Office of Personnel Management Phone Numbers and Contacts

The Office of Personnel Management phone number for its main switchboard is 202-606-1800, but that line is rarely the fastest way to get an answer. Which number you actually need depends on whether you’re a federal retiree, a current employee, someone going through a background investigation, or a beneficiary filing a life insurance claim. Several programs people associate with OPM are actually run by outside contractors or other agencies, and calling OPM about those will just get you redirected.¹

If You’re a Federal Retiree or Annuitant

Call OPM Retirement Services at 1-888-767-6738. The line is open Monday through Friday, 7:40 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, closed on federal holidays. OPM suggests calling early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the busiest hours. Hearing-impaired callers can reach the same office by dialing 711 through a TTY relay service.²

This is the right number for annuity payments and direct deposit, federal tax withholding changes, duplicate 1099-R requests, survivor benefit questions, FEHB enrollment changes outside Open Season, FEGLI questions for retirees, and refund applications. It also covers CSRS and FERS questions, and it’s where to call if you can’t locate your CSA or CSF claim number.²

If You’re a Current Federal Employee

Start with your own agency’s Human Resources office, not OPM. Your agency holds your enrollment records for health insurance, life insurance, and other benefit programs. OPM sets the policy and provides oversight but doesn’t have access to individual enrollment data, and it directs current employees to their agency HR office even during Open Season.³

For benefits policy questions that go beyond what agency HR can answer, OPM’s Healthcare and Insurance line is 202-606-1234. That line handles policy-level questions, not individual enrollment issues.¹

Programs OPM Doesn’t Run Directly

Several federal benefit programs are administered by outside contractors. Calling OPM about these will get you sent elsewhere, so go direct:

FEDVIP dental and vision insurance: BENEFEDS at 1-877-888-3337, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern.⁴
FLTCIP long-term care insurance: 1-800-582-3337. TTY users dial 711.⁵
FSAFEDS flexible spending accounts: 1-877-372-3337, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern. TTY users call 1-866-353-8058.⁶
FEGLI life insurance death claims: the Office of Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance at 1-800-633-4542, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Allow at least 30 days after submission before calling for a status check. Overseas beneficiaries should call 212-578-2975.⁷

If You’re Waiting on a Background Investigation

OPM no longer handles background investigations. Those functions transferred to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) under the Department of Defense.⁸ DCSA won’t give status updates directly to applicants; it will only discuss a case with authorized contacts from your sponsoring organization, such as your agency security officer, military recruiter, or company facility security officer.⁹

Two DCSA numbers are still useful to applicants:

Help filling out the SF-86 and related forms: DCSA Applicant Knowledge Center at 878-274-5091, Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern.¹⁰
Verifying an investigator’s identity: if someone contacts you or a reference claiming to be a DCSA investigator, confirm by calling 878-274-1186, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern. Voicemail is available outside those hours.¹¹

To Report Fraud, Waste, or Abuse

The OPM Office of the Inspector General runs a hotline for tips about potential fraud, waste, or mismanagement in OPM programs, including FEHB, CSRS, FERS, and FEGLI. The number is 1-877-499-7295. Written complaints can also be mailed to: OPM Office of the Inspector General, ATTN: OIG Hotline, 1900 E Street NW, Room 6400, Washington, DC 20415-1100.¹²

Faster Than Calling: The Online Portal

For many retiree tasks, OPM Retirement Services Online at servicesonline.opm.gov is quicker than the phone. You can view annuity statements, change tax withholding, update direct deposit, and verify life insurance coverage. Your current-year 1099-R can be pulled without even logging in.¹³ Most other portal functions require a Login.gov account. If you have trouble signing in, Login.gov runs its own 24/7 support line at 844-875-6446, though that line only handles login issues, not retirement questions.¹⁴

Reporting the death of a federal annuitant or employee can also be done through an online form on OPM’s website without a portal account.¹⁵ Retirement documents that do need to be mailed go to a separate processing address: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Operations Center, Post Office Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017.²

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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Contact Us
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Contact OPM Retirement Services
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Get Help
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BENEFEDS. Contact Us
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BENEFEDS. Long Term Care Contact Information
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. FSAFEDS Contact Information
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Death Claims
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U.S. Department of Defense. National Background Investigations Bureau Transferred to Department of Defense
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Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. Check Your Status
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Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. Help Filling Out Forms
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Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. Verify Your Investigator
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Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. Hotline to Report Fraud, Waste, or Abuse
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OPM Services Online. OPM Services Online
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Login.gov. Contact Us
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U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Report of Death