OPERS unveils new registration process
Updated procedure designed to protect members’ personal information
By Michael Pramik, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
May 29, 2025 – OPERS has improved our online account registration process and added an additional layer of protection through identity proofing. These changes are in response to a general increase in online fraud cases and represent an effort to keep your personal information as secure as possible.
If you have never registered for an OPERS online account, we encourage you to visit opers.org and register. If you register for your own secure, online account, that eliminates the chance that someone could register fraudulently using your information.
During the registration process, you will be asked to authenticate your identity. If you are asked to go through the identity proofing process, the system will prompt you to provide your government-issued identification and then will ask you to take a selfie picture to confirm your identity.
Once registered, as you perform high-risk transactions online, such as a banking change, you also may be asked to prove your identity.
If you have previously registered for an OPERS online account but haven’t accessed your account in some time, you will be prompted to re-register and will be required to prove your identity.
If you have registered for an account and have accessed it recently, your registration and password will remain valid. If you forget your password and need it to be reset, you will be asked to confirm your identity through a multifactor authentication process. This process is more secure than the previous system, which required you to answer challenge questions.
We’ve added this layer of security to assist in protecting your account and to prevent fraud along with any unauthorized access to your OPERS account information. We encourage you to protect your personal online account information. Never share your username and password with anyone, even if the person seems trustworthy.
Michael Pramik
Michael Pramik is communication strategist for the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and editor of the PERSpective blog. As an experienced business journalist, he clarifies complex pension policies and helps members make smart choices to secure their retirement.
Is this just a preventive measure within opers? We are constantly told to guard our personal info, so are there actual fraud attempts involving opers accounts to justify members giving opers our personal id?
We’ve added this layer of security to assist in protecting your account and to prevent fraud. This is in response to a general increase in online fraud cases and represent an effort to keep your personal information as secure as possible. Thank you, OPERS
I can appreciate the importance of log-in security but my bank doesn’t require this kind of jumping through hoops. They simply text or e-mail to me an authorization code. At best, this seems klunky.
What if a retiree doesn’t have the technology to send a copy of their government id or the tech to take and submit a selfie. Some retirees can’t afford technology for home use and rely on public computers at libraries to access their on-line OPERS accounts. Libraries don’t have cameras for selfies. If a retiree doesn’t have the technology at home and needs to update their OPERS password, how can they do so if they don’t have the capability to take a selfie? Also how can this same retiree change their banking information if he/she would need to do so; can the retiree still make the banking change using a traditional form submitted to OPERS by US mail?
We’ve added this layer of security to assist in protecting your account in response to a general increase in online fraud cases and represent an effort to keep your personal information as secure as possible. This is required to update your online account password. The traditional change forms will continue to be accepted. Thank you, OPERS
Good update to the OPERS website. The site appears to be easier to navigate & information is more apparent.
I just tried to get into my account…I have not used my log in and password for a very long time. I tried to register again with new id and password but the site would not accept it. This is complicated and I am not understanding how to do it from these instructions! I need help!!!!
Please contact our office by phone at 1-800-222-7377 Monday – Friday 8:00am-4:30pm for further assistance. Thank you, OPERS
I went through the QR code via phone number. I followed the instructions. Then was prompted to do it again. Does the ID verification need downloaded to my account? I m using a laptop.
Please contact our office by phone at 1-800-222-7377 Monday – Friday 8:00am-4:30pm for further assistance. Thank you, OPERS