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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>81012</law_id><section_number>51.1-217</section_number><catch_line>Service retirement allowance</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>51.1-165</reference><reference>51.1-165.01</reference><reference>51.1-217</reference><reference>51.1-218</reference><reference>51.1-219</reference><reference>51.1-220</reference><reference>51.1-221</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="51.1">Pensions, Benefits, and Retirement</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="2.1">Virginia Law Officers' Retirement System</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A <span class="dictionary">member</span> shall receive an annual retirement allowance, payable for life, as follows: <a id="paragraph-290391" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-217/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Normal retirement.
				a. Notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-155/">51.1-155</a>, <a class="law" title="Exceptions from general early retirement provisions for certain state employees and constitutional officers" href="/51.1-155.1/">51.1-155.1</a> and <a class="law" title="Exceptions from general early retirement provisions for certain local government officials" href="/51.1-155.2/">51.1-155.2</a>, for any <span class="dictionary">employee</span> commencing employment or reemployment on or after July 1, 2001, and for any <span class="dictionary">employee</span> who makes the election provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Election of benefits" href="/51.1-221/">51.1-221</a>, the allowance shall equal (i) two percent of his average final compensation multiplied by the amount of creditable service earned (a) as a <span class="dictionary">member</span> in the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> established by this chapter, (b) as a <span class="dictionary">member</span> in the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> established by Chapter 2 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="State Police Officers' Retirement System continued; administration; application of provisions of Virginia Retirement System" href="/51.1-200/">51.1-200</a> et seq.) of Title 51.1, or (c) while earning the benefits permitted by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Benefits" href="/51.1-138/">51.1-138</a>; and (ii) 1.70 percent of his average final compensation multiplied by all other creditable service, if any; and
				b. For any other <span class="dictionary">employee</span>, the allowance shall equal 1.70 percent of his average final compensation multiplied by the amount of creditable service. <a id="paragraph-290392" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-217/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Early retirement. &#x2014; The allowance shall be determined in the same manner as for normal retirement with creditable service and average final compensation being determined as of the date of actual retirement.
				a. For an individual retiring pursuant to subdivision B 1 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement generally" href="/51.1-216/">51.1-216</a>, who is not retiring directly from service as an <span class="dictionary">employee</span> as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/51.1-212/">51.1-212</a>, and who has less than thirty years of service shall retire under the provisions of the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> for which he is a <span class="dictionary">member</span> as of his retirement date; and
				b. For all other individuals retiring pursuant to subdivision B 1 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement generally" href="/51.1-216/">51.1-216</a>, and for an individual retiring pursuant to subdivision B 2 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement generally" href="/51.1-216/">51.1-216</a> who has less than twenty-five years of service at retirement, the amount of the retirement allowance shall be reduced on an actuarial equivalent basis for the period by which the actual retirement date precedes the earlier of (i) his <span class="dictionary">normal retirement date</span> or (ii) the first date on or after his fiftieth birthday on which he would have completed a total of twenty-five years of creditable service. <a id="paragraph-290393" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-217/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any person who is an <span class="dictionary">employee</span> on June 30, 2001, and on July 1, 2001, who does not make the election provided in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Election of benefits" href="/51.1-221/">51.1-221</a>, shall receive, in addition to the allowance payable under subsection A, from the date of his retirement until his sixty-fifth birthday, an annual allowance equal to $9,264. Beginning July 1, 2001, and biennially thereafter, such allowance shall be reviewed and adjusted by the Board to an amount recommended by the actuary of the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Retirement System</span> based upon increases in Social Security benefits in the interim. This subsection shall not apply to the following: (i) any <span class="dictionary">member</span> who qualifies for retirement under subsection C of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement generally" href="/51.1-216/">51.1-216</a> and is credited with less than twenty years&#x2019; service rendered in a hazardous position or (ii) any <span class="dictionary">member</span> employed initially on or after July 1, 1974, who is credited with less than twenty years&#x2019; service rendered in a hazardous position. <a id="paragraph-290394" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-217/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If a beneficiary of a service retirement allowance under this chapter is at any time in service as an <span class="dictionary">employee</span> in a position covered for retirement purposes under the provisions of this or any chapter other than Chapter 7 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/51.1-700/">51.1-700</a> et seq.) of this title, his retirement allowance shall cease while so employed. <a id="paragraph-290395" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-217/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> No person shall be eligible to receive any of the allowances provided in this section if he receives retirement benefits under Chapter 2 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="State Police Officers' Retirement System continued; administration; application of provisions of Virginia Retirement System" href="/51.1-200/">51.1-200</a> et seq.) of Title 51.1 or under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Benefits" href="/51.1-138/">51.1-138</a>. No person shall receive any allowance pursuant to subdivision A 1 (i) if he has received an allowance pursuant to subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-206/">51.1-206</a> or subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-217/">51.1-217</a>, unless, after receiving the allowance pursuant to subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-206/">51.1-206</a> or subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Service retirement allowance" href="/51.1-217/">51.1-217</a>, he becomes employed or reemployed as an <span class="dictionary">employee</span> defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/51.1-212/">51.1-212</a>, and thereafter earns five or more years of creditable service (a) as a <span class="dictionary">member</span> in the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> established by this chapter, (b) as a <span class="dictionary">member</span> in the <span class="dictionary">retirement system</span> established by Chapter 2 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="State Police Officers' Retirement System continued; administration; application of provisions of Virginia Retirement System" href="/51.1-200/">51.1-200</a> et seq.) of Title 51.1, or (c) while earning the benefits permitted by &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Benefits" href="/51.1-138/">51.1-138</a>. <a id="paragraph-290396" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/51.1-217/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1999, c. 585; 2000, c. 911; 2001, c. 804; 2002, c. 466.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
