Regulations last checked for updates: Feb 07, 2026

Title 5 - Administrative Personnel last revised: Jan 28, 2026
§ 831.2007 - Notification of current and/or former spouse before payment of lump sum.

(a) Payment of the lump-sum credit based on a refund application filed on or after May 7, 1985, may be made only if any current spouse and any former spouse (from whom the employee or Member was divorced after May 6, 1985) are notified of the former employee's or Member's application.

(b)(1) Notification of the former spouse will not be required if the marriage to the former spouse was of less than 9 months duration or if the employee has not completed a total of 18 months of creditable service covered under the retirement system.

(2) Applicants for payment of the lump-sum credit must certify on a form prescribed by OPM whether the applicant has a current or former spouse subject to the notification requirement.

(c) Proof of notification will consist of a signed and witnessed Statement by the current and/or former spouse on a form provided by OPM acknowledging that he or she has been informed of the former employee's or Member's application for refund and the consequences of the refund on the current or former spouse's possible annuity entitlement. This Statement must be presented to the employing agency or OPM when filing the Application for Refund of Retirement Deductions.

(d) If the current and/or former spouse refuses to acknowledge the notification or the employee or Member is otherwise unable to obtain the acknowledgement, the employee or Member must submit—

(1) Affidavits signed by two individuals who witnessed the employee's or Member's attempt to personally notify the current or former spouse. The witnesses must attest that they were in the presence of the employee or Member and the current or former spouse when the employee or Member gave or attempted to give the notification form to the current or former spouse and that the employee's or Member's purpose should have been clear to the current or former spouse; or

(2) The current mailing address of the current or former spouse. OPM will attempt to notify (by certified mail—return receipt requested) the current or former spouse at the address provided by the employee or Member. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, the lump-sum credit will not be paid until at least 20 days after OPM receives the signed return receipt.

(e) If an OPM notice sent under paragraph (d)(2) of this section is returned and OPM has no reason to believe that the current or former spouse does not live at the address to which the notice was sent, OPM will re-mail the notice by first class mail and wait at least 20 days after the notice has been re-mailed before paying the refund.

[50 FR 20081, May 13, 1985, as amended at 51 FR 31936, Sept. 8, 1986; 55 FR 9106, Mar. 12, 1990; 55 FR 29340, July 19, 1990]
authority: 5 U.S.C. 8347; Sec. 831.102 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8334; Sec. 831.106 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552a; Sec. 831.108 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8336(d)(2); Sec. 831.114 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8336(d)(2) and Sec. 1313(b)(5) of Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135; Sec. 831.201(b)(1) also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8347(g); Sec. 831.201(b)(6) also issued under 5 U.S.C. 7701(b)(2); Sec. 831.201(g) also issued under Secs. 11202(f), 11232(e), and 11246(b) of Pub. L. 105-33, 111 Stat. 251; Sec. 831.201(g) also issued under Secs. 7(b) and (e) of Pub. L. 105-274, 112 Stat. 2419; Sec. 831.201(i) also issued under Secs. 3 and 7(c) of Pub. L. 105-274, 112 Stat. 2419; Sec. 831.202 also issued under Sec. 111 of Pub. L. 99-500, 100 Stat. 1783, and Sec. 111 of Pub. L. 99-591, 100 Stat. 3341-348, and also Sec. 1 of Pub. L. 110-279, 122 Stat. 2602, as amended by Sec. 1(a) of Pub. L. 116-21, 133 Stat. 903; Sec. 831.204 also issued under Sec. 102(e) of Pub. L. 104-8, 109 Stat. 102, as amended by Sec. 153 of Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321; Sec. 831.205 also issued under Sec. 2207 of Pub. L. 106-265, 114 Stat. 784; Sec. 831.206 also issued under Sec. 1622(b) of Pub. L. 104-106, 110 Stat. 515; Sec. 831.301 also issued under Sec. 2203 of Pub. L. 106-265, 114 Stat. 780; Sec. 831.303 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8334(d)(2) and Sec. 2203 of Pub. L. 106-235, 114 Stat. 780; Sec. 831.502 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8337,and. 1(3), E.O. 11228, 3 CFR 1965-1965 Comp. p. 317; Sec. 831.663 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8339(j) and (k)(2); Secs. 831.663 and 831.664 also issued under Sec. 11004(c)(2) of Pub. L. 103-66, 107 Stat. 412; Sec. 831.682 also issued under Sec. 201(d) of Pub. L. 99-251, 100 Stat. 23; Sec. 831.912 also issued under Sec. 636 of Appendix C to Pub. L. 106-554, 114 Stat. 2763A-164; Subpart P also issued under Sec. 535(d) of Title V of Division E of Pub. L. 110-161, 121 Stat. 2042; Subpart Q also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8336a; Subpart V also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8343a and Sec. 6001 of Pub. L. 100-203, 101 Stat. 1330-275; Sec. 831.2203 also issued under Sec. 7001(a)(4) of Pub. L. 101-508, 104 Stat. 1388-328; Pub. L. 115-352, 132 Stat. 5067 (5 U.S.C. 101)
source: 33 FR 12498, Sept. 4, 1968, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 5 CFR 831.2007