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Enroll In DROP

Click here if you are already in DROP.

Who is eligible to participate in DROP?

You are eligible to enter DROP if you are in:

Tier 2 or Tier 4 and have at least 25 years of service, or
Tier 3, Tier 5, or Tier 6 and have at least 25 years of service and are at least age 50.

DROP is available to the following members of the Fire and Police Pension Plan, if all other eligibility requirements have been met:

Police Department: All members of the Police Department, except for the Chief of Police,
Fire Department: All members of the Fire Department, except for the Chief Engineer,
Harbor Department: All members of the Harbor Department, or
Airport Department: All members of the Airport Department.

Note: On the day you enter DROP, you must be on active duty/working status, (includes light-duty). If you are on a non-working status, (sick, IOD, vacation, accumulated time off, etc.) your intended effective date of DROP participation will be adjusted to reflect the date which you returned to active duty/working status. Here is a list of DROP Entry Active Duty Payroll Codes.

How long may I participate in DROP?

Members who entered DROP prior to February 1, 2019, may participate in DROP up to a maximum of 60 months (5 years). See below for new provisions applicable to members entering on or after February 1, 2019.

How does DROP work?

While in DROP, your monthly pension payment is held in a nominal account with a guaranteed interest rate of 5% annually.

When you decide to leave the DROP program (after 1 day or up to 5 years maximum), you are required to terminate sworn employment with the Fire, Police, Harbor or Airport Department.
You will then begin to receive your service pension benefits on a monthly basis.
In addition, you may receive your accumulated DROP account balance in a lump-sum, rollover or combination lump-sum and rollover.

What happens once I enroll in DROP?

You are considered “retired” for pension calculation purposes only; no further service credit is earned. Your service credit accrual and all of your eligibility conditions are frozen on the date you enter DROP.
You must purchase prior service time, lost service time (Tier 2), Workers’ Compensation State Rate Time or Academy/Drill Tower Time (Tiers 3, 4, 5, 6) prior to enrollment in DROP for that time to be counted toward your service credit. Purchases of service must be completed prior to enrollment in DROP.
You must be on active duty/working status (includes light-duty) on your DROP entry effective date. If you are on a non-working status (sick, IOD, vacation, accumulated time off, etc.), your intended effective date of DROP participation will be automatically adjusted to reflect the date when you returned to active duty/working status.
The following provisions only affect members who enter DROP on or after February 1, 2019:
Your participation in DROP will be suspended for any calendar month in which you do not spend at least 112 work hours on “active duty” status;
If you sustain a serious injury on duty and are admitted to the hospital for a minimum of 3 consecutive days as a direct result of that injury, your participation will not be suspended during the first 12 calendar months following the date of injury;
If your DROP participation is suspended, you will be eligible to participate in DROP for a maximum of 30 additional months beyond your original 5-year/60-month participation period. Your participation period can only be extended for as many months as your participation was suspended;
No interest accrues on your DROP account following the initial 5-year/60-month participation period, including any periods of participation suspension.

DROP Active Duty Payroll Codes

Planning to enter DROP?

Follow these steps to ensure a smooth enrollment process!

Purchase(s) of Service Credit.

You must complete all purchases of service credit prior to entering DROP. A purchase is considered completed when LAFPP has received payment in full. Please contact the LAFPP Active Member Services Section regarding purchases of service credit.

Service credit should be purchased no less than six months prior to your anticipated retirement or DROP entry date.

Obtain a Letter of Intent (LOI) to Enroll in DROP.

Your LOI will be prepared by the LAFPP Benefits Specialist.

Harbor Port Police members: Please obtain your LOI by contacting Harbor Department Human Resources.

Airport Police members: Please obtain your LOI by contacting Airport Department Human Resources.

Schedule a DROP Entry appointment.

Call the LAFPP DROP/Service Pensions Section to schedule an appointment no more than 60 days and no less than 3 days prior to your intended DROP entry effective date.
Appointments are required and must be scheduled with the LAFPP Benefits Specialist assigned to process your entry.
Once an appointment has been scheduled, your DROP Entry packet will be emailed to you. Prior to your scheduled appointment, complete the entry packet forms, but do not sign them.

You must submit your application to enroll in DROP by appointment only.

Bring the following to your DROP Entry appointment:

Your California Drivers License or department picture ID card,
Social Security numbers and birth certificates for your spouse/domestic partner and any minor/dependent children,
Marriage certificate or state-registered domestic partnership documents (if not already on file with LAFPP), and
Dissolution of marriage documents for all prior marriages.
Harbor Port and Airport Police members: You must also bring the LOI prepared by your department.

Consider the following before entering DROP:

You have until one day prior to your DROP entry effective date to change your mind and revoke your DROP application. Afterwards, your decision to participate in DROP becomes irrevocable.
Per the Los Angeles Administrative Code, Section 4.2101(c)(1), your DROP entry date may not be backdated.
You must be on active duty status on your DROP entry date. In the event you are sick, on vacation or on any other non-working status on this day, your DROP entry date will automatically be advanced to the next qualifying date.

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the DROP Section at (213) 279-3100 or (844) 88-LAFPP, Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (PDT), excluding weekends and City Holidays.

DROP Frequently Asked Questions

Terminate Your Domestic Partnership

A domestic partnership terminates automatically when any one of the following occurs:

One partner gives, or sends by certified mail, to the other partner a written notice that he or she is terminating the partnership,
One of the domestic partners dies, or
One of the domestic partners marries or enters into a domestic partnership with someone else.

Upon termination of the domestic partnership, one of the domestic partners must file a Notice of Termination of Domestic Partnership with the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions. You can submit the form through MyLAFPP, which is the preferred and secure option for sending files to LAFPP.

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the Active Members Services Section at (213) 279-3140 or (844) 88-LAFPP.

File a Domestic Partnership

Domestic partners are two adults who have chosen to share one another’s lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring. Qualified Domestic Partners receive the same survivorship benefits under the LAFPP Plan as Qualified Surviving Spouses. Follow these steps to file a domestic partnership.

NOTE: A new Declaration of Domestic Partnership cannot be filed within six months from the date that a Notice of Termination of Domestic Partnership was filed with the Department. This six-month waiting period does not apply if the prior domestic partnership was terminated because of a partner’s death or marriage.

Confirm you and your domestic partner meet the following requirements. You both are:

Capable of consenting to the domestic partnership,
Not married or a member of another domestic partnership,
Not related by blood, and
At least 18 years of age, or have met the requirements of Family Code section 297.1.

You and your partner must complete a Declaration of Domestic Partnership.

Submit your completed Declaration of Domestic Partnership form through MyLAFPP, which is the preferred and secure option for sending files to LAFPP. You can also send it by mail, fax to (213) 628-7716 or by email to amssection@lafpp.com.

NOTES:

If you already filed and established your domestic partnership with another agency, such as the State of California, or another City of Los Angeles Department, submit your documentary proof to LAFPP. Acceptable documentary proof includes a copy of a State of California Declaration of Domestic Partnership/Certificate of Registration, a copy of an affidavit or declaration of domestic partnership filed with another City of Los Angeles Department, a formal letter of acknowledgement from another City Department, or similar documentary proof of a domestic partnership filed in another jurisdiction, subject to legal review by the Office of the City Attorney.

If you and your domestic partner are both LAFPP Plan members, only one member needs to submit the Declaration of Domestic Partnership or documentary proof of the domestic partnership filing with another agency/City department. It will be cross-filed and will apply to both of your pension benefits.

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the Active Members Services Section at (213) 279-3140, (844) 88-LAFPP or by email at amssection@lafpp.com.

Apply for a Service Pension

Ready to retire? Follow these steps to apply for a Service Pension!

Obtain your Letter of Intent (LOI) to Retire.

At least six weeks before your desired retirement date, schedule an appointment with your department’s counselor to begin the application process. At your appointment, your counselor will help you prepare your LOI and:

Provide information regarding unused sick, vacation and overtime balances;
Help you select a pension effective date that will be advantageous to you; and
Make your retirement appointment with LAFPP DROP/Service Pensions Section

Submit Required Documents to LAFPP.

Next, you will meet with the LAFPP Benefits Specialist to apply for service retirement. Please bring your LOI to Retire (signed by you and your employing department)to your appointment. In addition, please bring any of the following personal documents and certificates that are not on file, including:

Your marriage certificate or proof of dissolution of prior marriage(s), such as final dissolution of marriage decree(s) or death certificate(s),
Birth certificate(s) for your minor or dependent children, and/or
Letter from the Department confirming filing of a Declaration of Domestic Partnership.

At your appointment, you will complete the following forms and receive information on non-taxable contributions and retaining current voluntary deductions. Click here to view the various Service Retirement Forms.

Receive First Pension Check.

The LAFPP Benefits Specialist will process your completed application and forms. You will receive your first pension check at the end of the following month after your retirement effective date.

You have until one day prior to your service pension effective date to change your mind and revoke your application. Afterwards, your decision to retire becomes irrevocable. You must notify your counselor at DROP/Service Pensions Section and complete the Service Pension Rescission Notice.

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the DROP/Service Pensions Section at (213) 279-3100 or (844) 88-LAFPP.

Applying for a Disability Pension

The disability application process is time-consuming. It may take up to a year or more from the date of filing an application until the final Board determination. The process includes:

Review of applicable medical and personnel records,
Examination by a minimum of three physicians, and
A hearing before the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners.

DROP Members: If you are granted a disability pension after entering DROP, you will forfeit your DROP account and receive the disability pension as if you never entered DROP. You waive your right to apply for, or be granted a disability pension once you have taken distribution of your DROP account.

Applications may be withdrawn at any time prior to Board determination.

If you believe you may have incurred a disabling injury or illness, you should contact the Disability Pension Section for further information regarding the process.

Learn more about your disability benefits.

To begin the application process, review the information booklet and complete the forms:

Tiers 3-6 Disability Pension Information Booklet & Application

Disability Pension Survivor Application

Please make copies for your records and send the originals to:
Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions
Disability Pensions Section
701 E. Third St., Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the Disability Pensions Section at (213) 279-3165 or (844) 88-LAFPP.

Purchase Military or Public Service

If you are an active member who served in the military or were employed by another public agency, you may be able to purchase that time under the Public Service Purchase (PSP) Program, subject to the requirements and limitations established by the PSP Ordinance.

Why Purchase Military or Public Service?

The service purchased will count towards increasing the monthly pension allowance that you and your qualified survivors would receive from the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension (LAFPP) Plan. Learn more about the PSP Program.

Use the steps below to purchase military or public service.

Obtain a Cost Estimate.

Log in to MyLAFPP and click on the ”+” symbol next to Benefits & Calculators. Click on Get a PSP/Buyback Estimate/Application, then click on Public Service Purchase Estimate. Enter the information in the required fields and click Submit to generate a cost estimate.

Submit an Application to Purchase the Service.

If service with a public employer is being purchased, an Application to Purchase Public Service is required to verify service with the prior public employer. If military time is being purchased, an Application to Purchase Military Service must be submitted along with the original copy of your ”Form DD-214, Report of Separation”. Your original DD-214 will be returned to you upon staff’s verification. Submit your application and any required documents through MyLAFPP, which is the preferred and secure option for sending files to LAFPP. You can also send it by mail, fax to (213) 628-7716, or by email to amssection@lafpp.com.

Select Payment Method(s).

After verifying the service, LAFPP staff will calculate the cost of the certified service time based on information obtained from the member, such as expected retirement date, number of survivors, etc. LAFPP will process the purchase according to the member’s method(s) of payment. Members may select from the following payment options, subject to applicable IRS provisions:

Lump-sum
Payroll Deduction
Trustee-to-Trustee Transfer from the City’s Deferred Compensation Plan or another eligible retirement plan within the state of California

Please note: The time required to verify service is ideally 30 – 90 days. However, it may take longer depending on how quickly the public agency responds to LAFPP’s request for information.

True-up the Cost.

Under the following circumstances, a “true-up” or recalculation of the cost for the purchased service will be made prior to the date of retirement on a service pension or date of DROP entry:

An advance purchase was made 180 days or more prior to the actual date of retirement on a service pension or DROP entry; or,
If the retirement or DROP entry date differs from that specified at the time of purchase; or,
If there is a change in the number of known eligible survivors from that specified at the time of purchase; or,
In the event the pension base differs from that estimated at the time of purchase.

If the trued-up cost is less than the amount the member has paid, including assumed investment earnings, the difference can be refunded upon member’s separation from City service or used to purchase additional eligible service.

If the trued-up cost exceeds what the member has paid, including assumed investment earnings, it will be possible to make a lump-sum payment prior to retirement/DROP entry to complete the purchase or receive pro-rated service based on the amount already paid.

Credit of Service Purchased.

Time will be added to the member’s record upon receipt of a lump sum payment or rollover transfer. If the member elected payroll deductions, service will be added incrementally as payments are received.

Things to Consider:

If you select the option to transfer funds from your Deferred Compensation account or another eligible retirement plan, you will receive a Trustee-to-Trustee Transfer/Direct Rollover Form. You must complete the “Member” section and then request the plan’s administrator to complete the “Plan Sponsor” section of the form. Please note that for transfers from the City’s Deferred Compensation Plan, Voya Financial is the plan administrator and they will return your form to Active Member Services along with the payment check to complete the transfer.
Purchasing your service under the PSP program can be a fairly lengthy process.

Please submit your request at least six months before your anticipated retirement or DROP entry date.

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the Active Member Services Section at (213) 279-3140 or (844) 88-LAFPP (52377).

Purchase Recruit Training Time

If you are an active member of Tiers 3, 4, 5 or 6, you may be able to increase your years of service credit for pension purposes. You may purchase the time spent in the fire drill tower or police academy to count toward your pension.

Why Purchase Time?
Purchasing your recruit training time:

Brings you closer to having five years of service, which is when you become eligible for nonservice-connected disability pension benefits
Brings you closer to the five-year threshold for a nonservice-connected lifetime survivor pension
Brings you closer to the minimum years required for a service pension, depending on your tier
Adds to your service pension percentage, up to the allowed maximum pension percentage for your tier

Use the steps below to purchase your recruit training time.

Obtain a Cost Estimate.

Log in to MyLAFPP and click on the ”+” symbol next to Benefits & Calculators. Click on Get a PSP/Buyback Estimate/Application, then click on Basic Training Purchase Estimate. Verify your recruit training dates and click on Submit to generate a cost estimate.

Select Payment Method.

You may purchase your recruit training time using one of the following payment methods:

Lump sum
Payroll deduction
Direct rollover/ transfer from the City’s Deferred Compensation Plan or another eligible retirement plan

Submit a Request to Purchase.

If you want to proceed with the purchase, you must complete and submit the “Request for Contract or Payment Instructions” form included in your estimate. You may submit the form through MyLAFPP, which is the preferred and secure option for sending files to LAFPP. You can also send it by mail, fax to (213) 628-7716, or by email to amssection@lafpp.com.

Complete Purchase.

Based on the payment method(s) you select, additional forms will be mailed to you in 6-8 weeks. In order to finalize the purchase, please complete and return the forms as instructed.

Your purchase cannot be completed until you submit these forms.

Things to Consider:

If you have less than five years of service, you must first transfer your entire Pension Savings Plan (for Part-time Seasonal and Temporary Employees) balance into your Deferred Compensation account, or other pre-tax source, then use your Deferred Compensation funds (as a trustee-to-trustee transfer) to purchase your recruit training time. If there is still a balance, you may pay the balance as a lump sum payment or through payroll deduction, or a combination of both. If you choose payroll deduction a service charge is applied. See your Summary Plan Description for more details.
If you select the option to transfer funds from your Deferred Compensation account or another eligible retirement plan, you will receive a Trustee-to-Trustee Transfer/Direct Rollover Form. You must complete the “Member” section and then request the plan’s administrator to complete the “Plan Sponsor” section of the form. Please note that for transfers from the City’s Deferred Compensation Plan, Voya Financial is the plan administrator and they will return your form to Active Member Services along with the payment check to complete the transfer.
Purchasing your service can be a fairly lengthy process.

Please submit your request at least six months before your anticipated retirement or DROP entry date.

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the Active Member Services Section at (213) 279-3140 or (844) 88-LAFPP (52377).

Update a Mailing Address

To change your mailing address, you must update your information with your employing department – Fire, Police, Harbor, or Airport, by using one of the appropriate forms listed below. Your mailing address will be updated with the Controller’s Office, then uploaded into the LAFPP database.

Fire	F-8
Police	138
Harbor Port Police	Change of Employee Personal Information Form
Airport Police	Change of Employee Personal Information Form
DROP Members	Contact your DROP Counselor

By keeping your department informed of your new address, we will be better able to ensure you receive newsletters, pre-retirement seminar invitations, and other important benefit information.

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the Active Member Services at (213) 279-3140 or (844) 88-LAFPP.

Determine Tier Membership

Your tier membership is determined by the date you were hired. However, please note that there are certain exceptions that may occur based on personnel actions such as reappointments, reinstatements, and elections to transfer tiers. The effective dates of each pension plan tier are available in the table below.

Tier 2	January 29, 1967 – December 7, 1980
Tier 3	December 8, 1980 – June 30, 1997
Tier 4	July 1, 1997 – December 31, 2001
Tier 5	January 1, 2002 – June 30, 2011
Tier 6	July 1, 2011 – Present

Questions?

If you have any questions, you may contact the Active Member Services Section at (213) 279-3140 or (844) 88-LAFPP.

Update Your Beneficiaries Online

You may now submit or update your beneficiary designation(s) electronically by logging into MyLAFPP, your member self-service portal. Updating your beneficiary designation through MyLAFPP is the fastest, easiest, and secure way to make beneficiary changes. Your changes will immediately update your pension record without any delays!

Please refer to the Helpdesk for step-by-step instructions on how to register for MyLAFPP/request a PIN, update your beneficiary designation, recover your username, reset a password, and other helpful tools.

You may also update your beneficiary information by submitting a completed Designation of Beneficiary form. You can submit the form through MyLAFPP, which is the preferred and secure option for sending files to LAFPP. The Designation of Beneficiary form is available on our website under Resources & Forms. You can also send it by by mail, fax to (213) 628-7716, or by email to amssection@lafpp.com.

Why do I need to designate a beneficiary?

In the event that you pass away prior to retirement, circumstances may only allow for a refund of your pension contributions and accrued interest to your designated beneficiary – not a Survivor Pension. If you do not have a beneficiary designation on file with LAFPP:

Your pension contributions and accrued interest will be paid based on the Plan’s order of succession as stated in the City Charter and Administrative Code provisions: 1) Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner; 2) Children; 3) Parents; 4) Executor or Administrator of your estate, or to any other person legally authorized to collect money due to you. If the Plan’s order of succession is insufficient to pay a beneficiary, then the California Intestate Succession laws will be applied. See California Intestate Section 6402 for more information.
Additionally, if your total estate (including your pension contributions and accrued interest) is greater than the prescribed limit found in California Probate Code Section 13100, then probate proceedings will need to be initiated.

As an active member, it is very important to maintain a current beneficiary designation with LAFPP. Doing so ensures that your pension contributions and accrued interest will be paid to the person(s) of your choice and the refund will not be delayed by probate, regardless of your estate’s value.

Note: Should you pass away and leave someone eligible for a survivor pension (i.e., spouse/domestic partner, minor/dependent children, dependent parent), your contributions and accrued interest will not be refunded, although your eligible survivor(s) may receive your contributions as part of the Basic Death Benefit, if applicable.

Please review the Qualified Survivor Handbook for more information on survivor benefits.

How do I make changes?

Follow the instructions below to learn how to update your beneficiaries online.

Important: In order to access your information, you must first register to the MyLAFPP member portal. Please refer to the MyLAFPP Helpdesk on how to register and other helpful self-service “How-to’s.”

Enter your username and password, then click Log In.

Important: Usernames and Passwords are case sensitive.

Click Beneficiary Information

Click “Beneficiaries”

Review Your Elected Beneficiaries

Click “Update Designations” to make changes or “Print Designations” to print a copy.

Add or Update Your PRIMARY Designation

You will be asked to provide a SECONDARY (contingent) designation later. NOTE: You will not be able to designate the same individuals for Primary and Secondary.

To add a NEW beneficiary:

A. Select “Add New Beneficiary” from the drop down box.
B. Click “Add Primary Beneficiary”
C. Select the relationship type and fill in the required information in the boxes provided.

Click: How to Add a Trust
Click: How to Add a Spouse/Domestic Partner
D. Click Next. To add more than one PRIMARY designation, repeat steps A to C.
E. Enter the percentage (in whole numbers) you would like to designate. Click Next.

To add EXISTING beneficiaries:

A. Select an existing beneficiary from the drop down box.
B. Click “Add Primary Beneficiary”
C. If you would like to add more than one PRIMARY designation, repeat steps A and B or to add a “NEW” person/entity follow steps A-E for adding NEW beneficiary above.
D. Enter the percentage (in whole numbers) you would like to designate. Click Next.

Add or Update Your “Secondary” Designation

To add designations, follow instructions provided in Step 5. Click Next.

NOTE: In the event that all persons under Primary Beneficiary designation are deceased, we will look to your Secondary Beneficiary designations. You will not be able to designate the same individuals for Primary and Secondary.

Confirm Your Elections

The summary screen shows you the latest changes you made. Click “Back” to change your elections, otherwise, click “Next”.

Read Disclaimer and Click Submit to Process Your Designations

A confirmation screen will open to let you know your elections have been submitted. Click on “Beneficiaries” Menu to return and view a summary of your designations. You may print a copy for your records or update your elections at any time.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding beneficiary designation, please contact the Active Members Services Section at (213) 279-3140 or by email at amssection@lafpp.com.