RMD Age by Birth Year: 73 or 75? The Full SECURE 2.0 Table (2026)
Three different laws changed the RMD start age in five years. Here's exactly which age applies to you, based on the year you were born.
What Is My RMD Age? Find Your Birth Year
Your required minimum distribution (RMD) start age depends entirely on your birth year. If you were born 1951 through 1959, your RMD age is 73. If you were born 1960 or later, your RMD age is 75. If you were born before 1951, you're already past your RMD age under older rules (72 or 70½, depending on birth year) and should already be taking RMDs.
| Birth year | RMD start age | Law that set this age |
|---|---|---|
| Before July 1, 1949 | 70½ | Pre-SECURE Act rules |
| July 1, 1949 – Dec. 31, 1950 | 72 | Original SECURE Act (2019) |
| 1951 – 1959 | 73 | SECURE 2.0 Act (2022) |
| 1960 or later | 75 | SECURE 2.0 Act (2022), effective 2033 |
- The RMD age has changed three times since 2019: 70½ → 72 (SECURE Act) → 73 (SECURE 2.0, 2023) → 75 (SECURE 2.0, starting 2033 for those born 1960+).
- Your birth year alone determines your RMD age — not your retirement date, account type, or when you opened the account.
- Your very first RMD has a one-time grace period: you can delay it until April 1 of the year after you reach your RMD age, but every RMD after that is due by December 31.
- Delaying the first RMD into the following spring means two RMDs land in the same tax year — a trap that can push you into a higher bracket.
- Roth IRAs have no RMD age at all during the owner's lifetime — this schedule only applies to traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and similar pre-tax accounts.
Why the RMD Age Keeps Changing
Three separate pieces of legislation moved the RMD age in the span of five years, which is why so much outdated information about "72" or "70½" is still floating around online:
- Before 2020: RMDs started at 70½ — a fraction that tripped up plenty of custodians and taxpayers alike.
- The original SECURE Act (2019) raised the age to 72 for anyone who turned 70½ after 2019.
- SECURE 2.0 (signed December 2022) raised it again to 73, effective for those turning 72 after 2022 (born 1951–1959).
- SECURE 2.0 also scheduled a further increase to 75, taking effect in 2033 for anyone born in 1960 or later.
The stated rationale each time was the same: Americans are living and working longer, so Congress pushed back the point at which the government forces taxable withdrawals from retirement accounts.
The First-Year Deadline Trap
Whatever your RMD age is, your very first RMD comes with a one-time option: you can delay it until April 1 of the year after you reach that age, instead of taking it by December 31 of the year you reach it.
If you delay your first RMD to the following April, you still owe your second RMD by that same year's December 31 — meaning you take two RMDs in one calendar year. Stacking two years of taxable income can push you into a higher federal tax bracket, increase how much of your Social Security is taxed, and trigger higher Medicare IRMAA surcharges. Most financial advisors recommend taking your first RMD in the actual year you reach your RMD age rather than delaying it — unless you have a specific reason (like an unusually low-income year) to prefer the delay.
Example: Someone born in 1952 turns 73 in 2025. They can take their first RMD any time in 2025, or delay it until April 1, 2026 — but if they delay, they must also take their 2026 RMD by December 31, 2026, resulting in two distributions inside the same tax year.
Calculate your exact required distribution once you know your RMD age and account balance.
Calculate your RMDWhich Accounts Follow This Schedule
- Subject to RMDs at your age: traditional IRAs, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and 457(b) plans.
- Not subject to lifetime RMDs: Roth IRAs (never, while the owner is alive), and — since SECURE 2.0 — Roth 401(k) and Roth 403(b) accounts as well, which now match Roth IRA treatment.
- Still-working exception: if you're still employed and don't own more than 5% of the company, you can generally delay RMDs from that employer's 401(k) until you actually retire — but this exception never applies to IRAs.
Traditional IRAs (including SEP and SIMPLE) can be aggregated — calculate each account's RMD separately, then withdraw the total from any single account or combination of them. Workplace plans like 401(k)s and 403(b)s cannot be aggregated with each other or with IRAs; each plan's RMD must come out of that specific plan.
RMD age figures verified against the SECURE Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-94) and SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-328, Division T, §107), cross-checked against IRS guidance on required minimum distributions and this site's own RMD calculator logic.
RMD Age: Frequently Asked Questions
What is my RMD age if I was born in 1958?
73. Anyone born 1951 through 1959 has an RMD start age of 73 under SECURE 2.0.
What is my RMD age if I was born in 1962?
75. Anyone born in 1960 or later has an RMD start age of 75, effective starting in 2033.
Do Roth IRAs have an RMD age?
No. Roth IRAs never require lifetime RMDs for the original owner, regardless of age. Since SECURE 2.0, Roth 401(k) and Roth 403(b) accounts follow the same rule.
Can I delay my first RMD?
Yes, one time — until April 1 of the year after you reach your RMD age. But you'll then owe two RMDs (the delayed one plus that year's regular one) by December 31 of that same year, which often results in a larger combined tax bill.
Does the RMD age depend on my account type?
No. The same birth-year schedule applies to traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs alike. Only Roth accounts (IRA, 401(k), 403(b)) are exempt from lifetime RMDs entirely.
Once you know your RMD age, use our RMD Calculator to compute the actual required amount, or see our IRS RMD tables guide for which life-expectancy table applies to your situation.
- 1Retirement Topics — Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) — Internal Revenue Service
- 2SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (Division T of P.L. 117-328) — U.S. Congress
- 3SECURE Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-94) — U.S. Congress
Frequently asked questions
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