How to Use Fill-in Forms

What would you like to know?

Filling out an OPERS form just got a little easier.

Now, when you view a form at your computer, you can also type your information directly onto the form. Safety features on the forms will help make sure your information is entered correctly, and applied to the correct areas on the form depending on the selections you make along the way.

Not all OPERS forms are currently available in a fill-in format, but more and more will be added throughout the coming months. Click here for a list of the forms currently available as fill-in forms:

Note: Fill-in forms cannot be submitted online. They will need to be printed and sent in.

Software Requirements

To view, complete and print an OPERS fill-in PDF form you'll need the freely available Adobe Reader software installed on your computer. Version 6.05 or later of Adobe Reader will allow you to complete the form online.

Opening a Fill-in Form

There are two ways to open a form:

  1. Directly in your Web browser

    Your Web browser may be configured with an Adobe Reader plug-in to automatically open the file within your browser's window download. To download the file directly, click on the icon for the fill-in form and it will open automatically in your Web browser window.

  2. Directly in Adobe Reader

    To open the form directly in Adobe Reader, right click on the link for the yeahfill-in form, select “Save Target/Link As...” and “Save” the form to a location on your computer that you can easily access (i.e. Desktop). Then, go to that location on your computer and double-click on the file name to open it. This should trigger Adobe Reader to automatically open the form. At no time will data entered in the form be saved. Only a blank form is saved.

Completing a Fill-in Form

Positioning your cursor over a set of boxes in a fill-in area will allow you to type letters, numbers or symbols into that area — depending on the type information that is required.

When you place the cursor over a box, the cursor will change appearance to a hand pointer which allows you to select a check box. You can also move from one fill-in area to another by hitting the tab button.

An error sound and/or message will alert you if you enter the incorrect type of information into a fill-in area. An error message will inform you of the correct method to enter the information.

Here are some examples:

Type of Error/Alert Response
Date of Birth error message: 'The value entered does not match the format of the field – MMDDYYYY'
Home Phone Number error message: 'Enter 10-digit phone number beginning with area code (e.g., 1234567890) - Do not enter ( ) or –'
First Name error alert: An error sound restricts entering letters or symbols. Only letters are allowed.

Locked Areas

Some fill-in areas will be locked – meaning you will not be able to type information into the boxes – depending on what type of information is required. Here are some conditions:

Guide to Entering Information

Here is a helpful key to how to enter information into various fill-in areas:

For additional help with fill-in forms, see the Adobe Reader's online help information.

Special Tax Notice

Some OPERS forms have a Special Tax Notice attached to them. You do not need to print this out to send in when you send in your completed form.