What full retirement age means
Full retirement age is the age when unreduced retirement benefits begin.
Unreduced means your benefit is not cut for starting early.
Starting benefits early
Benefits can start as early as age 62.
If you start before your full retirement age, your benefits are reduced.
The chart for workers and spouses
Use the row that matches your birth dates.
| If you were born | Your full retirement age is |
|---|---|
| January 2, 1938 – January 1, 1939 | 65 years and 2 months |
| January 2, 1939 – January 1, 1940 | 65 years and 4 months |
| January 2, 1940 – January 1, 1941 | 65 years and 6 months |
| January 2, 1941 – January 1, 1942 | 65 years and 8 months |
| January 2, 1942 – January 1, 1943 | 65 years and 10 months |
| January 2, 1943 – January 1, 1955 | 66 years |
| January 2, 1955 – January 1, 1956 | 66 years and 2 months |
| January 2, 1956 – January 1, 1957 | 66 years and 4 months |
| January 2, 1957 – January 1, 1958 | 66 years and 6 months |
| January 2, 1958 – January 1, 1959 | 66 years and 8 months |
| January 2, 1959 – January 1, 1960 | 66 years and 10 months |
| January 2, 1960 and later | 67 years |
Born on January 1?
If you were born on January 1, use the previous year’s row in the chart.
Why the age changed
For many years, full retirement age was 65.
A law passed in 1983 raised it gradually.
The higher ages apply to people born in 1938 or later.
The age reaches 67 for people born in 1960 and later.
Widow and widower benefits
Widow and widower benefits use a slightly different chart.
That chart is not on this page. Please check it with the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov.
Who decides your benefits
Only the Social Security Administration decides your benefits.
For your own record, go to the Social Security Administration:
Sources: Social Security Administration retirement-age chart; SSA Handbook section 723; 20 CFR 404.409. Checked November 2, 2026.