Domestic Partnership
Register
To find out more about registering a domestic partnership, visit the Secretary of State website.
Retirement
Your domestic partnership revokes a designation you may have on file. Review your beneficiary designation. If you need to make changes, log in to your myCalPERS account to make changes online, or complete the appropriate designation form depending on if you're still working or retired:
- Active members - Pre-Retirement Lump-Sum Beneficiary Designation (PDF)
- Retirees - Changing Your Beneficiary or Monthly Benefit After Retirement (PUB 98) (PDF)
If you're retired, review your current tax withholding and exemptions. To make changes, log in to your myCalPERS account or complete our Tax Withholding Election (PDF).
In order for the Survivor Continuance benefit to be payable to your domestic partner after retirement, you and your domestic partner must have registered your partnership at least one year prior to your retirement date. If you retired before it was legally possible to register your partnership but have since registered, your partner may still be considered an eligible survivor. If this is your situation, contact us as soon as possible to request an Affidavit of Domestic Partnership for Survivor Continuance form. CalPERS will determine if your domestic partner is an eligible survivor.
Health Benefits Coverage
If you’re still working, contact your personnel office as soon as possible to add your domestic partner and their children to your health coverage. You have 60 days from the date of registered domestic partnership to request enrollment for any eligible dependents. Your employer will need a copy of your certificate of domestic partnership registration.
If you're retired, contact us as soon as possible to add your domestic partner and their children to your coverage. You have 60 days from the date of registered domestic partnership to request enrollment for any eligible dependents. We’ll need a copy of your certificate of domestic partnership registration in addition to the domestic partner's Social Security number and Medicare card (if applicable).
Long-Term Care
Since domestic partners are not currently eligible for this program, there is no impact to long-term care coverage.
Deferred Compensation Plans
Contact your savings plan to review or change your beneficiary information:
Terminate
To find out more about terminating a domestic partnership, visit the Secretary of State website.
Retirement
Your CalPERS benefits are considered community property under California law. To see how this may impact your benefits, review Community Property (PUB 38A) (PDF). CalPERS will need a copy of your property settlement agreement.
The termination of your domestic partnership revokes a designation you may have on file. Review your beneficiary designation. If you need to make changes, log in to your myCalPERS account to make changes online or complete the appropriate designation form depending on if you're still working or retired:
- Active members - Pre-Retirement Lump-Sum Beneficiary Designation (PDF)
- Retirees - Changing Your Beneficiary or Monthly Benefit After Retirement (PUB 98) (PDF)
If you're retired, review your current tax withholding and exemptions. To make changes, log in to your myCalPERS account or complete our Tax Withholding Election (PDF).
You may also want to review your current Power of Attorney, or consider designating one. Review the CalPERS Special Power of Attorney (PUB 30) (PDF) for more information.
Health Benefits Coverage
You must remove your former domestic partner from your health plan as required by California Public Employees' Retirement Law.
If you're still working, it is very important to contact your personnel office to have your former domestic partner removed from your health plan. The law requires that a domestic partner is removed the first of the month after the date of dissolution, even if the documentation is turned in at a later date. The member will be responsible for payment for any medical services provided to the dependent during any period that health coverage is retroactively cancelled. Your employer will need a copy of your termination document.
If you're retired, it is very important to contact us to have your former domestic partner removed from your health plan. The law requires that a domestic partner is removed the first of the month after the date of dissolution, even if the documentation is turned in at a later date. The member will be responsible for payment for any medical services provided to the dependent during any period that health coverage is retroactively cancelled. We’ll need a copy of your termination document.
Long-Term Care
Since domestic partners are not currently eligible for this program, there is no impact to long-term care coverage.
Deferred Compensation Plans
Contact your savings plan to review or change your beneficiary information: