Fla. Stat. 185.162
Beneficiaries


(1)

Each police officer may, on a form, provided for that purpose, signed and filed with the board of trustees, designate a choice of one or more persons, named sequentially or jointly, as his or her beneficiary (or beneficiaries) to receive the benefit, if any, which may be payable in the event of the police officer’s death, and each designation may be revoked by such police officer by signing and filing with the board of trustees a new designation or beneficiary form.

(2)

If no beneficiary is named in the manner provided by subsection (1), or if no beneficiary designated by the member survives him or her, the death benefit, if any, which may be payable under the plan with respect to such deceased police officer shall be paid by the board of trustees to the estate of such deceased police officer, provided that in any of such cases the board of trustees, in its discretion, may direct that the commuted value of the remaining monthly income payments be paid in a lump sum. Any payment made to any person pursuant to this subsection shall operate as a complete discharge of all obligations under the plan with regard to such deceased police officer and shall not be subject to review by anyone, but shall be final, binding and conclusive on all persons ever interested hereunder.

(3)

Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the surviving spouse of any pension participant member killed in the line of duty shall not lose survivor retirement benefits if the spouse remarries. The surviving spouse of such deceased member whose benefit terminated because of remarriage shall have the benefit reinstated as of July 1, 1994, at an amount that would have been payable had such benefit not been terminated.

Source: Section 185.162 — Beneficiaries, https://www.­flsenate.­gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/0185.­162 (accessed Aug. 7, 2025).

185.01
Legislative declaration
185.02
Definitions
185.03
Municipal police officers’ retirement trust funds
185.04
Actuarial deficits not state obligations
185.05
Board of trustees
185.06
General powers and duties of board of trustees
185.07
Creation and maintenance of fund
185.08
State excise tax on casualty insurance premiums authorized
185.09
Report of premiums paid
185.10
Department of Revenue and Division of Retirement to keep accounts of deposits
185.11
Funds received by municipalities, deposit in retirement trust fund
185.12
Payment of excise tax credit on similar state excise or license tax
185.13
Failure of insurer to comply with chapter
185.015
Short title
185.16
Requirements for retirement
185.18
Disability retirement
185.19
Separation from municipal service
185.21
Death prior to retirement
185.23
Duties of Division of Retirement
185.25
Exemption from tax and execution
185.30
Depository for retirement fund
185.31
Municipalities and boards independent of other municipalities and boards and of each other
185.34
Disability in line of duty
185.35
Municipalities that have their own retirement plans for police officers
185.37
Termination of plan and distribution of fund
185.38
Transfer to another state retirement system
185.39
Applicability
185.50
Retiree health insurance subsidy
185.60
Optional participation
185.061
Use of annuity or insurance policies
185.085
Determination of local premium tax situs
185.105
Police and Firefighters’ Premium Tax Trust Fund
185.161
Optional forms of retirement income
185.162
Beneficiaries
185.185
False, misleading, or fraudulent statements made to obtain public retirement benefits prohibited
185.191
Lump-sum payment of small retirement income
185.221
Annual report to Division of Retirement
185.341
Discrimination in benefit formula prohibited

Current through Fall 2025

§ 185.162. Beneficiaries's source at flsenate​.gov