All regular county employees are required to participate in the South Carolina Retirement System unless exempted by law. An employee is vested in the System after eight (8) years of full-time service and may draw an annuity upon eligibility.

Regular employees are eligible for full retirement benefits at age 65 or upon completion of 28 years of service of which five years must be earned service if you became an SCRS member on or after January 1, 2001.Provisions for earlier retirement are available. Employees contribute 9.00% of their salary to their retirement and Beaufort County contributes 18.56%.

Law Enforcement Employees are eligible for full retirement benefits at age 55 or upon completion of 25 years of service. Provisions for earlier retirement are available. Employees will contribute 9.75% of their salary to their retirement and the County contributes 21.24%.

You may establish up to six (6) years of credit for any period of military service. This includes service in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Select Reserves, and Army or Air National Guard. The cost is 16 percent of current salary or career highest fiscal year salary whichever is greater, for each year purchased. The cost for purchasing periods of less than one year will be prorated. Your discharge from service must be under conditions other than dishonorable. Military service credit may not overlap earned service (service for which regular contributions have been paid to the system) or other purchased service.

Disability retirement is available with over five (5) years of service credit.

If an active employee dies with at least one year's contribution into the system, the beneficiary is entitled to receive the equivalent of one year's salary as a benefit.

Employees retiring from Beaufort County shall be eligible for monthly benefit checks, if they meet the requirements as governed by the South Carolina Retirement System.