U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Edition Standard Form 1187, Revised December 2025 (5 U.S.C. 5525) 1 page

SF 1187 — Request for Payroll Deductions for Labor Organization Dues

The standard form a federal employee signs so their agency deducts union dues from each paycheck.

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SF 1187 · Request for Payroll Deductions for Labor Organization Dues
The official U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) form, edition Standard Form 1187, Revised December 2025 (5 U.S.C. 5525) — blank
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SF 1187 (2025) Request for Payroll Deductions for Labor Organization Dues — page 1 of 1
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Fill this form online Blank PDF from U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

What is SF 1187?

Standard Form 1187 is a federal employee's request for their agency to deduct labor organization dues from their pay and send them to the union, under 5 U.S.C. 5525. The employee authorizes the deduction each pay period, or the first full pay period of each month, at the amount the labor organization certifies, and any later uniform change in its dues structure.

The employee fills in their name, an employee identification number (an SSN or other), home address and agency, and signs Section B. The labor organization certifies the regular dues and the period in Section A and signs with its official's title. The agency then marks whether the requirements for dues withholding are met: if yes it goes to payroll, if no it goes back to the labor organization.

FileIt pre-fills your name and agency from your vault record and prints your answers on OPM's own PDF (Revised December 2025). If the union has given you the dues amount, you can fill Section A too; its official signs it. You can sign Section B by hand or with FileIt's eSignature. FileIt doesn't send it anywhere.

Who fills it
The federal employee (items 1 to 4 and Section B); the labor organization (Section A); the agency (the YES/NO box).
Pages
1
Cancelling
The form says you may cancel any time after the first year of dues assignment with SF 1188 or another written cancellation to your payroll office.
Tax
The form says dues aren't tax deductible as charitable contributions, though they may be deductible under other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
Edition
Standard Form 1187, Revised December 2025 (OPM, 5 U.S.C. 5525)

Who needs to fill out SF 1187?

  • Federal employees who join a labor organization and want dues taken from their pay.
  • Union representatives collecting signed dues authorizations from members.

When to use SF 1187

  • When you start paying dues to a labor organization by payroll deduction.
  • When your labor organization or agency asks for a new authorization.

What you need before you start

  • Your name, home address and an employee identification number (your SSN or another number your agency uses).
  • Your agency's name, including the bureau, division or branch.
  • The labor organization's name, including the local, branch or lodge.
  • For Section A: the regular dues amount and whether it is per biweekly pay period or per calendar month.

What’s on SF 1187

The 2025 edition has 1 page. FileIt asks for it in 3 parts, and it is signed by Employee:

  1. EmployeeEmployee
  2. Section B: Authorization by employeeEmployee
  3. Section A: For use by labor organizationLabor organization

How to fill out SF 1187, step by step

1 Items 1 to 4: About you

Your name (last, first, middle), employee identification number, home address and agency.

2 Section A: Labor organization

The union's name, the regular dues it certifies, the period (biweekly pay period or calendar month), and its authorized official's signature, title and date.

3 Section B: Your authorization

Name the labor organization, then sign and date to authorize the deduction.

4 Agency only

The agency marks YES (send to payroll) or NO (return to the labor organization).

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Leaving out the employee identification number: the Privacy Act statement says payroll deductions can't be processed without one.
  • Leaving the local, branch or lodge out of the labor organization's name.
  • Ticking both pay period boxes in Section A, or neither.
  • Expecting to cancel in the first year: the form allows cancellation after the first year of dues assignment.

After you fill it out

Sign and date Section B, by hand or with FileIt's eSignature.

Give the form to your labor organization or agency as they direct, so Section A and the agency's box can be completed.

Keep a copy. FileIt files the finished PDF in your vault folder.

Fill out SF 1187 online with FileIt

  1. Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
  2. Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 16 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
  3. Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
  4. Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start SF 1187 now — it’s free

SF 1187: frequently asked questions

What is SF 1187 for?

It authorizes your federal agency to deduct labor organization dues from your pay and send them to the union, under 5 U.S.C. 5525.

Do I have to give my Social Security number?

The Privacy Act statement says supplying your SSN is voluntary, but if it's used as the employee identification number, not giving it may mean the deductions can't be processed. You may use another employee number your agency uses.

How do I stop the deductions?

The form says you may cancel any time after the first year of dues assignment by filing Standard Form 1188 or another written cancellation request with your agency's payroll office.

Who fills in the dues amount?

The labor organization certifies the regular dues and the period in Section A and signs it.

Are union dues tax deductible?

The form says contributions or gifts to the labor organization aren't deductible as charitable contributions, but may be deductible under other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

Official sources

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-25.

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