Jury Duty Laws by State (2026): Exemptions, Pay, Job Protection

Jury duty in the United States runs on two systems at once. Federal courts summon jurors under the Jury Selection and Service Act, and each state (plus the District of Columbia) summons jurors for its own courts under its own statute.

The rules on who must serve, who can be excused, what jurors are paid, how employers must treat them, and what happens to someone who ignores a summons all come from whichever court sent the summons. This page compares those rules across the 50 states, D.C. and federal court, and explains the terms a summons uses.

To see which exemptions, excuses and postponements may apply to your own situation in your state, use our jury duty exemption checker.

Scope: This page covers jury service in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and federal court, using an audited dataset of state jury statutes and court rules (verified September 27, 2026) and the federal Jury Selection and Service Act. Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee have not yet been assessed in that dataset, so their rows say so. This is general information: the court that summoned you decides every request, and your summons and your court's jury office are the authoritative source for your case.

How a jury summons works

Courts draw prospective jurors at random from lists of residents. In federal court, "All courts use the respective state voter lists as a source of prospective jurors," supplemented by other lists such as licensed drivers where needed, according to the U.S. Courts. People selected are "mailed a qualification questionnaire to complete and return to the court within 10 days or instructed to complete the questionnaire online on the court's eJuror page." State courts follow similar two-step processes, a qualification form followed by a summons to appear, with details set by each state.

Being summoned is not the same as sitting on a jury. As the U.S. Courts put it, "Being summoned for jury service does not mean that a person will end up serving on a jury." Qualified jurors who report are questioned by the judge and lawyers in a process called voir dire, and some are excused from a particular trial based on their answers.

The basic federal qualifications are in 28 U.S.C. § 1865(b). A person is qualified unless they are not a U.S. citizen aged 18 who has lived in the judicial district for one year, cannot read, write, understand or speak English well enough, are incapable of service because of mental or physical infirmity, or have a pending felony charge or an unrestored felony conviction. States set their own qualification lists.

Exemption, excuse, postponement and disqualification

Summonses and statutes use four terms that sound alike but work differently. The dataset behind our exemption checker sorts every rule into one of them:

• Disqualification. The law says the person is not qualified to serve for a stated reason. Connecticut, for example, lists as disqualified a person who "is seventy-five years of age or older and chooses not to perform juror service" (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-217(a)(8)).
• Exemption. A category of people the law exempts from service. In federal court, active-duty members of the armed forces, members of professional fire and police departments, and full-time public officers are exempt, and the U.S. Courts explain that people in those categories "are barred from serving on federal juries, even if they are otherwise qualified and would like to serve" (28 U.S.C. § 1863(b)(6)). Many state exemptions, by contrast, apply only if the person claims them.
• Excuse. Release from service for a reason the law recognizes, such as age, medical condition or undue hardship. Some excuses must be granted when requested; Florida says "A person 70 years of age or older shall be excused from jury service upon request" (Fla. Stat. § 40.013(8)). Others are left to the judge's discretion.
• Postponement or deferral. Moving service to a later date rather than being released. Several states give a right to one postponement: Colorado says "A trial juror shall have the right to one postponement of the term of juror service," up to six months (C.R.S. § 13-71-116(1)); Connecticut allows one postponement of up to ten months (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-232(b)); Arizona lets a summoned person postpone "two times only" (A.R.S. § 21-336).

How a rule is applied matters as much as what it says. Our dataset marks each rule as automatic (the law itself exempts or disqualifies), on request (the court must grant it if you ask and qualify), or court discretion (a judge or jury official decides). Every request goes through the court that summoned you, usually through the online juror portal, form or phone number printed on the summons. The jury duty exemption checker lists the matching rules for your state with the statute, the official source and what to submit.

Federal jury service

Federal district courts each adopt a jury plan within the limits of the Jury Selection and Service Act, so the details vary from district to district. The U.S. Courts note that "Each of the 94 federal district courts maintains its own jury procedures and policies regarding excuses from jury service."

• Exemptions. Active-duty armed forces, professional (not volunteer) fire and police department members, and public officers actively engaged full-time in official duties (28 U.S.C. § 1863(b)(6)).
• Group excuses. A district may excuse, on individual request, groups for whom service would be an undue hardship. The U.S. Courts say "Such groups may include persons over age 70; persons who have, within the past two years, served on a federal jury; and persons who serve as volunteer firefighters or members of a rescue squad or ambulance crew." Volunteer safety personnel must be excused on request (28 U.S.C. § 1863(b)(5)(B)).
• Temporary excuses and deferrals. Courts may defer or excuse a summoned juror for "undue hardship or extreme inconvenience" for as long as the court finds necessary.
• Pay. "Pay of $50 a day; eligible to receive up to $60 a day after serving 10 days if the presiding judge so orders" (U.S. Courts; 28 U.S.C. § 1871(b)).
• Penalty. A person who fails to appear may be ordered to show cause, and "Any person who fails to show good cause for noncompliance with a summons may be fined not more than $1,000, imprisoned not more than three days, ordered to perform community service, or any combination thereof" (28 U.S.C. § 1866(g)). The same penalties apply to a person who fails to appear under a show-cause order after not returning the qualification form, or who "willfully misrepresents a material fact on a juror qualification form for the purpose of avoiding or securing service as a juror" (28 U.S.C. § 1864(b)).

Jury duty rules by state

The table below summarizes juror pay, the penalty for failing to appear, and any age-based relief for each state's courts. Entries come from the audited dataset behind our checker, which records the statute, official source and verbatim text for every rule, with New Jersey's penalty added from N.J.S.A. 2B:20-14 after a later review. "Not verified" means that item was not researched for that state; "None found in sections reviewed" means the statutes and rules opened for that state contained no age-based rule, which is not a guarantee that none exists anywhere else in state law. Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee are not yet assessed.

Can your employer fire you for jury duty?

For federal jury service, no. Federal law says "No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any permanent employee by reason of such employee's jury service, or the attendance or scheduled attendance in connection with such service, in any court of the United States" (28 U.S.C. § 1875(a)). An employer who violates it is liable for lost wages and benefits, may be ordered to reinstate the employee, and faces "a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for each violation as to each employee" (§ 1875(b)). An employee can apply to the district court, which will appoint counsel if it finds "probable merit" in the claim (§ 1875(d)(1)).

Federal law does not make employers keep paying you. The U.S. Courts say "Your employer may continue your salary during all or part of your jury service, but federal law does not require an employer to do so."

For state jury service, the protection comes from state law. Every state in the table below has a statute protecting jurors' jobs except Montana, where no jury-specific employer statute was found in the jury and employment chapters searched.

The details differ in ways that matter:

• Notice. Several states protect you only if you tell your employer about the summons. New York's statute applies to a juror "who notifies their employer to that effect prior to the commencement of a term of service"; Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Nevada, Virginia, Arkansas, California, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana have notice conditions too, and Georgia lets employers require "reasonable notification" of the absence. Tell your employer as soon as you receive the summons, and keep a copy.
• Who is covered. Federal law, Kansas, Ohio and Texas protect "permanent" employees. Pennsylvania's protection does not apply to retail or service employers with fewer than 15 employees or manufacturers with fewer than 40 (42 Pa.C.S. § 4563(d)).
• Pay. A handful of states require employers to keep paying wages for the first days of service; most do not. Several states bar employers from forcing you to use vacation or sick leave.
• Shift work. Some states stop employers from making jurors work a night shift after a day in court. Maryland and Virginia, for example, bar requiring a shift starting after 5 p.m. once the juror has spent four or more hours on jury duty that day.

Employer protections by state

"None found" in the pay column means the job-protection section we opened contains no wage-continuation requirement; it is not a guarantee that no other law or your employment contract requires pay. A dagger (†) marks states where the official code website blocked automated access, so the text was read from an archived copy of the official page or from a secondary copy; confirm those on the state's official code site.

If you believe you were fired or punished for jury service, write down what happened and when, keep your summons and any messages from your employer, and note the filing deadlines above: several states give only 30 to 90 days to sue. For broader protections against firing, see our guide to at-will employment and its exceptions.

What happens if you ignore a jury summons

Most courts do not jump straight to a fine. In many of the statutes reviewed, the sequence is a second notice or an order to appear and show cause, followed by a penalty only if the person has no good reason. Federal law follows that pattern: a person who fails to appear "may be ordered by the district court to appear forthwith and show cause for failure to comply with the summons," and the penalty applies to a person "who fails to show good cause" (28 U.S.C. § 1866(g)).

The penalties themselves vary widely, as the table shows. Michigan's general contempt statute allows up to $7,500, 93 days in jail, or both, unless another law provides otherwise (MCL 600.1715(1)); Maryland allows up to $1,000 and 60 days; Massachusetts allows a fine of up to $2,000; and New Mexico treats a willful failure to appear as a petty misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. At the other end, Montana, North Carolina and Louisiana cap the fine at $50 (Louisiana also allows up to 3 days in jail).

Several states also make it an offense to lie on the qualification form to avoid service; Texas, for example, applies contempt to a person who "knowingly provides false information in a request for an exemption or to be excused from jury service" (Tex. Gov't Code § 62.0141).

A penalty may not end the obligation to serve. New York's noncompliance procedure sets a new service date, and Arizona's statute says the person "may be compelled to attend for jury service on another date" (A.R.S. § 21-223).

If you missed a date by mistake, contact the jury office named on the summons as soon as you can. Asking the court for a postponement or excuse before the date is the lawful route.

Jury duty scams

Scammers impersonate courts because a missed-jury-duty threat is frightening and plausible. The federal judiciary warns: "People are being targeted by phone call, email, and messaging scams threatening them with prosecution for failing to comply with jury service. In the communications, recipients are pressured to provide confidential data, potentially leading to identity theft and fraud."

Signs that a jury call or message is a scam:

• It asks for sensitive information or money by phone, text or email. "Federal courts do not require anyone to provide any sensitive information in a telephone call or email. Most contact between a federal court and a prospective juror will be through the U.S. mail," according to the U.S. Courts.
• It demands payment by wire, gift card, cryptocurrency or a payment app. The FTC's general warning about government impersonators applies: "Don't wire money or use gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a payment app to pay someone who says they're with the government."
• The caller ID looks official. The FTC cautions that "caller ID can be faked."
• It threatens immediate arrest unless you pay now. Real courts follow the show-cause process described above.

If you receive one, do not give the requested information. The U.S. Courts say recipients "should immediately notify the Clerk of Court's office of the U.S. District Court in their area," and scams can be reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For a state summons, call the jury office using the number on your court's official website, not a number supplied by the caller. The federal judiciary also notes that "it is a crime for anyone to falsely represent themself as a federal court official." If you shared personal information, see our guide to identity theft laws and next steps.

Disclaimer: This page provides general legal information about jury service in the United States as of September 2026, based on federal law and state statutes and court rules verified in September 2026. It is not legal advice. Jury rules change, and the court that summoned you decides every request for an exemption, excuse or postponement. Follow the instructions on your summons, contact the court's jury office with questions, and consult a lawyer licensed in your state about an employment dispute.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be excused from jury duty because of my age?

In many states, yes, but usually only if you ask. The age and the method vary: South Carolina exempts people 65 and older, many states set 70 or 75, and some set 80 (for example Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii and Maine). A few states, such as California and New York, have no age-based rule in the statutes reviewed. Check your state's row above or use the jury duty exemption checker.

Does my employer have to pay me while I am on jury duty?

Federal law does not require it. A minority of states do for the first days of service, including Alabama (full-time employees), Colorado (up to $50 a day for three days), Connecticut (five days), Massachusetts (three days), New York (the first $72 a day for three days at employers with more than ten employees), Louisiana (one day), Nebraska, Tennessee and the District of Columbia, each with conditions. In most other states the statutes reviewed contain no pay requirement, though your employer's policy or contract may provide pay.

Can I be fired for going to jury duty?

Federal law bars firing, threatening, intimidating or coercing a permanent employee because of federal jury service (28 U.S.C. § 1875), and nearly every state reviewed has a similar law for state jury service (no jury-specific statute was found for Montana). Many state protections apply only if you give your employer notice of the summons, so tell your employer promptly.

What happens if I miss jury duty?

In many states the court first sends another notice or orders you to appear and explain. If you cannot show good cause, penalties range from small fines to contempt; in federal court the maximum is a $1,000 fine, three days in jail, community service, or a combination (28 U.S.C. § 1866(g)), and in New Jersey a fine of up to $500 or contempt (N.J.S.A. 2B:20-14). Contact the jury office on your summons right away.

How do I postpone jury duty?

Follow the instructions on your summons, which usually point to an online juror portal, a form or a phone number. Several states give a right to at least one postponement, for example Colorado (up to six months), Connecticut (up to ten months) and Arizona (two postponements). Ask before your service date.

Is a call saying I missed jury duty and must pay a fine real?

Treat it as a scam. The U.S. Courts say federal courts do not ask for sensitive information by phone or email and contact prospective jurors mostly by mail. Do not pay or share information; call the court's jury office using a number from the court's official website, and report the call to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

How much does jury duty pay?

Federal jurors receive $50 a day, and up to $60 a day after ten days on one trial if the judge orders it. State pay ranges widely: for example $15 a day from the second day in California, $50 a day in Virginia, $72 a day in New York and $100 a day in North Dakota. See the state table above.