Active and sedentary public sector jobs: what is the difference?
Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
One active category public employment is a job that has a special risk or exceptional fatigue.
By special risk or exceptional fatigue, we mean inherent risks permanently to employment and leading to premature wear and tear, such that it justifies early retirement.
This category of jobs concerns civil servants in the three public functions (State, territorial and hospital).
Jobs in the active category are classified by decree for the State civil service or ministerial order for the territorial and hospital public functions.
Any job that is not not categorized as active is a sedentary category employment.
The minimum age of retirement for a public servant varies according to whether he or she is employed in a sedentary or an active category and according to his or her date of birth.
Similarly, the number of quarters required to qualify for a full rate pension and the age at which retirement is automatically granted at full rate regardless of the number of quarters (automatic full rate age) also vary according to the job held and the date of birth
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Sedentary category official
You were born: | You can retire from: | Number of quarters required to have the full rate | Automatic Full Rate Age |
|---|---|---|---|
Between 1er January 1959 and December 31, 1960 | 62 years | 167 (41 years 9 months) | 67 years |
Between 1er January 1961 and August 31, 1961 | 62 years | 168 (42 years old) | 67 years |
Between 1er September 1961 and December 31, 1961 | 62 years and 3 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 67 years |
1962 | 62 years and 6 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 67 years |
Between 1er January 1963 and March 31, 1965 | 62 years and 9 months | 170 (42 years 6 months) | 67 years |
Between 1er April 1965 and December 31, 1965 | 63 years | 171 (42 years 9 months) | 67 years |
1966 | 63 years and 3 months | 172 (43 years old) | 67 years |
1967 | 63 years and 6 months | 172 (43 years old) | 67 years |
1968 | 63 years and 9 months | 172 (43 years old) | 67 years |
From 1er January 1969 | 64 years | 172 (43 years old) | 67 years |
Active category official
The conditions for granting a full basic pension vary according to the active category of employment.
General case
You were born: | You can retire from: | Number of quarters required to have the full rate | Automatic Full Rate Age |
|---|---|---|---|
Between 1er January 1966 and August 31, 1966 | 57 years | 168 (42 years old) | 62 years |
Between 1er September 1966 and December 31, 1966 | 57 and 3 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 62 years |
In 1967 | 57 years and 6 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 62 years |
Between 1er January 1968 and March 31, 1970 | 57 years and 9 months | 170 (42 years 6 months) | 62 years |
Between 1er April 1970 and December 31, 1970 | 58 years | 171 (42 years 9 months) | 62 years |
In 1971 | 58 years and 3 months | 172 (43 years old) | 62 years |
In 1972 | 58 years and 6 months | 172 (43 years old) | 62 years |
In 1973 | 58 years and 9 months | 172 (43 years old) | 62 years |
From 1er January 1974 | 59 years | 172 (43 years old) | 62 years |
Reminder
Retirement shall be granted as an active category official provided that he has completed at least 17 years in one or more active category posts.
Since 1er January 2024, services performed as a contractor in an active category job during the 10 years preceding tenure are recognized as active services for the acquisition of early departure entitlement.
Identifier of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Police Prefecture of Paris, sewer
You were born: | You can retire from: | Number of quarters required to have the full rate | Automatic Full Rate Age |
|---|---|---|---|
Between 1er January 1969 and August 31, 1971 | 52 years | 168 (42 years old) | 57 years |
Between 1er September 1971 and December 31, 1971 | 52 years and 3 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 57 years |
In 1972 | 52 years and 6 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 57 years |
Between 1er January 1973 and March 31, 1975 | 52 years and 9 months | 170 (42 years 6 months) | 57 years |
Between 1er April 1975 and December 31, 1975 | 53 years | 171 (42 years 9 months) | 57 years |
In 1976 | 53 years and 3 months | 172 (43 years old) | 57 years |
In 1977 | 53 years and 6 months | 172 (43 years old) | 57 years |
In 1978 | 53 years and 9 months | 172 (43 years old) | 57 years |
From 1er January 1979 | 54 years | 172 (43 years old) | 57 years |
Reminder
Retirement shall be granted as an active category official provided that he has completed:
- At least 12 years in one or more super-active category jobs, half of which consecutively
- 32 years of actual service.
Since 1er January 2024, services performed as a contractor in an active category job during the 10 years preceding tenure are recognized as active services for the acquisition of early departure entitlement.
Supervisory staff of the prison administration
You were born: | You can retire from: | Number of quarters required to have the full rate | Automatic Full Rate Age |
|---|---|---|---|
Between 1er January 1969 and August 31, 1971 | 52 years | 168 (42 years old) | 57 years |
Between 1er September 1971 and December 31, 1971 | 52 years and 3 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 57 years |
In 1972 | 52 years and 6 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 57 years |
Between 1er January 1973 and March 31, 1975 | 52 years and 9 months | 170 (42 years 6 months) | 57 years |
Between 1er April 1975 and December 31, 1975 | 53 years | 171 (42 years 9 months) | 57 years |
In 1976 | 53 years and 3 months | 172 (43 years old) | 57 years |
In 1977 | 53 years and 6 months | 172 (43 years old) | 57 years |
In 1978 | 53 years and 9 months | 172 (43 years old) | 57 years |
From 1er January 1979 | 54 years | 172 (43 years old) | 57 years |
Reminder
Retirement shall be granted as an active category official provided that he has completed at least 27 years (including, where applicable, the duration of compulsory military service) in one or more active category posts.
Since 1er January 2024, services performed as a contractor in an active category job during the 10 years preceding tenure are recognized as active services for the acquisition of early departure entitlement.
Active personnel of the National Police
You were born: | You can retire from: | Number of quarters required to have the full rate |
|---|---|---|
In 1966 | 52 years | 167 (41 years 9 months) |
In 1967 | 52 years | 167 (41 years 9 months) |
In 1968 | 52 years | 167 (41 years 9 months) |
Between 1er January 1969 and August 31, 1971 | 52 years | 168 (42 years old) |
Between 1er September 1971 and December 31, 1971 | 52 years and 3 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) |
In 1972 | 52 years and 6 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) |
Between 1er January 1973 and March 31, 1975 | 52 years and 9 months | 170 (42 years 6 months) |
Between 1er April 1975 and December 31, 1975 | 53 years | 171 (42 years 9 months) |
In 1976 | 53 years and 3 months | 172 (43 years old) |
In 1977 | 53 years and 6 months | 172 (43 years old) |
In 1978 | 53 years and 9 months | 172 (43 years old) |
From 1er January 1979 | 54 years | 172 (43 years old) |
The age of the automatic full rate varies according to the body of membership:
- 57 years for staff members of the management and application corps and the corps of command
- 60 years for police commissioners
- 61 years for Divisional Police Commissioners and for General Police Commissioners
- 62 years for the posts of Comptroller-General and Inspector-General of the National Police's Active Services, Head of the National Police's Inspectorate-General and Director of the Central Administration and the Police Prefecture's Active Services.
Reminder
Retirement shall be granted as an active category official provided that he has completed at least 27 years (including, where applicable, the duration of compulsory military service) in one or more active category posts.
Since 1er January 2024, services performed as a contractor in an active category job during the 10 years preceding tenure are recognized as active services for the acquisition of early departure entitlement.
Air traffic controller
You were born: | You can retire from: | Number of quarters required to have the full rate | Automatic Full Rate Age |
|---|---|---|---|
In 1967 | 52 years | 167 (41 years 9 months) | 58 years 9 months |
In 1968 | 52 years | 167 (41 years 9 months) | 59 years |
Between 1er January 1969 and August 31, 1971 | 52 years | 168 (42 years old) | 59 years |
Between 1er September 1971 and December 31, 1971 | 52 years and 3 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 59 years |
In 1972 | 52 years and 6 months | 169 (42 years 3 months) | 59 years |
Between 1er January 1973 March 31, 1975 | 52 years and 9 months | 170 (42 years 6 months) | 59 years |
Between 1er April 1975 and December 31, 1975 | 53 years | 171 (42 years 9 months) | 59 years |
In 1976 | 53 years and 3 months | 172 (43 years old) | 59 years |
In 1977 | 53 years and 6 months | 172 (43 years old) | 59 years |
In 1978 | 53 years and 9 months | 172 (43 years old) | 59 years |
From 1er January 1979 | 54 years | 172 (43 years old) | 59 years |
Reminder
Retirement shall be granted as an active category official provided that he has completed at least 17 years in one or more active category posts.
Since 1er January 2024, services performed as a contractor in an active category job during the 10 years preceding your tenure are recognized as active services for the acquisition of the right to early departure.
Ranking as an active category can allow you to benefit from enhancements and a increase in your pension of retirement.
Bonuses are additional free quarters, granted without contribution in return, when calculating your retirement pension.
The increases are increases in the amount of the pension.
Example :
An underground sewer operator who has worked in underground systems for at least 12 years, including 6 consecutive years, is entitled to a subsidy equal to half of the time actually spent in these systems, up to a maximum of 10 years.
Articles 25 - III, 26, 27, 53, 55, 65-4
National Pension Fund for Local Government Employees (CNRACL)