(a) An employee who requests credit for service under 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) bears the burden of proof with respect to that service, and must provide the employing agency with all pertinent information regarding duties performed, including—

(1) For law enforcement officers, a list of the provisions of Federal criminal law the incumbent is responsible for enforcing and arrests made; and

(2) For firefighters, number of fires fought, names of fires fought, dates of fires, and position occupied while on firefighting duty.

(b) An employee who is currently serving in a position that has not been approved as a primary or secondary position, but who believes that his or her service is creditable as service in a primary or secondary position may request the agency head to determine whether or not the employee's service should be credited and, if it qualifies, whether it should be a primary or secondary position.

(c) A current or former employee (or the survivor of a former employee) who believes that a period of past service in an unapproved position qualifies as service in a primary or secondary position and meets the conditions for credit must follow the procedure in paragraph (b) of this section. Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, the request must be made to the agency where the claimed service was performed.

(d) For a current or former employee seeking credit under 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) for service performed at an agency that is no longer in existence, and for which there is no successor agency, OPM will accept, directly from the current or former employee (or the survivor of a former employee), a request for a determination as to whether a period of past service qualifies as service in a primary or secondary position and meets the conditions for credit.

(e) Coverage in a position or credit for past service will not be granted for a period greater than 1 year prior to the date that the request from an individual is received under paragraphs (b), (c), or (d) of this section by the employing agency, the agency where past service was performed, or OPM.

(f) An agency head, in the case of a request filed under paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, or OPM, in the case of request filed under paragraph (d) of this section, may extend the time limit for filing when, in the judgment of such agency head or OPM, the individual shows that he or she was prevented by circumstances beyond his or her control from making the request within the time limit.


Tried the LawStack mobile app?

Join thousands and try LawStack mobile for FREE today.

  • Carry the law offline, wherever you go.
  • Download CFR, USC, rules, and state law to your mobile device.