598 Court Orders

598.1 Types

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board honors the following:

  1. Orders for the enforcement of outstanding child support or alimony obligations under regulations issued by 5 CFR Part 1653.
  2. The following retirement benefits court orders that are issued in connection with a divorce, annulment, or legal separation and that meet the requirements of the Board’s regulations:
    1. Preliminary court orders issued before final decrees, for freezing a participant’s TSP account.
    2. Final court orders.
    3. Amendatory court orders issued subsequent to a decree for the purpose of amending the decree with respect to the TSP.

598.2 Requirements

A qualifying retirement benefits court order must meet the following criteria for the Board to honor it:

  1. The order must expressly relate to the TSP account.
  2. The amount of entitlement in the order must be clearly determinable.
  3. The order must require one of the following:
    1. The TSP to freeze the participant’s account pending a final resolution.
    2. A payment to a permissible payee.

598.3 Notification

The Board notifies participants of the following:

  1. Any court orders received against their account. The Board will advise that it has frozen the account to prevent fund withdrawals and loan opportunities.
  2. Its decision regarding such court orders. If applicable, the Board gives participants information about how to appeal.

598.4 Effect on Withdrawal Options

Participants’ choice of a withdrawal option must not conflict with the provisions of a valid court order. The Board notifies the participant and asks him or her to make another choice if the participant selects an option that cannot be processed because of a court order on file with the Board.

598.5 Effect on Loans

A qualifying court order may restrict the employee’s ability to receive a loan. The TSP reviews each court order individually to determine its effect.

598.6 Address

Qualified court orders must be submitted to the following address:

Power of Attorney
TSP Power of Attorney (POA) Center
C/O Broadridge Processing
PO Box 1990
Newark, NJ 07101-1990

Court Orders
TSP Court Order Center
C/O Broadridge Processing
PO Box 120
Newark, NJ 07101-0120

Overnight Delivery:
Power of Attorney
TSP Power of Attorney (POA) Center
C/O Broadridge Processing
2 Gateway Center
283-299 Market Street 17th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102

Court Orders
TSP Court Order Center
C/O Broadridge Processing
2 Gateway Center
283-299 Market Street 17th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102

Fax Number:
Power of Attorney: 1-773-915-6007
Court Orders: 1-773-915-6006

598.7 Additional Information

Booklet TSPBK11, Court Orders and Powers of Attorney, contains additional information on handling court orders. This booklet is available on www.tsp.gov.