FAQs

Membership Application packages are available below. Please select the application package that most applies to you.

Each package includes an Information sheet, the Application, and an Employment Verification Form.

Mail completed, signed, and notarized forms with your $50.00 Application Fee. You may pay by submitting an Automatic Withdrawal Authorization form -OR- a check or money order. Please make all checks or money orders payable to the POAB Fund. Send these documents to 1208 Greenbelt Drive, Griffin, GA 30224.

Check out Join the Fund for a more in depth look into the process.

Application - General Law Enforcement

Application - Department of Corrections Officers

 

 

Please use the general  POAB Application .

The Fund offers membership to P.O.S.T. certified Law Enforcement Officers. They must be employed by the State of Georgia or any of its political subdivisions: whether by election or appointment. They must devote their full time to such employment (at least 37 hours per week).

See Eligible Positions for more details.

Members should ALWAYS inform the Fund of Employment Changes. Please print out the Certification by Employing Agency form. If you left one agency and began employment with another, our office requires two forms (one from each agency). Please have them separately completed by your previous and current agency. 

Please select the form that best applies to the position for which you were(are) employed:

• Certification by Employing Agency Form - General
• Certification by Employing Agency Form - Correction Officer

Forms should be notarized and returned to the following address to keep your service credit current. You may submit this form by using the following methods:

• Email: [email protected]
• Fax: 770-412-1236
• Mail: 1208 Greenbelt Drive, Griffin, GA 30224

Our Membership Portal allows our Active, Vested, and Retired Members to view their account information online!   First-time users will need to register with a personal email address.

 

Members are eligible to purchase up to 5 years of service after accruing 5 years of creditable service. To learn more, head over to our Purchase Prior Service Page.

Purchased prior service DOES NOT count toward vesting. It adds to your creditable service once you are vested. 

A POAB member may receive benefits after they are considered VESTED and ELIGIBLE for retirement. Learn more on our Vesting Requirements page.

• Request a Leave of Absence with the Fund for up to 12 months.

• If you think you may return to an Eligible Position, you may freeze your account. You will not gain any service record and will not have to pay monthly dues. Upon return to an Eligible Position, you must notify the Fund.

• If you do not plan to return to an Eligible Position, you may Request a Refund. The Fund offers a 95% refund of required dues paid into your account. Anything overpaid is refunded at 100%.

Members who are not yet vested may apply for a Leave of Absence. The member must notify the Fund within 90 days of leaving Law Enforcement. They must also notify the Fund again within 30 days of returning to Law Enforcement. Learn more on the Leave of Absence Page.

The Fund offers creditable leave to active members called to military service at no cost. Creditable Active Duty Military service cannot exceed five years. The Fund requires documentation of such service. Please review the Military Service requirements.

Active and Vested members may update their contact information by logging into our Member Portal -OR- they may Contact the Fund Office. 

It is very important to keep your POAB Account up to date.

Dues payments are $25.00 per month and are due on the 10th of each month. Be sure you are aware of the Dues Requirements. Failure to promptly pay these dues could lead to loss of creditable service.

Remember, we do not send out billing statements. Dues payments are required by the 10th of each month. The member is responsible for paying their dues on time.

If you receive a notice from the Fund office, you are BEHIND in paying your dues.

We offer several Dues Payment Options for members' convenience:

1) Automatic Withdrawals from your Bank Account

(2) Payroll Deduction

(3) Payment by Personal Check or Money Order

Remember, we do not send out billing statements. Dues payments are required by the 10th of each month. The member is responsible for paying their dues on time.

If you receive a notice from the Fund office, you are BEHIND in paying your dues.

Active members of the Fund may Request a Refund of Dues at any time. The Fund offers a 95% refund of required dues paid into your account. The Fund returns anything overpaid at 100%. Any interest or penalties paid are not refundable. Once a member retires, they are not eligible to request a refund.

Members who overpay their dues may Request an Overpayment Refund. Overpayment Refund do not cancel your membership.

The Fund will issue overpayment refunds to retirees. The Fund will issue the refund approximately 30 days after the first pension payment.

Please visit the Request a Refund of Dues page for more information and the required forms.

It is the member's responsibility to see that dues are paid; regardless of the dues payment method. Account delinquency does not exclude members on Payroll Deduction or Automatic Withdrawal.

We highly suggest you contact your Payroll Department.

If you like, we are happy to speak with you about the status of your account.

Contact the Fund

 

Submit a new Automatic Withdrawal Authorization form . 

There are three ways to be eligible to draw your pension:

• Member meets Vesting Requirements, is at least 55 years old, and out of law enforcement.

• Member has 30 years of creditable service with the POAB Fund, and is at least 55 years old. These members may draw a pension and continue working in law enforcement full time. Member must have joined before July 1, 2009 (and has not rejoined at any point after).

• Member has 30 years of creditable service with POAB and left Eligible Positions. These members may draw before turning 55.

The Pension Benefit is calculated by multiplying your creditable service (full months and years) by the current base rate.

Learn more about the Pension Benefit.

Disability Retirement Benefits is available only to members that joined prior to July 1, 1993. Eligible members must apply within 12 months of becoming totally and permanently disabled

Eligible members that meet Vesting Requirements should request their Retirement Package. You can do so by Contacting the Fund -OR- Submitting an Online Pension Request Form.

Members who do not meet Eligibility or Vesting Requirements should submit the form that best applies to them:

Certification by Employing Agency Form - General

Certification by Employing Agency Form - DOC

 

It is the member’s responsibility to inform the Fund office of any changes.

To update your tax withholdings, submit a Tax Withholding Declaration Form.

To update your direct deposit information, submit a  Direct Deposit Form . Because we care about your security, our office will call to confirm all direct deposit change requests.

To update your contact information, submit a Contact Information Form .

 

1099-Rs are mailed by our Bank Custodian, State Street Bank, in January to the address that we have on file for you.

Contact Us to request an additional copy. (The last five years are available should you require them).

There are pension restrictions on Retirees Returning to Law Enforcement. Retirees may work 1040 or fewer hours in a calendar year and still draw retirement benefits. This law is in place for retirees who have not reached 30 years of service with the Fund.

So that you may better understand your options, please review, complete, and return the Retiree Employment Packet .

Members under 100% or 50% Joint Life may revert to the Single Life option in the event of Death or Divorce of Spouse. They will have 6 months from the date of event to submit the required paperwork to the POAB Fund office.

Benefits are paid on the last banking day of the month in which they are due. Please note that holidays and weekends can impact the specific timeframe in which payments are deposited. Timing might also differ among various banking institutions.

We highly recommend speaking with a tax professional to determine the best solution. Withholdings can be changed after retirement by submitting the Income Tax Withholding Declaration Form .

New users must register their online POAB Account to gain access to the POAB Member Portal. 

YouTube: Portal Registration Tutorial

Logging into the Member Portal is easy. Enter your registered information and be sure to select the red Send Pin and Submit Pin buttons to gain access.

YouTube: Portal Login Tutorial

You can update your email, password, phone number, and forgot password question and answer from the Account screen on the POAB Member Portal. Click Account in the blue banner and follow the prompts.

YouTube: Portal Account Changes

The POAB Member Portal now offers a Retirement Estimator Tool. Active and Vested members can run estimates to better understand their projected retirement.

Check out our Portal Retirement Estimator Tool Video for a more detailed tutorial.