What is the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program in plain language?

It's the federal government's way of letting coworkers cover for each other when illness outlasts paid leave. A colleague facing a personal or family medical emergency gets approved as a 'leave recipient,' and other employees give hours from their own annual leave balance — hour for hour, no money involved — so the recipient's paycheck keeps arriving.

Who administers the VLTP — OPM or my agency?

OPM writes the government-wide rules (5 CFR Part 630, Subpart I), but your agency runs the program day to day: it receives applications, approves recipients, verifies donations, and executes the transfers. No paperwork ever goes to OPM itself.

Do all agencies follow the same VLTP rules?

The core rights are identical everywhere because they come from statute and OPM regulation — the 24-hour test, the 10-day decision deadline, the donation caps. Agencies fill in procedure: whether medical certification is required, how forms are submitted, and what the written waiver criteria are. Your HR office owns those local details.

Does participating in the VLTP cost anything?

There are no fees anywhere in the program. Donors give hours (not money) and incur no tax; recipients pay ordinary taxes on donated leave when it's paid out, exactly as if it were their own salary. Using LeaveTransfer.org to run or support a campaign is also free.

Which federal employees can't use the VLTP?

Employees of the intelligence community (CIA, DIA, NSA, FBI, and similar), District of Columbia government employees, and members of the uniformed services fall outside the title 5 program. Postal Service employees have their own USPS-run leave sharing program under the Employee and Labor Relations Manual instead.

How many hours of annual leave can I donate this year?

Up to half of the annual leave you'd accrue during the leave year: 52 hours if you accrue 4 hours per pay period, 80 if you accrue 6, and 104 if you accrue 8. Agencies must keep written criteria for waiving the cap in exceptional cases.

Can I donate annual leave to a family member who works at another agency?

Yes — that's the one cross-agency situation an agency must accept. When the donor is a family member of the recipient, the recipient's agency is required to take the transfer; you'd file OPM Form 630-B through your own HR office.

Can I donate use-or-lose leave before year-end?

Yes, within a tighter cap: the lesser of half your annual accrual or the hours remaining in the leave year that you're scheduled to work and be paid. The donation has to happen while the leave is still yours — hours already forfeited can't be donated.

Can I spread donations across several colleagues?

Yes. You may donate to as many approved leave recipients as you like in a leave year, as long as the combined total — including any leave bank contributions — stays within your annual donation cap.

Will donating leave affect my retirement or service credit?

No. Donating reduces only your annual leave balance — your sick leave is untouched, and federal retirement benefits are computed from your salary history and years of service, not your annual leave balance. If the emergency ends with hours unused, your share is generally restored pro rata, provided you are still a federal employee and enough hours remain to divide among all donors.

Can I donate anonymously?

Your identity is always on the official form — agencies need it to process the transfer and restore unused hours. Whether the recipient is told who donated varies by agency practice. On a LeaveTransfer.org campaign, you control what appears publicly when you pledge.

What conditions count as a medical emergency?

Any medical condition — the employee's own or a family member's — that is likely to require prolonged absence from duty and cause at least 24 work hours of absence without available paid leave. Cancer treatment, major surgery, high-risk pregnancy, a child's serious illness, and recovery from an accident are all common qualifying situations.

Does mental health treatment qualify for donated leave?

The regulation's definition of a medical emergency is condition-neutral — it asks only whether a medical condition will force a prolonged absence and at least 24 unpaid hours. Nothing in the rules excludes mental health conditions; inpatient treatment or an extended recovery period can qualify like any other serious condition.

Can I apply before my paid leave actually runs out?

Yes. The test is forward-looking: your absence without paid leave must be at least 24 work hours or be expected to reach 24 work hours. Applying early is wise — approval within the 10-day window lets donations start arriving before the gap in pay opens.

Can new employees with small leave balances receive donated leave?

Yes. There's no tenure or minimum-balance requirement to become a leave recipient — a first-year employee who exhausts a small balance during a medical emergency is exactly who the program serves. The 24-hour unpaid-absence test is the only financial threshold.

Is donated leave paid at my salary or the donor's?

Yours. Leave transfers hour for hour regardless of pay grade — 8 donated hours become 8 hours of paid time at the recipient's own rate. A GS-5 receiving hours from a GS-14 gets time, not the GS-14's dollars.

What happens to donated leave if I leave federal service?

Separation ends the medical emergency for program purposes. Unused donated hours are returned to the donors pro rata — they can't be included in your lump-sum annual leave payment and can't be recredited if you later return to federal service.

Which OPM form do I need for the VLTP?

OPM Form 630 to apply to receive donated leave; Form 630-A to donate to a colleague in your own agency; Form 630-B to donate to an employee of a different agency; Form 630-C is an HR-to-HR records form most employees never touch. All go to your own agency's HR office.

Can my agency refuse to process my donation?

Only for cause: the amount exceeds your annual cap (absent a waiver), the recipient isn't an approved leave recipient, the recipient is your immediate supervisor, or a discretionary cross-agency condition isn't met. Within the rules, processing donations is the agency's job, not a favor.

How do employees usually find out a colleague needs donations?

Traditionally through internal channels — an HR notice, an all-staff email, an intranet list — which only reach the recipient's own agency. LeaveTransfer.org exists to widen that circle: an approved recipient gets a public, shareable campaign page any federal employee can find.

Who pays taxes on donated leave?

The recipient. Under IRS Revenue Ruling 90-29, donated leave is wages to the recipient when paid — subject to income tax withholding and payroll taxes — while the donor recognizes no income and receives no deduction.

Does donated leave show up on a W-2?

For the recipient, yes: hours paid out appear as ordinary wages on their W-2 with normal withholding. The donor's W-2 is unaffected — donated hours simply never appear as income to the donor.

Is LeaveTransfer.org a government website?

No. LeaveTransfer.org is an independent, privately owned platform, not affiliated with OPM or any federal agency. It makes VLTP campaigns visible and points donors to the right official form — every actual leave transfer happens through agency HR channels.

Why do pledges require a .gov or .mil email address?

Because only federal employees can donate leave. Verifying a government email keeps every pledge credible — it confirms the pledger is actually in a position to file a donation form — without requiring anyone to create an account.

Does LeaveTransfer.org actually move my leave hours?

No. A pledge is a commitment, not a transfer. The hours move when the donor files OPM Form 630-A or 630-B with their own agency's HR office — LeaveTransfer.org tells each donor which form applies to their pledge and where it goes.

Does using LeaveTransfer.org cost money?

No. Creating a campaign, pledging hours, and every other feature is free. No money changes hands anywhere in leave transfer — that's the point of the program: colleagues give time, not cash.

Can my union be involved in a campaign?

Yes. Union locals often coordinate leave drives for members, and LeaveTransfer.org has dedicated tools for verified union leaders to start and manage campaigns on members' behalf. Ask your local representative, or point them to the site's union page.

VLTP FAQ: Federal Leave Donation Questions, Answered

By the LeaveTransfer.org team · Last reviewed July 1, 2026

27 direct answers about the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program — donating, receiving, forms, taxes, privacy, and where LeaveTransfer.org fits. Every answer is grounded in the statute, OPM's regulations, and official guidance, cited at the bottom of the page.

About the program

What is the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program in plain language?: It's the federal government's way of letting coworkers cover for each other when illness outlasts paid leave. A colleague facing a personal or family medical emergency gets approved as a 'leave recipient,' and other employees give hours from their own annual leave balance — hour for hour, no money involved — so the recipient's paycheck keeps arriving.
Who administers the VLTP — OPM or my agency?: OPM writes the government-wide rules (5 CFR Part 630, Subpart I), but your agency runs the program day to day: it receives applications, approves recipients, verifies donations, and executes the transfers. No paperwork ever goes to OPM itself.
Do all agencies follow the same VLTP rules?: The core rights are identical everywhere because they come from statute and OPM regulation — the 24-hour test, the 10-day decision deadline, the donation caps. Agencies fill in procedure: whether medical certification is required, how forms are submitted, and what the written waiver criteria are. Your HR office owns those local details.
Does participating in the VLTP cost anything?: There are no fees anywhere in the program. Donors give hours (not money) and incur no tax; recipients pay ordinary taxes on donated leave when it's paid out, exactly as if it were their own salary. Using LeaveTransfer.org to run or support a campaign is also free.
Which federal employees can't use the VLTP?: Employees of the intelligence community (CIA, DIA, NSA, FBI, and similar), District of Columbia government employees, and members of the uniformed services fall outside the title 5 program. Postal Service employees have their own USPS-run leave sharing program under the Employee and Labor Relations Manual instead.

Donating

How many hours of annual leave can I donate this year?: Up to half of the annual leave you'd accrue during the leave year: 52 hours if you accrue 4 hours per pay period, 80 if you accrue 6, and 104 if you accrue 8. Agencies must keep written criteria for waiving the cap in exceptional cases.
Can I donate annual leave to a family member who works at another agency?: Yes — that's the one cross-agency situation an agency must accept. When the donor is a family member of the recipient, the recipient's agency is required to take the transfer; you'd file OPM Form 630-B through your own HR office.
Can I donate use-or-lose leave before year-end?: Yes, within a tighter cap: the lesser of half your annual accrual or the hours remaining in the leave year that you're scheduled to work and be paid. The donation has to happen while the leave is still yours — hours already forfeited can't be donated.
Can I spread donations across several colleagues?: Yes. You may donate to as many approved leave recipients as you like in a leave year, as long as the combined total — including any leave bank contributions — stays within your annual donation cap.
Will donating leave affect my retirement or service credit?: No. Donating reduces only your annual leave balance — your sick leave is untouched, and federal retirement benefits are computed from your salary history and years of service, not your annual leave balance. If the emergency ends with hours unused, your share is generally restored pro rata, provided you are still a federal employee and enough hours remain to divide among all donors.
Can I donate anonymously?: Your identity is always on the official form — agencies need it to process the transfer and restore unused hours. Whether the recipient is told who donated varies by agency practice. On a LeaveTransfer.org campaign, you control what appears publicly when you pledge.

Receiving

What conditions count as a medical emergency?: Any medical condition — the employee's own or a family member's — that is likely to require prolonged absence from duty and cause at least 24 work hours of absence without available paid leave. Cancer treatment, major surgery, high-risk pregnancy, a child's serious illness, and recovery from an accident are all common qualifying situations.
Does mental health treatment qualify for donated leave?: The regulation's definition of a medical emergency is condition-neutral — it asks only whether a medical condition will force a prolonged absence and at least 24 unpaid hours. Nothing in the rules excludes mental health conditions; inpatient treatment or an extended recovery period can qualify like any other serious condition.
Can I apply before my paid leave actually runs out?: Yes. The test is forward-looking: your absence without paid leave must be at least 24 work hours or be expected to reach 24 work hours. Applying early is wise — approval within the 10-day window lets donations start arriving before the gap in pay opens.
Can new employees with small leave balances receive donated leave?: Yes. There's no tenure or minimum-balance requirement to become a leave recipient — a first-year employee who exhausts a small balance during a medical emergency is exactly who the program serves. The 24-hour unpaid-absence test is the only financial threshold.
Is donated leave paid at my salary or the donor's?: Yours. Leave transfers hour for hour regardless of pay grade — 8 donated hours become 8 hours of paid time at the recipient's own rate. A GS-5 receiving hours from a GS-14 gets time, not the GS-14's dollars.
What happens to donated leave if I leave federal service?: Separation ends the medical emergency for program purposes. Unused donated hours are returned to the donors pro rata — they can't be included in your lump-sum annual leave payment and can't be recredited if you later return to federal service.

Forms and process

Which OPM form do I need for the VLTP?: OPM Form 630 to apply to receive donated leave; Form 630-A to donate to a colleague in your own agency; Form 630-B to donate to an employee of a different agency; Form 630-C is an HR-to-HR records form most employees never touch. All go to your own agency's HR office — our forms guide covers each one with download links.
Can my agency refuse to process my donation?: Only for cause: the amount exceeds your annual cap (absent a waiver), the recipient isn't an approved leave recipient, the recipient is your immediate supervisor, or a discretionary cross-agency condition isn't met. Within the rules, processing donations is the agency's job, not a favor.
How do employees usually find out a colleague needs donations?: Traditionally through internal channels — an HR notice, an all-staff email, an intranet list — which only reach the recipient's own agency. LeaveTransfer.org exists to widen that circle: an approved recipient gets a public, shareable campaign page any federal employee can find.

Taxes and pay

Who pays taxes on donated leave?: The recipient. Under IRS Revenue Ruling 90-29, donated leave is wages to the recipient when paid — subject to income tax withholding and payroll taxes — while the donor recognizes no income and receives no deduction.
Does donated leave show up on a W-2?: For the recipient, yes: hours paid out appear as ordinary wages on their W-2 with normal withholding. The donor's W-2 is unaffected — donated hours simply never appear as income to the donor.

Using LeaveTransfer.org

Is LeaveTransfer.org a government website?: No. LeaveTransfer.org is an independent, privately owned platform, not affiliated with OPM or any federal agency. It makes VLTP campaigns visible and points donors to the right official form — every actual leave transfer happens through agency HR channels.
Why do pledges require a .gov or .mil email address?: Because only federal employees can donate leave. Verifying a government email keeps every pledge credible — it confirms the pledger is actually in a position to file a donation form — without requiring anyone to create an account.
Does LeaveTransfer.org actually move my leave hours?: No. A pledge is a commitment, not a transfer. The hours move when the donor files OPM Form 630-A or 630-B with their own agency's HR office — LeaveTransfer.org tells each donor which form applies to their pledge and where it goes.
Does using LeaveTransfer.org cost money?: No. Creating a campaign, pledging hours, and every other feature is free. No money changes hands anywhere in leave transfer — that's the point of the program: colleagues give time, not cash.
Can my union be involved in a campaign?: Yes. Union locals often coordinate leave drives for members, and LeaveTransfer.org has dedicated tools for verified union leaders to start and manage campaigns on members' behalf. Ask your local representative, or point them to the union leaders page.

Donating annual leaveDonate annual leave to a federal coworker through the VLTP: donation limits, OPM Forms 630-A and 630-B, tax rules, and what happens to unused hours.Becoming a leave recipientBecome a VLTP leave recipient: what counts as a medical emergency, how to apply with OPM Form 630, the 10-day decision rule, and how donated leave reaches you.OPM Forms 630, 630-A, 630-B & 630-COPM Form 630, 630-A, 630-B, and 630-C explained: what each VLTP form does, which one you need, official download links, and where to submit them.VLTP vs. FMLA & other optionsOut of paid leave? Compare the VLTP with FMLA, advanced annual and sick leave, leave banks, and the ELTP — and see which federal leave options combine.

Sources

Official government sources, verified July 1, 2026: