More than one million public safety employees across the country do not participate in Social Security.
Note that the map above only reflects participation in Social Security and a pension for public safety employees. For a map of participation coverage for teachers, which is slightly different, see Where Are Teachers Allowed to Join Social Security?
While 14 states allow these workers to participate in Social Security and a pension, there are seven states, including the District of Columbia, that have totally opted out:
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
Another 27 states have mixed coverage:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Wisconsin
Why? When Congress created Social Security in 1935, it excluded state and local workers because of constitutional concerns that the federal government could not tax states and municipalities. In the 1950s, Congress amended the Social Security Act to allow, but not require, state and local governments to enroll their employees. Most states opted in, but more than one third of the country’s public safety employees live in states that didn’t, resulting in their lack of coverage today.
Talk to your agency’s retirement plan administrator to learn more about your Social security status.
This article was originally published June 9, 2022.
