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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →When you move from one U.S. federal civilian job to another, your official personnel file normally travels from the losing agency to the gaining agency. You should still keep personal copies of the records that prove your leave balance, appointment history, pay and benefits choices. At minimum, save your final Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), request an SF-1150 (Record of Leave Data Upon Separation or Transfer), and keep your latest SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) accessible.
This guidance is for federal civilian employees covered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recordkeeping and leave systems. State, local and some federal employers outside OPM authority may use different records and transfer rules, so confirm the process with both human-resources offices.
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Quick checklist: copies to keep before you move
Use this list to assemble a personal transition file. These are copies for your records; do not remove original documents from an agency file or eOPF system.
| Document | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Final Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) | Shows your final annual, sick and other leave balances, pay and deductions. | Download or print the final statement when your old agency issues it. Keep it with your transfer paperwork. |
| SF-1150, Record of Leave Data Upon Separation or Transfer | Provides an official record of leave data. OPM says it can substantiate leave balances if agency records cannot be located. | Request a copy from your losing agency’s HR or payroll office. Check that the covered dates and balances are correct. |
| SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action | Documents appointment, position, grade, pay, tenure, service dates and other personnel actions. OPM identifies it as useful when applying for another federal job. | Keep an accessible copy of your latest SF-50 and other significant actions, such as promotions, conversions or changes in tenure. |
| Benefits elections and beneficiary designations | Shows the health, life, retirement, flexible-spending and beneficiary choices recorded for you. | Save current confirmations and any change notices. Ask the gaining agency which elections carry over and which require a new form. |
| Military-service records, when relevant | A DD 214 and a Military Service Deposit Election can support credit for leave, reduction-in-force treatment or retirement. | Confirm with HR that the documents are in your file and ask whether the new appointment requires another submission. |
What happens to your Official Personnel Folder
OPM describes the Official Personnel Folder (OPF), including its electronic version (eOPF), as the collection of records the government needs to make accurate employment decisions throughout your federal career. It can contain evidence of a valid appointment, federal service history, grade and pay, military-service credit and elections under federal benefit programs.
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Under OPM’s Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping, the folder generally “travels” with you during your federal career. In a normal move between agencies, the losing agency sends the official personnel records to the next federal employer. You are not expected to carry the government’s original file yourself. You are responsible for checking that the receiving agency has it and for retaining personal copies of critical evidence.
When you leave federal service, the file is routed for storage at the National Personnel Records Center under the guide’s procedures. Retrieval is different for a current employee and a former employee, so save your own copies while you can still access your agency systems.
Documents to save and how to check them
Final Leave and Earnings Statement
The final LES is your snapshot of pay and leave at the end of the old job. It can show annual-leave, sick-leave and other balances, the pay period covered, deductions and any lump-sum leave payment information. Download the statement from your payroll or employee self-service system as soon as it becomes available; access may be restricted after your account is closed.
Compare the balances with your last regular LES and with any leave you used during the final pay period. If the statement does not match your own records, contact the losing agency’s payroll or HR office promptly and keep the written response.
SF-1150, Record of Leave Data Upon Separation or Transfer
Ask for the SF-1150 even when the move is an interagency transfer. OPM specifically advises employees to request it and to keep it with the final LES. The form is an agency record of leave data upon separation or transfer and can help substantiate a balance if an agency copy cannot be found.
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Request the form from the office that processes your separation or transfer, which may be HR, payroll or a centralized personnel service center. Ask when it will be issued, where it will be delivered and how to correct an error. Keep the request and the response together with the form.
SF-50 notifications of personnel action
An SF-50 records a personnel action such as an appointment, promotion, reassignment, change in pay or conversion. OPM says the information is useful to employees and when applying for another federal job. The latest SF-50 is the priority, but retaining earlier actions helps establish your service history if a later record is incomplete.
Check your name, agency, position, occupational series, grade, step, tenure, pay plan, effective date and legal authority. A “Nature of Action” that does not match what you accepted is a reason to ask HR for clarification before you leave.
Benefits elections and beneficiary records
Your OPF may contain records of choices under federal benefit programs, but OPM’s specific keep-a-copy instruction on its leave guidance concerns the LES and SF-1150. Treat benefits copies as prudent backup rather than a substitute for the official enrollment system.
Save confirmation pages or forms for health insurance, life insurance, retirement contributions, flexible-spending accounts and beneficiary designations when applicable. Include the date of each election and the plan or program name. Ask the gaining agency whether an election transfers automatically, must be re-entered or is subject to a new enrollment window.
Military-service documentation
If you rely on military service for federal leave accrual, reduction-in-force rights or retirement credit, verify that the relevant evidence is on file. OPM identifies a DD 214 and a Military Service Deposit Election as examples of records that can support those determinations.
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Three moves that require different handling
| Situation | What generally happens to official records | Your action |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer to another federal agency | The losing agency generally sends the OPF/eOPF records to the gaining agency. | Confirm receipt with the new HR office; retain the final LES, SF-1150, key SF-50s and relevant benefits or military records. |
| Leave federal service | The personnel file is sent to the National Personnel Records Center for storage under OPM procedures. | Obtain personal copies before separation. Former-employee requests use different channels from current-employee access. |
| Move to a job outside the OPM system | The receiving employer may use a different personnel, leave or benefits system. Some employers outside OPM authority use a transcript of service and benefits documents instead of an OPF transfer. | Ask the receiving HR office, in writing, how prior service, leave, benefits and records will be accepted. Do not assume federal leave balances carry over. |
OPM’s leave guidance states that a transfer to a position not covered by OPM leave authorities is governed by the receiving system’s rules. A state or local employer, or a federal organization outside OPM recordkeeping authority, can therefore require different forms, deadlines or proof.
Step-by-step transition plan
- Identify the type of move. Confirm whether the new position is in another OPM-covered federal agency, outside federal service or in an organization with separate leave authority.
- Ask the losing HR office what it will send. Request confirmation that the OPF/eOPF, leave data and any required payroll documents will be transmitted to the named gaining agency.
- Download your personal copies. Save the final LES, the latest and other important SF-50s, benefits confirmations and military-service records before old system access ends.
- Request the SF-1150. Ask for the Record of Leave Data Upon Separation or Transfer and keep proof of the request until you receive it.
- Give the gaining HR office accurate identifiers. Provide your full legal name, former agency, employing office, personnel or employee identification number when appropriate, position start date and contact information for the losing HR office.
- Verify receipt after arrival. Ask the new HR office when your OPF/eOPF became available and whether any SF-50, service-credit or benefit record is missing.
- Resolve discrepancies promptly. Send copies of your LES, SF-1150 or SF-50 to HR through an approved secure channel. Keep a dated record of every request and response.
How to access records while employed or after separation
Current federal employees
OPM says the current employing agency holds the employee’s OPF/eOPF, including SF-50s. Contact that agency’s HR office for access questions, corrections or copies. If an electronic folder appears incomplete, ask HR to check both the current agency system and any transfer-in processing queue.
Former federal employees
OPM identifies the National Personnel Records Center as a records-request channel for former employees. OPM has also announced an online Document Request Service for eligible former employees whose records are maintained in eOPF. Eligibility and access can depend on your record status and current service details, so follow the live instructions shown by OPM when you submit a request.
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Do not wait until a retirement, benefits claim or a new federal application is due. Former-employee access can take a different path from current-employee access, and a personal copy of the key forms avoids an urgent records search.
Storage, privacy and correction practices
- Use two secure copies. Keep an encrypted digital copy and a separate backup, or a locked physical file. A basic expanding folder is optional organization help, not a government requirement.
- Protect sensitive data. LES documents can reveal pay, deductions and identifiers; benefits and military records may contain additional personal information. Avoid unencrypted email and public cloud links.
- Use clear filenames. Include the form, effective date and agency, such as
SF-50_2026-09-15_Promotion.pdf. - Keep an index. List the document date, what it proves and where the backup is stored. This makes a missing record easier to identify.
- Do not alter official forms. If information is wrong, preserve the original and request a corrected record through HR. Never edit a PDF to “fix” a date or balance.
Common problems and practical fixes
The new agency cannot find your file
Ask the gaining HR office to contact the losing agency’s records staff and verify the transfer date and destination. Provide your personal copies of the SF-50, SF-1150 and final LES while the agencies reconcile the official file.
Your leave balance differs between systems
Compare the final LES, SF-1150 and the first LES from the new agency. Identify the pay period or transfer date where the numbers diverge, then submit the documents to payroll or HR and request a written determination. Leave rules may differ if the new position is outside OPM leave authority.
You cannot access eOPF after departure
Use the former-employee request channel identified by OPM or contact the National Personnel Records Center. This is why downloading key documents before separation is safer than relying on future online access.
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A benefit or beneficiary election is missing
Show the gaining agency your saved confirmation and ask whether it can honor the prior election or requires a new enrollment. Follow the new agency’s deadline rather than assuming the old election transferred.
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Questions to ask HR before your start date
- Has my OPF/eOPF been requested from the losing agency, and when should it be visible?
- Which leave balances will transfer, and under which authority?
- Do you need a new SF-1150, DD 214, Military Service Deposit Election or other service-credit evidence?
- Which health, life, retirement, flexible-spending and beneficiary elections carry over automatically?
- Who corrects a missing or inaccurate SF-50 or leave balance, and what secure method should I use to send copies?
- What records should I retain if this position is outside OPM’s recordkeeping or leave system?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I personally have to carry my Official Personnel Folder to the new agency?
No. For a normal move between OPM-covered federal agencies, the losing agency generally sends the official personnel records to the gaining agency. You should confirm the transfer and keep personal copies of critical forms, but do not remove government originals.
Is an SF-1150 required for every federal transfer?
OPM advises employees to request and retain an SF-1150, but OPM guidance does not establish a universal employee deadline or penalty for not having one. Ask the losing agency’s HR or payroll office for its procedure and keep the final LES as well.
Will my federal leave balance transfer to a state or local government job?
Not automatically. OPM says a position outside OPM leave authorities is governed by the receiving system’s rules. Ask the new employer how it treats prior service and what proof it accepts.
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OPM identifies the National Personnel Records Center as a channel for former-employee records and has announced an online Document Request Service for eligible former employees whose records are maintained in eOPF. Check OPM’s current eligibility and submission instructions.
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