New Membership

Welcome! IPERS is the largest public retirement system in Iowa, serving Iowans who work for public schools, state and local governments, law enforcement, and other public employers. We're glad you're here.

Automatic membership

Your membership in IPERS is automatic if you are a permanent full- or part-time public employee, no matter how much you earn, unless you are:

• Specifically excluded from membership by law.
• Allowed to elect out of the IPERS plan.

In general, you are considered an employee if you are subject to substantial control by the public
employer for which you perform services for pay. The term “control” refers only to employment and
includes control over how, where and when an employee performs work. The control may not need to be exercised for an employer-employee relationship to exist; the right to exercise the control is enough.

Every employee accepting covered employment or continuing in IPERS-covered employment is deemed to consent and agree to the deductions from compensation required by Iowa Code chapter 97B.

What's next?

Once you're enrolled, here are the most important things to do:

• Find your membership group — Regular, Protection Occupations, or Sheriff/Deputy Sheriff membership affects your contribution rate and benefit calculation.
• Designate a beneficiary — Determine who receives your benefits if you die before retirement.
• Understand how your benefit is calculated — Learn the formula that determines your retirement benefit.
• Learn about using My Account — Track your service credits, update your information, and more.
• Learn about earning service credits — Service credits determine when you're eligible to retire.

Welcome packet

Within two months of receiving your first paycheck, you should receive a welcome packet in the mail. Keep your welcome letter: it contains your member ID number and your My Account username.

If you didn’t receive a welcome packet or didn’t keep the letter, call IPERS at 800-622-3849, and we will help you access My Account.

Click here to view the New Member publication.

Member statuses

Understanding IPERS membership statuses can help you know where you stand, especially if you change jobs or take a break from public employment.

Temporary employees

IPERS defines a temporary employee as an individual hired to work for less than six consecutive months or on an irregular, seasonal or on-call basis. In general, most temporary employees are excluded from IPERS membership. However, in some cases a temporary employee may become eligible for IPERS membership if an “ongoing relationship” with an IPERS-covered employer is established as follows: 

• When wages paid are $1,000 or more in two consecutive quarters, OR
• When employed for 1,040 hours or more in a calendar year. 

Your IPERS membership begins in the quarter after you establish an ongoing relationship with an IPERS-covered employer. If you have established an ongoing relationship with one employer, you are not automatically eligible for IPERS membership with every employer. As a temporary employee, you must qualify separately with each employer. 

Your IPERS coverage ends when you leave employment or, if there is no formal ending, when you perform no services for an employer during four consecutive calendar quarters.

Optional membership

Iowa state law classifies certain positions as IPERS-covered, unless employees in those positions elect out of IPERS coverage, as follows:

Each IPERS-covered employer is responsible for notifying employees of their right to this election. Eligible employees hired on or after January 1, 1999, must elect out of coverage within 60 days of hire (or eligibility). 

If you are eligible to elect out of coverage and would like to do so, you must complete and return an Election for Termination of IPERS Coverage form to your employer. 

If you do not elect out of IPERS coverage within 60 days after you are hired and become eligible for IPERS coverage, you automatically become an IPERS member. 

Your decision to elect out of IPERS coverage is irrevocable during employment with a specific employer. You may adjust this election only if you: 

• Have an eligible break in service, such as a bona fide termination of employment and return at a later date. The reemployment cannot be prearranged.
• Are elected to a different position with the same covered employer.
• Accept a different eligible position with a different IPERS-covered employer.

*If you are eligible to choose between IPERS and an alternative plan on your date of hire, you must choose the alternative plan coverage within 60 days of your date of hire or your IPERS coverage will be irrevocable. If eligibility for the alternative plan is established after your date of hire, you must choose the alternative plan coverage within 60 days of becoming eligible or your IPERS coverage will be irrevocable.

Dual Defined Benefit Retirement Plan Coverage

IPERS is a defined benefit pension plan. The law states that when you are contributing to IPERS through regular payroll deductions, you cannot also contribute to another defined benefit pension plan supported completely or partially by public funds for the same position of employment or for a different position with the same employer.

However, you can contribute to IPERS and a second defined benefit pension retirement plan at the same time if you are employed in positions with two separate employers.

Specific Groups

Area Agencies on Aging

Area agencies on aging must comply with all applicable requirements of the IPERS plan. Employees of an area agency on aging who were enrolled in an alternative qualified plan before June 30, 2013, may remain in the alternative plan after July 1, 2013, instead of becoming IPERS-covered.

Iowa General Assembly

Members and temporary employees of the Iowa General Assembly have been eligible for IPERS coverage since January 8, 1979. Members of this group may elect out of IPERS coverage by applying to IPERS on the appropriate forms within 60 days of their date of hire or assumption of elected office.

Benefits Statements for Nonretired Members and Retired Reemployed Members

By June 30 of each year, IPERS prepares benefit statements for nonretired and retired reemployed members showing your accumulated service credit for the preceding calendar year. Your benefit statement includes a summary of the covered wages your employer(s) reported to IPERS, the contributions you made, interest on the contributions, your designated beneficiary, and information about your accrued benefits. Annual Benefit Statements are available in My Account. IPERS mails statements only to members who have selected that preference in My Account.

Name and Address Changes

If your address or name changes, please update your information in My Account or submit the Name and Address Change form (82.37 KB) .pdf .