Purchases & Transfers of Service Credit
Repayment of a Prior Refund
You must be an active MERS member for at least six months before a repayment-of-refund cost calculation can be completed. Please allow 2–3 weeks for an invoice.
Reciprocal Recognition of Service
Reciprocal recognition allows you to combine non-refunded service credit held in two or more Louisiana state or statewide public retirement systems for eligibility purposes. Contributions remain in each system, and when eligible you may receive a benefit from each system. At least six months of MERS service credit is required to apply for reciprocal recognition.
Transfer of Creditable Service
You must be a MERS member for at least six months before transferring service credit from another Louisiana public retirement system. The application is valid for 90 days from the date you are informed of the cost and requires a $50 transfer-calculation fee.
Purchase Military Service
You may purchase up to four years of military service credit if you were honorably discharged. Military service credit cannot be used to meet the minimum eligibility requirements for retirement benefits.
Need help? Call MERS at 225-925-4810 or 1-800-820-1137.