Is there a minimum TRS Retirement Age in 2026? If you have spent any time in a Texas faculty lounge, you have heard the rumors. One colleague says you can retire at 55. Another swears you have to wait until 62 unless you want to lose half your pension. A third just shrugs and says, “I’m working until I drop.”

The confusion is by design. The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) is a massive, complex machine, and the rules have changed multiple times over the last two decades.

But with the recent repeal of the WEP and the changes we are seeing in 2026, getting this number right is more important than ever. You cannot build a withdrawal strategy if you don’t know your finish line.

Here is the no-nonsense guide to determining your TRS retirement age and what it means for your wallet.

The Two Magic Numbers: “Normal” vs. “Early”

In the world of TRS, “retirement age” isn’t a single birthday. It is a calculation. To get your full, unreduced annuity, you generally need to hit one of two milestones.

1. The Rule of 80

This is the holy grail for most Texas teachers. You reach “Normal Retirement Age” when your Age + Years of Service = 80.

• Example: If you started teaching at age 22 and worked for 29 years, you would be 51.
  • 51 (Age) + 29 (Service) = 80.
  • Congratulations, you can retire with full benefits.

2. Age 65 with 5 Years of Service

If you started your career later in life, you don’t need to hit 80 points. As long as you have at least 5 years of service credit, your standard TRS retirement age is 65.

The Catch: Which “Tier” Are You?

Here is where the “risk professional” in me gets nervous for you. Not everyone plays by the same Rule of 80. The Texas Legislature created different “Tiers” depending on when you entered the system.

• Tier 1 (Entered before Sept 1, 2007): You are the lucky ones. The classic Rule of 80 applies to you with no minimum age (unless you entered very recently, but most Tier 1s are grandfathered).
• Tier 2 & Beyond (Entered on or after Sept 1, 2007): This is where it gets sticky. Even if your age and service equal 80, you might still need to meet a minimum age requirement (usually age 60 or 62) to avoid a penalty.

If you retire before hitting that minimum age—even with your 80 points—you are technically taking “Early Age Retirement,” and TRS will permanently reduce your monthly check.

Why 2026 Changes the Calculation

In my last article, I covered the Social Security Fairness Act and WEP repeal. For years, teachers held on to their TRS jobs longer than they wanted to because their Social Security benefits were being slashed to zero.

Now that the WEP is gone, your TRS retirement age might need to shift.

• The Old Strategy: “I have to work until 65 because my TRS pension is my only income.”
• The 2026 Strategy: “If I can stack my unreduced Social Security check on top of a slightly smaller TRS pension, can I afford to walk away at 58?”

For many of you, the answer is now “Yes.”

How to Check your TRS Retirement Age

Don’t rely on the “foyer lawyer” advice from your coworkers.

Determining your TRS retirement age is the first step in the taking ownership over your retirement. The state sets the rules, but you set the timeline.

Written by Hayden