The CalPERS Continued Monthly Residence form is a verification document that CalPERS sends to confirm you still live at the address on file and remain eligible for monthly benefit payments. Complete it with your CalPERS ID, Social Security number, current physical address, and mailing address; sign and date it in front of a witness or notary as required; and return it through myCalPERS or by mail before the deadline in the cover letter. Miss that deadline and CalPERS can place a hold on your payments until you respond.
Why CalPERS Sent You This Form
The form is a safeguard against overpayments that could occur if a recipient passes away, moves without notifying CalPERS, or otherwise stops being eligible. CalPERS does not publish a fixed schedule for these mailings. The timing follows internal risk criteria, and a few situations make you more likely to receive one:
- An out-of-state or international address. Retirees living abroad receive verification requests more often because CalPERS cannot cross-check status through California state databases.
- A long stretch with no account activity, address changes, or contact, which can flag your record for a periodic audit.
- Long-Term Care Program claims, where facility staff complete the form monthly to confirm the insured person still resides at the facility and is receiving covered services.
Changing banks or mailing addresses without updating your account also increases the odds of a review.
What to Have in Front of You
Gather these before you start so you can finish in one pass:
- Your CalPERS ID number, found on any previous CalPERS letter, your retirement award letter, or in myCalPERS under the Retirement tab.
- Your Social Security number, which CalPERS uses to match your record with federal databases and for tax reporting.
- Your current physical address as a street address. A P.O. box does not establish residency and will get the form sent back.
- Your current mailing address if it differs from your physical address. List both, and make sure they match what CalPERS already has on file or expect a follow-up.
Signature, Witness, and Notary Rules
You sign and date the form to certify the information is accurate. CalPERS also requires a third party to verify your identity in many cases: either a witness who provides their own name, address, and signature, or a notary public who affixes an official seal. If you live outside the United States, expect a notary requirement. International verification standards are stricter, and CalPERS has less ability to confirm your status on its own.
If Someone Signs for You
A person holding a valid CalPERS Special Power of Attorney can complete the form when you are physically unable to sign. The Special Power of Attorney form must be signed by the member while of sound mind, include an execution date, and be acknowledged by either a notary public or two witnesses who are at least 18 years old and are not the designated attorney-in-fact.1CalPERS. Special Power of Attorney
If your power of attorney is contingent, activating only when you become incapacitated, it must also name the person or professional who will make the incapacitation determination. An agent acting under a contingent power of attorney cannot create a myCalPERS online account to manage your affairs and has to handle everything by phone or mail.1CalPERS. Special Power of Attorney
CalPERS must already have the Special Power of Attorney on file before it will accept a form signed by an agent. Submitting one without that documentation on record stalls processing.
How to Send It Back
You have two ways to return the form: through myCalPERS or by mail. The online route is faster and leaves you with a submission record.
Through myCalPERS
Log in at my.calpers.ca.gov and use the secure message center to upload documents and communicate with CalPERS staff.2CalPERS. Contact Scan or photograph every page of the completed form, including the witness or notary section, and check that everything is legible before you upload. You should receive confirmation that CalPERS has your submission.
By Mail
Send the form to:
CalPERS
P.O. Box 942716
Sacramento, CA 94229-2716
Use certified mail. The small extra cost buys proof of delivery, which matters if CalPERS later says it did not receive your response and suspends benefits.2CalPERS. Contact
Questions Before You Send
You cannot complete the form over the phone, but you can call 888 CalPERS (888-225-7377) for questions or a replacement copy, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.2CalPERS. Contact
Deadlines and What a Late Response Costs
The cover letter that comes with the form states a response deadline. Meet it and your monthly payments continue uninterrupted while CalPERS processes the verification, which can take several weeks, longer during large batch reviews. If CalPERS needs anything else, such as a clearer notary seal or a witness address, it will contact you through your preferred channel or the myCalPERS message center.
Miss the deadline or ignore the request and CalPERS can place a hold on your payments until the verification is resolved. Reinstatement then requires submitting the completed form and waiting for administrative review to clear, adding weeks to the timeline. Responding the first time is far easier than restarting a suspended benefit.
Mistakes That Delay Processing
Most problems trace back to a handful of avoidable errors:
- Listing a P.O. box in the physical address field. CalPERS needs a street address to verify residency.
- Skimping on witness details. A witness must provide a full name, full address, and a signature, not initials.
- An unreadable notary seal or commission block on a scan or photocopy.
- Leaving fields blank because the information seems redundant. Incomplete forms get rejected.
- Having an agent sign when CalPERS does not already have a valid Special Power of Attorney on file for you.
- Treating the deadline as flexible. It isn’t, and a suspension is much harder to undo than a form is to return.
CalPERS oversight of these verifications sits with the Board of Administration under California Government Code Section 20120, which vests management and control of the retirement system in the board.3California Legislative Information. California Code Government Code 20120 – Powers and Duties of the Board That authority is why a routine-looking form carries real consequences if you set it aside.