If you call or write the Michigan Office of Retirement Services (ORS), we can access your member information and tell you how many years are reflected in your record. Please state that you are in the Judges' Retirement System and include your Social Security number and date of birth in any correspondence. Also, for future reference, your years of service are shown on your annual Member Statement that is sent to you after the first of the year.

Yes. You may request confirmation by faxing or writing ORS. Include your Social Security number and date of birth.

You earn service credit for each year and full month of service as a member of the Judges' Retirement System. You can earn no more than 1 year of service credit within any 12-month period. Service credit is calculated by subtracting your hire date from the current date or anticipated retirement date and if you have purchased out-of-system and/or military service credit, then adding this to your employment service credit.

You may purchase the following types of other public service:

• Service as a former elected state official who received an annual state salary for service performed in that office.
• Service as a municipal judge.
• Service as a justice of the peace in a governmental unit.
• Service as a judge under the former Judges' Retirement System or former Probate Judges' Retirement System if credit for that service has not already been granted.
• For a state official, previous state service.

Your out-of-system service is not creditable if you or a beneficiary are, or will be, receiving a pension or annuity for the same service from another public retirement system.

You should send a written request to the Michigan Judges' Retirement System stating the type of service you wish to purchase, the name of the municipality where the service was performed, the dates of the service, and the number of years of service you wish to purchase.

You must make your request to receive buy-in service credit and pay for it before you terminate judicial (or state) service.

The payment required for out-of-system service is the actuarial cost of the service calculated on an individual basis.

Out-of-system service purchase requests are submitted to the system's actuary for determination of the cost.

The purchase of out-of-system service is expensive as it is the actuarial present value of the additional benefits gained as a result of the service purchased.

You should submit a letter requesting the cost of a specific number of years and months of service and provide certification of that service, showing the actual dates of service, from the municipality.

To apply for military service credit, you must submit a written request to purchase the service and a photocopy of your military papers (DD214) showing entry and separation dates. If you do not have a copy of your military papers, write to:

National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132

If you are credited with 12 or more years of service, you can receive credit for up to a maximum of 2 years of active duty in the United States Armed Forces.

The payment for military service is determined by multiplying your annual compensation for retirement in the year you make payment by 5% and then multiplying the result by the number of years and months you wish to purchase, but not to exceed 2 years.

You must relinquish for yourself and your beneficiaries any rights to a retirement allowance payable from another retirement system for the same period of military service.

No application needs to be completed. You may request a billing statement by faxing, writing, or calling ORS. Be sure to include your Social Security number, and date of birth in any correspondence and state that you are a member of the Judges' Retirement System.

You must meet the following requirements to repay your refund:

• Upon return to membership, you must earn at least 6 months or more of service as a member of the Judges' Retirement System.
• You must be serving in judicial office (elected office) to repay your refund.
• You must make repayment before you leave judicial office (elected office).

Your cost to repay the refund includes the amount of the refund, plus interest. The interest is charged from the date of the refund to the date of payment. Simple interest is charged on the amount withdrawn. Simple interest is interest at one or more annual rates determined by the State of Michigan Retirement Board. The interest is cumulative, based on a set rate for a specific period of time.

No. Only lump-sum payments are accepted.

Yes. You may request an updated billing statement by faxing, writing, or calling ORS. Be sure to include your Social Security number and date of birth in any correspondence and state that you are a member of the Judges' Retirement System.

And remember that payments for additional service credit must be made before you leave judicial service (elected service).

Please allow at least 10 working days. Then you may fax, write, or call ORS to see if it has been recorded in your member account. Be sure to include your Social Security number and date of birth in any correspondence and state that you are a member of the Judges' Retirement System.

Once you have accrued 4 years of membership service under the Judges' Retirement System, the purchase of out-of-system service will be included in the eight-year vesting requirement. The only exception is military service, as you must be credited with 12 years of service to be eligible to purchase military service.

You may request a statement of account by faxing, writing, or calling ORS. Be sure to include your Social Security number, and date of birth in any correspondence and state that you are a member of the Judges' Retirement System. Also, for future reference, an annual Member Statement is mailed to each member at their court address after the first of the year.

Credit purchased is added to total Judges' Retirement System service. However, you receive the maximum benefit with 16 years of service. If you have, or will accrue 16 years before you leave office, purchasing additional service credit will not enhance your retirement benefit.

Your money cannot be refunded for purchased service if you accrue more than 16 years of service.