Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-102

§8338 Deferred Retirement

Title 5 › PART III — EMPLOYEES › Subpart G — Insurance and Annuities › CHAPTER 83 — RETIREMENT › SUBCHAPTER III — CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT › § 8338

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Gives deferred annuities to certain separated employees and Members when they leave service. An employee who leaves or moves out of coverage after 5 years of civilian service gets an annuity at age 62. For Members (after December 31, 1955): 5 years → age 62; 10 or more Member years → age 60; 20 or more years (including 10+ Member years) → reduced annuity at age 50. Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces follow similar rules; a judge who leaves after 5 years of civilian service or after finishing a term can get an annuity, but one taken before age 60 is reduced. Annuities are calculated under section 8339.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §8338

Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)An employee who is separated from the service or transferred to a position in which he does not continue subject to this subchapter after completing 5 years of civilian service is entitled to an annuity beginning at the age of 62 years.
(b)A Member who, after December 31, 1955, is separated from the service as a Member after completing 5 years of civilian service is entitled to an annuity beginning at the age of 62 years. A Member who is separated from the service after completing 10 or more years of Member service is entitled to an annuity beginning at the age of 60 years. A Member who is separated from the service after completing 20 or more years of service, including 10 or more years of Member service, is entitled to a reduced annuity beginning at the age of 50 years.
(c)A judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces who is separated from the service after completing 5 years of civilian service is entitled to an annuity beginning at the age of 62 years. A judge of such court who is separated from the service after completing the term of service for which he was appointed is entitled to an annuity. If an annuity is elected before the judge becomes 60 years of age, it shall be a reduced annuity.
(d)An annuity or reduced annuity authorized by this section is computed under section 8339 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

1966 Act DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 2258.
July 31, 1956, ch. 804, § 401 “Sec. 8”, 70 Stat. 751.
July 7, 1960, Pub. L. 86–604, § 1(c), 74 Stat. 358.
July 12, 1960, Pub. L. 86–622, § 2(a), 74 Stat. 410. In subsection (b), the words “after
December 31, 1955” are substituted for “on or after
January 1, 1956”. The word “hereafter” is omitted as unnecessary. Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report. 1967 ActThis section amends 5 U.S.C. 8338(a) for consistency within the subchapter and to reflect that it is the individual, rather than the position, that is subject to the subchapter.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces” for “Court of Military Appeals”. 1983—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 98–94 added subsec. (c), and redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Savings Provision

s Deferred Annuities Under Laws Repealed by Pub. L. 90–83 Pub. L. 90–83, § 10(a), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 222, provided that: “The right to a deferred annuity on satisfaction of the conditions attached thereto is continued notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of the law conferring the right.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 8338

Title 5, Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102