N.C. Gen. Stat. § 120-4-21 — NC Code / Chapter 120 / Section 120-4-21
§ 120-4.21. Service retirement benefits
Status: in_force

(a) Eligibility; Application.--Any member may retire with full benefits who has reached 65 years of age with five years of creditable service. Any member may retire with reduced benefits who has reached the age of 50 years with 20 years of creditable service or 60 years with five years of creditable service. The member shall make electronic submission or written application to the Board of Trustees to retire on a service retirement allowance on the first day of the particular calendar month he designates. The designated date shall be no less than one day nor more than 120 days from the filing of the application. During this period of notification, a member may separate from service without forfeiting his retirement benefits.

(b) Computation.--Upon retirement from service in accordance with subsection (a) of this section before July 1, 1990, a member shall receive a service retirement allowance computed as follows:

(1) For a member whose retirement date occurs on or after his 65th birthday and upon completion of five years of creditable service, four percent (4%) of his “highest annual salary,” multiplied by the number of years of creditable service.

(2) For a member whose retirement date occurs on or after his 60th and before his 65th birthday and upon completion of five years of creditable service, computation as in subdivision (1) of this subsection, reduced by one-fourth of one percent ( 1 / 4 of 1%) for each month his retirement date precedes his 65th birthday.

(b1) Computation.--Upon retirement from service in accordance with subsection (a) of this section on or after July 1, 1990, but before February 1, 1995, a member shall receive a service retirement allowance computed as follows:

(1) For a member whose retirement date occurs on or after his 65th birthday and upon completion of five years of creditable service, four and two-hundredths percent (4.02%) of his “highest annual salary,” multiplied by the number of years of creditable service.

(2) For a member whose retirement date occurs on or after his 60th and before his 65th birthday and upon completion of five years of creditable service, computation as in subdivision (1) of this subsection, reduced by one-fourth of one percent ( 1 / 4 of 1%) for each month his retirement date precedes his 65th birthday.

(b2) Computation.--Upon retirement from service in accordance with subsection (a) of this section on or after February 1, 1995, a member shall receive a service retirement allowance computed as follows:

(1) For a member whose retirement date occurs on or after his 65th birthday and upon completion of five years of creditable service, four and two-hundredths percent (4.02%) of his “highest annual salary”, multiplied by the number of years of creditable service.

(2) For a member whose retirement date occurs on or after his 60th and before his 65th birthday and upon completion of five years of creditable service, computation as in subdivision (1) of this subsection, reduced by one-fourth of one percent ( 1 / 4 of 1%) for each month his retirement date precedes his 65th birthday.

(3) For a member whose retirement date occurs on or after his 50th birthday and before his 60th birthday and upon completion of 20 years of creditable service, computation as in subdivision (2) of this subsection, reduced by the same percentage as provided for in Article 1 of Chapter 135 of the General Statutes .

(c) Limitations Applicable to Members Retiring Before September 1, 2005.--In no event shall any member receive a service retirement allowance greater than seventy-five percent (75%) of his “highest annual salary”.

(d) Limitations Applicable to Members Retiring on or After September 1, 2005.--In no event shall any member receive a service retirement allowance greater than seventy-five percent (75%) of the member's “highest annual salary” nor shall a member receive any service retirement allowance whatsoever while employed in a position that makes the member a contributing member of either the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System or the Consolidated Judicial Retirement System. If the member should become a member of either of these systems, payment of the member's service retirement allowance shall be suspended until the member withdraws from membership in that system.