SF2823

Designation of Beneficiary - FEGLI

Agency
GSA
Revision
Revised June 2021
Fillable fields
64
Pages
3
Official source
GSA form page
Checked
October 20, 2026
Fill SF2823 online
Page 1 of form SF2823

Standard Form 2823 (SF 2823): Designation of Beneficiary (FEGLI)

Standard Form 2823 (SF 2823), Designation of Beneficiary, is the form for naming who receives benefits under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program. It is a U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) form, Revised June 2021, with OMB 3206-0136, and it cites the FEGLI Handbook (RI 76-26). GSA hosts a copy in its forms library.

The form prints a Part 1 (Original) and a Part 2 (Duplicate), with examples of designations on the back of Part 1 and instructions on the back of Part 2. Its sections cover the insured, the beneficiaries and their shares, a statement signed by the insured or assignee, two witnesses, and a block for agency or OPM use. The form says not to erase or cross out, and to use a new form instead.

OPM estimates an average of 15 minutes to complete it. You can fill it out free in your browser on this page and download the result without an account.

Top of page 1 of Standard Form 2823 (SF 2823): Designation of Beneficiary (FEGLI), as printed by GSA

What's on SF 2823

Section A: the insured

Name, date of birth and Social Security Number of the Insured, whether the Insured is an employee, retiree or compensationer, any CSA, CSI or OWCP claim number, and the department or agency, bureau and location.

Section B: beneficiaries

Name, Social Security Number, address, relationship and the percent or fraction designated for each beneficiary. The form says the total must equal 100% or 1.0 and not to use dollar amounts.

Section C: statement and signature

Your name and address, whether you are the Insured or an Assignee, three boxes confirming the insurance is not assigned, two people witnessed the signature and neither witness is a beneficiary, then signature and date.

Section D: witnesses

Signatures and addresses of two witnesses to the signature in Section C.

Section E: agency use

Receiving agency, date of receipt, signature of authorized official and title, completed by the agency or OPM, as appropriate.

Examples on the back of Part 1

Seven examples: one beneficiary, more than one, a contingent beneficiary, different beneficiaries for Basic and Optional insurance, an inter vivos trust, a testamentary trust, and canceling all designations.

How to complete SF 2823

  1. 1

    Read the instructions first

    The form says to read the instructions on the back of Part 2 before completing it, and to type or print each section.

  2. 2

    List each beneficiary and share

    The examples say to show each beneficiary's full name, not initials or a name such as Mrs. John H. Brown, and to enter "My estate" to designate your estate. Shares add up to 100 percent or 1.0.

  3. 3

    Use an attachment if needed

    Write "See Attached" in Part B and use a blank sheet with your name, date of birth and Social Security number at the top. The same two people witness both signatures.

  4. 4

    Sign in front of two witnesses

    Only the Insured or Assignee signs. The form says signatures by guardians, conservators or through a power of attorney are not acceptable, and the form is not valid unless the Insured or Assignee signs.

  5. 5

    Start over instead of correcting

    The form says erasures, cross-outs and alterations cause a delay in the payment of benefits and may make the entire designation invalid, and to complete another form instead.

  6. 6

    Send it to the right office

    The back of Part 2 says whether it goes to the Insured's employing agency or to OPM's Retirement Operations Center, depending on the Insured's status.

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Where it goes and what the form says

Employees

The form says to send it to the Insured's employing agency if the Insured is an employee, or has been receiving compensation payments from the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs for less than 12 months and is still on the agency's rolls as an employee.

Retirees and compensationers

Office of Personnel Management, Retirement Operations Center, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017-0045, if the Insured is a retiree, or receives OWCP compensation payments and is not still employed or has received them for at least 12 months.

Timing stated on the form

The form says properly completed designations are not valid unless the appropriate office receives them before the insured's death.

When a designation is canceled

The form says a designation is automatically canceled 31 days after the Insured stops being insured, and is also canceled if the insurance is assigned or another valid designation is submitted.

Privacy and burden

The Privacy Act Statement cites Title 5, U. S. Code, Chapter 87, Section 8705, and says providing the information is voluntary. OPM estimates 15 minutes per form under OMB number 3206-0136.

Related forms

Who fills out SF 2823?

  • The insured

    The form defines the Insured as the insured employee, annuitant or compensationer. Section A marks whether the Insured is an employee, a retiree or a compensationer.

  • An assignee

    The form says that if a valid assignment is on file, only the assignee has the right to designate a beneficiary. An assignee is a person, firm or trust, usually named on an Assignment form, RI 76-10.

  • Two witnesses

    Two people witness the signature and sign Section D with their addresses. The form says a witness is not eligible to receive a payment as a beneficiary.

  • The receiving agency or OPM

    Section E is for agency use only, or OPM as appropriate. The form says the agency or OPM notes receipt there and returns a copy as evidence that it received and filed the original.

The instructions on the back of Part 2 describe who completes, signs and receives the form.

Official sources and the blank

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Questions about Form SF2823

Who issues SF 2823?

The form prints U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the FEGLI Handbook (RI 76-26), with OMB 3206-0136, Revised June 2021. GSA hosts a copy in its forms library.

Does the form say a beneficiary has to be designated?

The form says no. It adds that a designation is needed if you want OFEGLI to pay differently than its order of precedence and you have not assigned the insurance and no valid court order is on file with the agency or OPM.

Who is paid if there is no valid designation?

The form lists the order: the Insured's widow or widower, then children in equal shares and descendants of deceased children, then parents, then the executor or administrator of the estate, then other next of kin under the laws of the State where the Insured lived. Assignments and valid court orders come first.

Can a witness also be a beneficiary?

No. The form says a witness is not eligible to receive a payment as a beneficiary, and Section C asks you to confirm you did not name either witness as a beneficiary.

Can someone with power of attorney sign SF 2823?

No. The form says the signature of a guardian, conservator or other fiduciary, including one acting under a Power of Attorney or a Durable Power of Attorney, is not acceptable.

Can a trust be named as beneficiary?

The form says yes and shows an inter vivos trust and a testamentary trust in examples 5 and 6. It says the trust designation should include the grantor's name, the trust name, the trustees and the date the trust was signed.

Can the designation be changed later?

The form says you may cancel or change it at any time, without the knowledge or consent of the beneficiaries, unless the insurance was assigned or a valid court order is on file. It suggests submitting a new one when a beneficiary's address or your intentions change.