Title 28 › Part PART III— - COURT OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES › Chapter CHAPTER 41— - ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF UNITED STATES COURTS › § 611
A Director may, within six months of taking office, file a written choice with the Chief Justice to opt out of the usual federal retirement systems (CSRS or FERS) and be covered by the special rules in this part. A Director who makes that choice is treated as an “employee” under chapter 84, subchapter III. If the Director later leaves service (but not by retirement), he can buy retirement credit under CSRS by depositing the amount required in section 8334. If he waived FERS, he can buy credit by depositing 1.3 percent of basic pay for service from January 1, 1984, through December 31, 1986, and the amount in section 8422(a) for service after December 31, 1986, with interest computed under section 8334(e). When a Director elects these rules and retires with at least 15 years of service and is age 65 or older, he gets a lifetime annuity equal to 80% of the salary for the office at retirement. If he has at least 10 years but does not meet the 15/65 rule, his annuity is (years of service ÷ 15) of 80% of the salary, reduced by 0.25% for each full month he is under age 65 at separation. If he becomes permanently disabled, he retires and gets 80% with 15+ years, or a proportional share if under 15 years, but never less than 50% of salary. “Service” means time as Director and up to five years in certain prior federal jobs (like judge, Member of Congress, certain congressional staff, or a presidentially appointed civilian official). Annuities get the same cost-of-living increases and dates as annuities under chapter 83, per section 8340.
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Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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28 U.S.C. § 611
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73