Make an appointment with the Retirement Office no later than 3 months prior to your expected retirement date. Please contact our office at 901-222-1950, or you may e-mail our office at retirement.office@shelbycountytn.gov.
At the time of your appointment, you will be provided with a retirement packet and pension estimate. However, if you would like to download a packet ahead of your appointment, you may click on the link below.
Notify your payroll representative or office of your anticipated retirement date so that your final pay, vacation and bonus time may be properly calculated and paid out. It is best to notify your payroll office as soon as your retirement packet is turned in to the Retirement Office. Failure to notify your payroll office will delay the timely process of receiving your first pension payment.
In order to facilitate meeting deadlines and not create an interruption in your health and life insurance benefits, your last working day should be the last day of the month, making your retirement date the first day of the next month.
You will need to provide all required documents when you turn your retirement packet in to our office. We will not accept an incomplete packet. A complete list of required documents can be found in the retirement packet and listed below for your convenience. We do not require original documents, copies may be provided.
- Marriage License
- Divorce Decree (If Divorced)
- Birth Certificate
- Spouse’s Birth Certificate
- Social Security Card
- Spouse’s Social Security Card
- Death Certificate (If applicable to your spouse)
- Medicare Card if over 65 for retiree and spouse
Once you have turned in your packet with all required documents we will begin processing your retirement. Your paperwork will then go before the Shelby County Pension Board for approval. The Shelby County Retirement System’s Pension Board meets the first Tuesday of each month, unless rescheduled for the second Tuesday. After approved, you will receive an “Option Letter” with an “Option Form” from our office directing you to sign, date and choose the appropriate pension option. You must return your “Option Form” as quickly as possible in order for us set you up for payroll. After we received your “Option Form”, we will then send you an “Award Letter”. Please review the letter for accuracy and notify our office of any discrepancies. You will be asked to supply a copy of this letter for various reasons to prove income, please retain for your records. No pension funds can be paid from the System until approved by the Pension Board. Click on the link below for a complete schedule of Pension Board meeting dates.
Pension Board Schedule