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HomeEducation CodeCh. 16§ 28004 Military Service Credit Limits

§ 28004 Military Service Credit Limits

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 28004 Military Service Credit Limits

Key Takeaways

  • •If you leave your job to serve in the military, you can usually only get up to 5 years of credit for your retirement plan.
  • •You might get more than 5 years if you had to serve longer because of rules, emergencies, or special missions.
  • •If you couldn’t leave the military on time and it wasn’t your fault, you might get extra credit.
  • •Special training or important missions ordered by the military can also let you get extra credit.

Example

John leaves his job to join the Army. He serves for 6 years because he was ordered to stay longer for a special mission.

John can get credit for all 6 years in his retirement plan because he had to stay longer for a special mission, which is one of the exceptions.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 28004 Military Service Credit Limits

A participant who is absent from a position of employment subject to the Cash Balance Benefit Program due to that participant’s service in the uniformed services, shall not be entitled to obtain the right to contribute toward credits under the plan in excess of five years of service in the uniformed services, except for the following reasons: (a) The participant is required to serve beyond five years to complete an initial period of obligated service in the uniformed services; (b) The participant was unable to obtain orders releasing the participant from a period of service in the uniformed services before the expiration of the five-year period and that inability was through no fault of the participant; (c) The participant served in the uniformed services as required pursuant to Section 270 of Title 10, under Section 502(a) or 503 of Title 32 of the United States Code, or to fulfill additional training requirements determined and certified in writing by the Secretary of Defense, to be necessary for professional development, or for completion of skill training or retraining; or (d) The participant is: (1) Ordered to or retained on active duty under Section 672(a), 672(g), 673, 673b, 673c, or 688 of Title 10 or under Section 331, 332, 359, 360, 367, or 712 of Title 14 of the United States Code. (2) Ordered to or retained on active duty, other than for training, under any provision of law during a war or during a national emergency declared by the President or the Congress. (3) Ordered to active duty, other than for training, in support, as determined by the secretary concerned, of an operational mission for which personnel have been ordered to active duty under Section 673b of Title 10 of the United States Code. (4) Ordered to active duty in support, as determined by the secretary concerned, of a critical mission or requirement of the uniformed services. (5) Called into federal service as a participant of the National Guard under Chapter 15 of Title 10 or under Section 3500 or 8500 of Title 10 of the United States Code. (Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 965, Sec. 317. Effective January 1, 1999.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

employmentunited states codedutyreleaseemergencybenefitportsecretary

Related Statutes

  • § 28000 Military Service Reemployment Rights
  • § 87031 Employee Personnel Record Rights
  • § 22950.6 Teacher Retirement Fund Transfer
  • § 22955.5 Pension Creditable Compensation Calculation
  • § 53013 Career Pathways Grant Conditions

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 28004.
View Official Source