Apply for a Refund or Rollover of My NDPERS Retirement Account

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In order to be eligible to apply for a refund, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Your application must be complete and on file with NDPERS for at least 60 days prior to receiving your refund/rollover. More information is in the Refund/Rollover Guide. To apply, complete the Application for Refund/Rollover Forms
  • Your employer must notify NDPERS of your last day worked.
  • You must be off all covered NDPERS employer payroll(s) for at least 31 days.
  • Your termination must be bona fide.   This means there is no indication that you will return to NDPERS-covered employment as of the date of your termination.  NDPERS does not permit in-service distributions.  
    • If your termination is not bona fide, you are not eligible to request a refund or direct rollover and you may be required to repay any refund or direct rollover you receive with interest.
    • If you are transferring to another job where you will be covered by one of the other state sponsored retirement plans, this does not constitute a termination of employment, see dual membership.
  • You may not return to a NDPERS-covered Employer prior to receiving your refund or direct rollover.  The meaning of “covered employer” is any NDPERS-affiliated employer in the NDPERS retirement program, whether you are in a contributing or non-contributing status.  If returning to a covered employer, you will cease to be eligible to receive your requested distribution and your application will be cancelled.  If you subsequently receive a distribution, you may be required to repay any refund or direct rollover you receive with interest.

Distribution details:

  • Your payment will be issued in approximately 60 to 90 days, subject to tax notification requirements. You will receive a letter from NDPERS regarding your date of distribution.
  • By receiving a refund/rollover distribution of your member account balance, you forfeit all service credit to the date of the distribution, as well as:
    • Retirement Benefits
    • Disability Benefits
    • Non-Vested Employer Contributions
    • Retiree Health Insurance Credit
    • Health Insurance Coverage
    • Dental Insurance Coverage
    • Vision Insurance Coverage
    • Long-Term Care Insurance Coverage