DRS Policies

State rules, state laws and federal laws may apply. If any conflict exists between the information shown on this site and what is contained in rule or law, the rule or law governs.

This is a public domain website. Most of the information on this site is not copyrighted. You can use, share or copy the majority of information appearing on this site. You can also cite Washington State Department of Retirement Systems as the source for this information.

Our site also contains artwork, publications or other content that is copyrighted by others and is being used with the express permission of the copyright holder. Therefore, we recommend you contact DRS Communications (drs.communications@drs.wa.gov) for permission to use information from this site.

The Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) values diverse experiences and perspectives. We are committed to making this website and DRS applications accessible to everyone who uses them, and we will strive to ensure continued accessibility as new technologies and opportunities emerge.

DRS uses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Level AA for guidance in meeting its IT accessibility commitments.

If you use assistive technology and have trouble accessing information on the DRS website, please contact the DRS Information Technology Accessibility Coordinator at drs.communications@drs.wa.gov. When requesting assistance via email, please write “Accessibility” on the subject line. If you are using TTY, please dial 711 for Washington Relay Service. (Other contact options are available in the Contact DRS section of this website.) Every reasonable attempt will be made to resolve your concern.

In order to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please include:

• A description of your accessibility concern
• The webpage address of the material or the application you are attempting to access
• The best way to contact you

DRS will continue to incorporate improvements to the website and IT applications, as appropriate, to better serve all users. We welcome your questions and suggestions on ways to improve accessibility.

Purpose And Justification

The purpose of this policy is to define the types of external websites that can be linked from the Department of Retirement Systems website.

DEFINITIONS: External website – means all websites other than the DRS website (www.drs.wa.gov).

Applicability, Usage And Agency Discretion This policy applies to the DRS website at www.drs.wa.gov and the content therein. The DRS website is not a public forum for communication and debate. Links to external websites from the DRS website are established, retained and removed at the sole discretion of DRS as directed by the agency Communications Director.

Permitted Links To External Websites Links to the following types of external websites may be included on the DRS website:

• Websites Maintained by Other Governmental Units – DRS may provide links to other governmental websites at the federal, state and local levels, including websites maintained by governmental educational institutions. 
• Websites Maintained by Non-governmental Entities – DRS may provide links to non-governmental entities only if such organizations have a contractual relationship with DRS or other governmental units to provide services or resources to DRS or its members. 
• Social Media – DRS may link to external content it manages on social media platforms. 
• Associations Representing DRS Retirees – DRS may provide links to membership associations representing Washington state’s public pension system retirees. 
• Mapping Applications – In limited circumstances, DRS may link to external websites that provide mapping applications to assist DRS customers and others in visiting department offices. 

In all instances, links to external websites referenced in this section shall be based on a review and determination by the DRS Communications Director that the content corresponds with the mission and purpose of DRS.

DRS Is Not Responsible For External Content Outside Its Control External websites identified in Section 3 of this policy are usually not controlled, maintained or regulated by DRS, and as such DRS is not responsible for the content of those websites. Unless otherwise specified, any information obtained from an external website linked to from DRS is not guaranteed by DRS.

Section A: Introduction
Section B: Data collection and use
Section C: Personal information
Section D: Online Account Access
Section E: State laws on information privacy
Section F: Security
Section G: Disclaimer

Section A. Introduction

The Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) is committed to responsible information handling practices. This document explains what information we collect from you, how we use your information, and your privacy rights.

We are required to keep all collected information only as long as it is useful for business purposes and then destroy it. We follow the records retention schedules published by Washington State Archives. These schedules change from time to time.

Section B. Data collection and use

Information collected if you browse this site

Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) is a state agency that provides IT security for Washington state public agencies. All internet traffic that goes to state agencies passes through WaTech. WaTech temporarily maintains digital information, such as IP addresses, for cybersecurity purposes.

When you reach the DRS website and only browse the site, the following information about your visit will be automatically collected and temporarily stored:

• The internet domain and network address you used to access this site
• The type of web browser and operating system you used
• The date and time of your visit
• The pages you visit on this website
• The last domain you visited before coming to our website.
• Other web traffic statistics such as those created by Google Analytics or Site Improve.

However, we cannot see browsing data that is specific to you. Browsing information is saved and used by DRS to improve the content of web services and to help us understand how people are using our services.

Certain tools or services that you may interact with while on this site may track the information you enter. This allows the programs to operate correctly and know where to return the results. This data does not contain personal information and is deleted after each session.

If you browse this website and then navigate to your DRS Online Services, information about your visit will be automatically collected and stored per the DRS Online Access Agreement. This agreement is available within your online account.

If you navigate to our third-party record-keeper to access their Online Services, similar information will be automatically collected and stored, and you will be subject to their Privacy Notice which is accessible on their website.

Information collected if you volunteer information

If you voluntarily provide information, such as through a survey, by email or perform some other online transaction, the following additional information may be collected:

• Your email address and contents of the email
• Information volunteered in response to a survey
• Information volunteered through an online form for any other purpose

When emailing DRS, we encourage you to keep your questions general and not include personal information. Some inquiries require providing specific personal information. This information can include your full name, Social Security number, medical information, or your home address. Please do not send this type of personal information in regular email or by fax, as it is not encrypted. Instead, use the secure messaging feature in your online account at www.drs.wa.gov/oaa.

Like many organizations, we record phone calls to see if we are providing good customer service. We only keep the recording for a limited time, and only a small group of managers, analysts and technicians can access them.

Surveys are used to collect feedback on our services and websites. This includes the “Was this information helpful?” (yes or no buttons) and the “Tell us how we’re doing” option after you complete a task online.  If you volunteer information to us through a survey, we may:

• Use the information you provided to respond to issues and improve our services.
• Forward your concerns to the appropriate staff to take any necessary action.

We have accounts on Facebook and LinkedIn. We use these sites to engage with you. We do not collect personal information through these sites. If you submit a question or comment to us through social media, we will likely reply directly to you on that site. We do not track or record any information about individuals who use or interact with us on those platforms, though we do keep aggregated analytics provided by the platforms.

Information collected that is mandatory to provide services

To maintain an account for you and provide you with services, we collect information about you from Washington government entities who have employed you. We also collect mailing and living status information from the United States Postal Service, the United States Social Security Administration, and the Washington State Department of Health.

We collect information from you when you complete a form for services, whether it is an online form or a paper form. This information is mandatory and used to provide the requested services.

Due to the use of Social Security numbers by other agencies for identification purposes, we often require you to provide your Social Security number on our forms. We may be unable to pay you or verify your eligibility for benefits without the number. Social Security numbers are used for the following purposes:

1. Enrollee identification
2. Verifying benefit eligibility
3. Billing for employee/employer contributions
4. Submitting reports to other state agencies
5. Tax related reporting to the IRS

As noted in the first paragraph of Section E, Social Security numbers are exempt from public disclosure/inspection which means DRS does not share Social Security numbers unless required by a legal order.

Section C. Personal information

Personal information, as defined in this Privacy Statement, is information that can identify a specific individual. Examples include your name, Social Security number, date of birth, address, and phone number.

We will only collect mandatory personal information. You may choose to voluntarily send us personal information, such as when you send us an email, or complete a survey. Choosing to opt out of these activities will not restrict or impair your ability to read, download or otherwise access any information provided on the site. Unless required by a legal order, we do not disclose phone numbers to the public.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) governs online information gathering from or about children under the age of 13. Our websites are not designed for, nor do they intentionally target children 13 years of age or younger.

If you have questions about how we use your personally identifiable information, contact the DRS Privacy Officer (privacy@drs.wa.gov).

Section D. Online Account Access

Using the internet, you may create and access an online account to engage in account transactions with DRS. To access these Online Services, a login process and other methods of identity authentication are required. Protections are built into online systems to ensure security for the user of the account and to provide reasonable protection of your private information. Sign-in information, such as a username and password, is secure and will not be disclosed to the public. Information provided to DRS via Online Services is disclosable only to the extent allowed by law.

Section E. State laws on information privacy

All information in the possession of this agency is governed by laws including, but not limited to, the Washington’s Public Records Act. You may find information on the Act here, Washington’s Public Records Act. Some information you voluntarily send us, or mandatory information we collect, may be subject to public disclosure/inspection if not otherwise protected by federal or state law. Information on what the Public Records Act exempts from public disclosure/ inspection, including Social Security numbers and financial information can be found here, Exempt Personal Information.  

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Statement and any federal or state law, rule, court or administrative order, or a subpoena, the latter will control.

Washington State law, as provided here (RCW 43.105.365), requires that state agencies have procedures for correcting inaccurate personal information if it is contained in systems that will be widely accessible to the public. DRS does not make your personal information available to the public.

Having an online account gives you access to correct certain personal information that is used to manage your account and to provide you with services. Information that cannot be corrected through Online Services will require calling DRS at 800-547-6657.

Alternatively, you may send us a written request that clearly shows the error. Written requests should be made to the attention of the “Processing Center” and mailed to:

Section F. Security

DRS has taken steps to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of data it collects and manages, and to prevent unauthorized access to information in our possession.

These steps are designed and intended to prevent corruption of data, block unknown or unauthorized access to our systems, and to provide reasonable protection of the information in our possession. All activity on the DRS systems is subject to being monitored and recorded by authorized support security personnel, at the discretion of DRS management.

Section G. Disclaimer

The DRS website contains links to other websites operated by other government agencies and non-government entities. DRS does not own or operate these sites and takes no responsibility for the information they provide. When you follow a link to another site, this Privacy Statement will not apply and you will be subject to the privacy notice of that new site.

DRS reserves the right to revise and update this Privacy Statement at any time by posting the revision on this site. Please review our Privacy Statement periodically for any changes or updates that may affect you as a visitor to our website.

Last updated: April 18, 2025