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What is my federal retirement age?

Your Social Security full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954, 67 if you were born in 1960 or later, and 66 and 2 to 10 months for 1955 to 1959.

Month, day and year. It is not sent, saved or put in the address.

Try:
Start early: smaller benefitWait: larger benefit, until 70

Enter a date of birth to see where you are on the line.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • SSA, Medicare and OPM pages, opened Oct 11, 2026
  • Your birth date stays in your browser

Four pages, one question each

What is my full retirement age?

Your Social Security full retirement age depends on the year you were born. SSA’s table gives 66 for 1943 through 1954, then 66 and 2 months for 1955, 66 and 4 months for 1956, 66 and 6 months for 1957, 66 and 8 months for 1958, 66 and 10 months for 1959, and 67 for 1960 and later. If you were born on January 1, use the row of the previous year. The timeline above turns that age into a month for your exact date of birth.

What if my birthday is the 1st of the month or January 1?

SSA figures the benefit and the full retirement age of someone born on the 1st as if the birthday were in the previous month, and for January 1 as December of the previous year. Born March 1, 1960, you reach full retirement age in February 2027; born March 2, 1960, in March 2027. SSA’s own calculator returned those two months when we typed those dates on October 11, 2026. Medicare moves your enrollment window one month earlier for a birthday on the 1st, too.

When can I start Social Security, and what do I get at 62?

Retirement benefits can start at 62 if you worked and paid Social Security taxes for 10 years or more, and you must be 62 for the entire month you are paid for. For most birth dates the first month is therefore the month after your 62nd birthday month. For someone with full retirement age 67, starting 59 months early pays 70.42% of the full benefit, and starting at full retirement age pays 100%. This site shows percentages, never dollars, because the dollar amount depends on your earnings.

When do I sign up for Medicare?

Medicare’s Initial Enrollment Period lasts 7 months: it starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it. If your birthday is on the first of the month, it starts 4 months before you turn 65 and ends 2 months after the month you turn 65, so the whole window moves one month earlier. Missing the window can mean a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part B.

What is the FERS minimum retirement age?

For federal employees under FERS, OPM’s chart sets the minimum retirement age (MRA) by year of birth: 55 before 1948, 56 for 1953 to 1964 and 57 for 1970 and after, with 2-month steps in between. It is not an age you must retire at; it is the youngest age at which you can retire with enough service, for example the MRA with 30 years or the MRA with 10 years. OPM’s page does not say how to count the MRA if you were born on the 1st of a month, so confirm the exact date with your agency.

Worked example: the days that move a month

Born on December 31, 1959 and on January 1, 1960 you get the same month; born one day later you get three months more. The same happens between March 1 and March 2. These are the months SSA’s own calculator returned when we typed each date on October 11, 2026.

Birth dates around January 1 and the 1st of a month, and the months SSA gives
BornFull retirement ageYou reach it inFirst month to startAge 70 in
December 31, 195966 and 10 monthsOctober 2026January 2022December 2029
January 1, 196066 and 10 monthsOctober 2026January 2022December 2029
January 2, 196067January 2027January 2022January 2030
March 1, 196067February 2027March 2022February 2030
March 2, 196067March 2027March 2022March 2030
March 3, 196067March 2027April 2022March 2030

Questions about federal retirement ages

Does this site tell me how much I will get?

No. It shows ages, months and the percentage of your full benefit, never dollars, because the amount comes from your own earnings record and this site does not know it. For a dollar estimate use my Social Security at ssa.gov, where SSA shows the benefit you could receive at different ages.

Is my date of birth saved or sent anywhere?

No. The date stays in this page, in your browser. It is not sent to a server, not stored in the browser and not put in the page address, so sharing the link never shares your birthday. Reloading the page clears it. The site asks for no name and no Social Security number.

Why does the timeline show months and not days?

Social Security works in whole months: you must be 62 for the entire month to be paid for it, and benefits are generally paid in the month after the month they start. So the key dates are months, and only birthdays are shown as days.

Can I look up a spouse, a parent or a child?

Yes. Type any date of birth from January 1, 1934 on; nothing is saved. The ages shown are for retirement benefits on the person’s own record. Spouse and survivor benefits follow other rules: SSA says that if you are eligible for benefits as a survivor, your full retirement age may be different, and this site does not cover them.

Do these ages change?

They are the rules as the official pages showed them on October 11, 2026, and rules can change by law. Each result links to the page it came from. Check that page, or the Social Security Administration, Medicare or OPM, before you decide.

Which birth dates does the site cover?

From January 1, 1934 to today. For every birth year from 1960 on, SSA’s table gives the same full retirement age, 67, so the chart and the percentages are the same for all of them.

Sources: what this page states and where we read it

What this page states, the official page it was read on, the link and the day it was opened
What the page saysOfficial page and where on itOpened
Full retirement age is 65 for 1937 and prior, rises 2 months a year from 1938 to 1942, is 66 for 1943-1954, rises 2 months a year from 1955 to 1959 and is 67 for 1960 and later.SSA: Normal Retirement AgeTable “Normal Retirement Age”, Year of birth / Age
If you were born on January 1, use the previous year’s row of the table.SSA: Normal Retirement AgeNotes under the table, note 1
If you were born on the 1st of a month, SSA figures your benefit and full retirement age as if your birthday were in the previous month; January 1 counts as December of the previous year.SSA: Starting Your Retirement Benefits EarlyNotes under the chart “Full Retirement and Age 62 Benefit By Year Of Birth”
Monthly retirement benefits can start at 62 for people who worked and paid Social Security taxes for 10 years or more.SSA: Retirement benefitsPage introduction
You must be 62 for the whole month to be paid for it.SSA: Starting Your Retirement Benefits EarlyNotes under the chart
The first month you can start is the month of your 62nd birthday if you were born on the 1st or the 2nd, and the month after it if you were born on any other day (SSA: “you can not retire before age 62 and one month”).SSA: Early or Late Retirement? (Actuarial Services)SSA’s calculator “Compute the effect of early or delayed retirement”, run on 2026-10-11
The month you reach full retirement age, counted with the rule that you reach an age the day before your birthday.SSA: Normal Retirement AgeSSA’s calculator “When will you reach your NRA?”, run on 2026-10-11
The increase for waiting stops at age 70.SSA: Delayed Retirement CreditsPage introduction
The Initial Enrollment Period lasts 7 months: it starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it.Medicare.gov: When does Medicare coverage start?Section “Your first chance to sign up (Initial Enrollment Period)”
If your birthday is on the first of the month, the period starts 4 months before you turn 65 and ends 2 months after the month you turn 65.Medicare.gov: When does Medicare coverage start?Expander “My birthday is on the first of the month”
SSA’s own tool returns the same windows for birthdays on the 1st, the 2nd and the last day of a month, and for January 1 and February 29.SSA: When to sign up for MedicareTool “Enter your birth date to see when you can first enroll”, run on 2026-10-11
The FERS Minimum Retirement Age is 55 for births before 1948, rises 2 months a year to 55 and 10 months for 1952, is 56 for 1953-1964, rises 2 months a year to 56 and 10 months for 1969 and is 57 for 1970 and after.OPM: FERS eligibilityTable “Eligibility Information”, If you were born / Your MRA is
An immediate FERS retirement benefit needs age 62 with 5 years of service, age 60 with 20 years, the MRA with 30 years, or the MRA with 10 years.OPM: FERS eligibilitySection “Immediate Retirement”
Not confirmed. How OPM counts the MRA for someone born on the 1st of a month or on January 1 is NOT CONFIRMED: the OPM page gives the age by year of birth and states no day-of-month rule, so the site shows your birth date plus the MRA and tells you to confirm with your agency.OPM: FERS eligibilityTable “Eligibility Information” and the notes around it (no day-of-month rule is stated)
For a dollar estimate, use your my Social Security account; the payment is calculated from your lifetime earnings.SSA: Plan for Retirement (benefit estimate)Page introduction
These ages are for retirement benefits; a survivor’s full retirement age may be different.SSA: Starting Your Retirement Benefits EarlyBox “Related Information”

Not confirmed: OPM’s page gives the FERS minimum retirement age by year of birth and no day-of-month rule, so that date is your birth date plus the age. Spouse, survivor and disability rules, special groups of federal employees and every dollar amount are not covered.

General information from official sources, not advice. Rules can change by law, and the agency decides your case. Confirm your dates with the Social Security Administration, Medicare or the Office of Personnel Management before you decide. Nothing you type leaves your browser.