private pensions and individual retirement accounts follow separate federal rules.
• Purchase of service credit. Buying additional service credit within CalPERS is governed by separate statutes and CalPERS Service Credit Purchase Options guidance. It is not the same mechanism as reciprocity.
• Divorce and community property. Court orders under California Family Code and CalPERS Community Property administration operate independently of reciprocity. A divorce order affects each system on its own terms.

None of these situations replaces professional advice. A California licensed CPA or a fiduciary financial planner should confirm your specific facts before you assume a particular retirement outcome.

Reciprocity, answered

Does CalPERS have reciprocity with CalSTRS?

Not formally. CalPERS PUB 16 page 9 lists CalSTRS as a non-reciprocal system that shares similar benefits with CalPERS. The final compensation exchange applies, and the member must retire on the same date from both systems. Disability retirement provisions are narrower than in a full reciprocal relationship.

Which California county pension systems have reciprocity with CalPERS?

All 20 California counties that operate a retirement system under the County Employees' Retirement Law of 1937 have full reciprocity with CalPERS. The list appears on CalPERS PUB 16 page 12 and includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Orange, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Ventura.

Does the University of California Retirement Plan have reciprocity with CalPERS?

Yes. UCRP has full reciprocity with CalPERS effective October 1, 1963, per CalPERS PUB 16 page 12. The final compensation exchange applies between UCRP defined benefit service and CalPERS service, subject to CalPERS regulations. UC Savings Choice defined contribution accounts are not eligible for reciprocity.

Does reciprocity move my money from one system to the other?

No. CalPERS PUB 16 page 1 states there is no transfer of funds or service credit between systems when reciprocity is established. The member becomes a member of both systems. Each system pays its own separate allowance based on the service credit and contributions in that system.

How long do I have between jobs to keep reciprocity intact?

Six months, per Government Code Section 20355. The member must enter employment resulting in membership in the new reciprocal system within six months of leaving employment with the prior qualifying system. A one-year window applies only to certain elected officers under Section 20356.

Do I have to retire from both systems on the same date?

Yes for full reciprocity, per CalPERS PUB 16 pages 1 and 6. There is a narrow exception: a member who retires under a service retirement from another reciprocal system before meeting the CalPERS minimum retirement age may later retire from CalPERS effective on the date the CalPERS age requirement is met. The final compensation exchange still applies.

Can I take a refund from CalPERS if I move to another California retirement system?

Not during the six-month window that preserves reciprocity. CalPERS PUB 16 page 7 states a member cannot receive a refund of CalPERS contributions if the member enters a reciprocal system, CalSTRS, JRS, JRS II, or LRS within six months of leaving CalPERS employment. A refund can follow later, but it generally ends the reciprocal link.

Does reciprocity help me qualify for CalPERS retiree health coverage?

No. CalPERS PUB 16 page 4 states that service credit earned in the other reciprocal system does not count toward eligibility for CalPERS retiree health coverage. The vesting rule for the pension itself is separate: reciprocity may allow retirement without meeting the CalPERS minimum service credit, provided the minimum age is met.