How to Check Your CAR Day Balance

Your CAR — your bank of unused sick days — turns into a real retirement payout, so it pays to know your balance well before you retire. Here's where to find it, and how to make sure it's right.

Where to find your balance

Your CAR balance is tracked in the DOE payroll system, and you can usually get it from:

• Your pay records — your accumulated absence reserve is maintained in payroll.
• The DOE's online payroll/self-service system, if you have access to it.
• Your school's payroll secretary, who can look it up and print a statement for you.

If the number isn't easy to find on your own, your payroll secretary is usually the fastest and most reliable source.

Check that it's accurate

Your CAR builds over an entire career, so errors can creep in — a missed sick-day credit, a leave that wasn't recorded correctly, or days that didn't transfer when you changed schools. Compare the balance against your own memory and records, especially if you've moved schools or taken a leave of absence. It's far easier to fix a discrepancy now than to untangle it in your final year.

Why it matters before you retire

Because terminal leave pays you for half of your unused CAR days at 1/200th of your salary each, your balance directly affects the lump sum you'll receive when you retire. Knowing the number lets you plan — and lets you make an informed call about whether to use sick time you don't strictly need late in your career.

Keep an eye on it as you approach retirement

In your last few years, check your CAR balance periodically and confirm it with your payroll office as part of your retirement prep. Bring the confirmed number to your TRS consultation so your whole plan reflects it.

Put the payout on your timeline

Once you know your balance, our free Retirement Roadmap can help you see where the terminal-leave payout lands relative to your other retirement milestones and income.