Service Pension Eligibility Requirements for Defined Contribution Retirement Plans

Relief association members must meet several requirements to be eligible for a service pension distribution. Please note that these requirements may be different from or do not apply to disability and survivor benefit distributions. Rules regarding service pension eligibility requirements depend, in part, on the relief association’s pension plan type, state law and relief association bylaw provisions in effect on the date that each member separated from active service and membership.

To be eligible for a service pension from a defined contribution plan, a member must:

  1. separate from active service with the fire department;

  2. reach minimum retirement age if specified in the bylaws;

  3. complete at least five years of active fire department service (the bylaws may require a higher minimum service requirement);

  4. complete at least five years of active relief association membership (the bylaws may require a higher minimum membership requirement); and

  5. comply with any additional age, service, or membership conditions prescribed in the bylaws.

A 2025 law change allows distributions from defined contribution plans as soon as practicable following a firefighter’s separation from service, instead of requiring the firefighter to be at least age 50. This change went into effect on January 1, 2026, and requires the relief association to amend its bylaws.

When a member submits an application for a distribution, the relief association’s board of trustees must determine whether the member has met each of these requirements to be eligible for the distribution. The board of trustees should confirm dates of service, breaks in service, and leaves of absence provided on the application against the fire chief’s annual certification of service credit and against the relief association’s personnel records. The board of trustees should also confirm that the member has met the minimum retirement age to receive the distribution, if one is specified in the bylaws.

An appeal process should be in place so that a member can appeal a decision should the board of trustees determine that the member is ineligible to receive the service pension and votes against approval of the distribution.

Additional Resources

Relief associations that operate as a defined contribution plan can refer to our Bylaw Guides, see Article VII, for language on service pensions and eligibility requirements.

Last Updated September 2026