All employees who are paid in whole or in part by the state of Ohio, a county, municipality, or any other political subdivision of state or local government in Ohio must become members of PERS unless they are covered by another state retirement system in Ohio or by the Cincinnati Retirement System.
Membership begins from the first date of employment.
Elected Officials Membership in PERS is optional for service as an elected official, however, if they do not choose membership in PERS, they must contribute to Social Security. Back payments on earlier non-contributing elective service may be made after a member has contributed for at least 18 months based on current service, and if earlier service was not covered under Social Security. Once an elected official becomes a member of the Retirement System, they are eligible for the same benefits as regular members. Students Students working for the public school, college, or university they are attending may be exempt from contributing to PERS by filing a request for exemption within the first month of employment. Contributions Employee Contributions Members of PERS are required to make contributions to the System through payroll deductions.