District of Columbia Jury Duty Laws (2026): Pay and Employer Rules

Jury service in the District of Columbia is governed by Chapter 19 of Title 11 of the D.C. Code, with qualifications in D.C. Code § 11-1906, and by the Superior Court's Jury Plan. The D.C. Courts currently pay $57 a day to a juror whose job does not pay them, and a $7 travel stipend to a juror whose employer keeps paying their usual salary.

A private employer in D.C. can be required to keep paying a juror: under D.C. Code § 15-718(c), full-time employees get their usual pay, less the jury fee, for service of 5 days or less, unless the employer has 10 or fewer employees. Your job is protected by § 11-1913, and the D.C. Code has no age-out; the court says a person 70 or older may ask to be excused.

Information last verified on October 7, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers jury service in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the District's only local trial court. A summons from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia follows federal law, summarized on our jury duty laws by state hub.

Do you have to go? The short answer

Yes, unless you are not qualified under § 11-1906 or the Clerk defers or excuses you. D.C. law is strict about this: "no individual or class of individuals may be disqualified, excluded, excused, or exempt from service as a juror" except as §§ 11-1903, 11-1906 and 11-1909 provide (§ 11-1908(a)).

The D.C. Courts' Jurors page tells you to respond to a summons even if you think you cannot serve, and warns that ignoring it could bring a fine or other penalties. Respond within 5 days of receiving the summons. To see which category might fit your situation, try our jury duty exemption checker.

Who can serve on a jury in D.C.

Under § 11-1906(b)(1), you are qualified to serve if you (A) are "a resident of the District of Columbia"; (B) are "a citizen of the United States"; (C) have "attained the age of 18 years"; and (D) are "able to read, speak, and understand the English language." A "resident" means someone who has lived in or been domiciled in the District for at least six months (§ 11-1902(10)).

No one may be excluded because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, economic status, marital status, age or, except as the statute provides, physical handicap (§ 11-1903).

Who is not qualified

Under § 11-1906(b)(2), you are not qualified:

• if the court determines that physical or mental infirmity makes you "incapable ... of rendering satisfactory jury service." Blindness alone does not disqualify you, though it may disqualify you from a particular case if it prevents satisfactory service in that case (§ 11-1906(b)(4)); or
• if you have been convicted of a felony, or have a pending felony or misdemeanor charge.

Felony convictions: when you can serve again

The disqualification for a felony conviction is not permanent under the D.C. Code. Section 11-1906(b)(2)(B) provides that a person disqualified by a felony conviction "may qualify for jury service not less than one year after the completion of the term of incarceration, probation, or parole following appropriate certification under procedures set out in the jury system plan."

The Superior Court's Jury Plan (effective May 28, 2020) sets two clocks in § 6(g): a person may qualify for petit (trial) jury service 1 year after completing incarceration, probation, supervised release or parole, and for grand jury service 10 years after. Under Plan § 7, the Clerk may deem you qualified when you certify on the qualification form that the waiting time has passed or that your civil rights have been restored, and may ask for more evidence. A pending charge, felony or misdemeanor, disqualifies you while it is pending.

Exemptions, excuses and deferrals in D.C.

D.C. has no list of statutory exemptions. Apart from qualification, the Code allows only deferral, and the D.C. Courts handle excusal requests through their own process.

The excusal grounds in the table come from the D.C. Courts' About Your Jury Duty page: "You may be excused from jury service if you: Are not a D.C. resident Are under 18 Have a serious illness or disability Are caring for a child under 2.5 years Are 70 or older Have already served in the last 2 years Would face extreme hardship." The age-70 and child-care grounds do not appear in the D.C. Code or the 2020 Jury Plan; they are the court's practice, and the court decides each request. The court page does not say what documentation is needed or how long an excusal lasts.

Age 70 and older

The D.C. Code sets no maximum age, and § 11-1903 forbids excluding anyone on account of age. The only age-related rule we found, after reading §§ 11-1901 to 11-1914 and the Jury Plan, is the court page's excusal for people who "Are 70 or older." It works on request; it is not automatic, and the court page does not say whether it covers one summons or all future ones. A pending federal bill, H.R. 1537, would add a 70-or-older opt-out to the statute; it is not law (see Pending changes below).

Military service and occupations

Neither the D.C. jury chapter nor the Jury Plan lists an exemption for military members, National Guard members, first responders, public officials or students, and § 11-1908(a) bars exemptions the statute does not provide. Separately, federal law lets a branch Secretary exempt an active-duty service member from a state or local jury if service "would unreasonably interfere with the performance of the member's military duties" or "would adversely affect the readiness" of the member's unit (10 U.S.C. § 982). That is a determination by the Secretary, not an automatic exemption.

Postponing your date

Under § 11-1909, "A qualified prospective juror may be deferred from jury service only upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, public necessity, or temporary physical or mental disability which would affect service as a juror." The Jury Plan adds: "Jurors may request a deferral of up to ninety (90) days from the original date of service. The deferral date must fall on the same day of the week as the original summons date and must be one on which the juror can commit to serving on a trial if selected."

A deferral beyond 90 days must be requested in writing to the Clerk, who grants or denies it in writing. The court's juror page also says "You can postpone your date once for any reason"; that wording is the court's, not the Code's or the Plan's.

How much does jury duty pay in D.C.?

The statute itself still reads: "A juror serving in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia shall be paid an attendance fee of $30 for each day of actual attendance at the place of trial or hearing," with a travel allowance of up to $2 a day (§ 15-718(a)-(b)). The Board of Judges of the Superior Court may raise both amounts and must publish the new rates (§ 15-718(e)), and fees may not exceed what federal jurors receive (§ 11-1912(a)). The court's current figures are the ones above.

Jurors employed by a federal, state or local government, or by a private employer that keeps paying regular compensation during service, are not paid the attendance fee (§ 15-718(a); § 11-1912(c)). Section 15-718(a) also says a person summoned for petit jury service "who does not serve on the petit jury shall not be paid an attendance fee"; the court's juror page does not mention that limit, so ask the Juror Office how it is applied today.

We found no separate mileage, parking or meal allowance in the statute or on the court page. If you receive D.C. unemployment benefits, "A petit or grand juror receiving benefits under the laws of employment security of the District of Columbia shall not lose such benefits on account of performance of juror service" (§ 11-1912(b)).

D.C. employer rules for jury duty

Your job is protected

"An employer shall not deprive an employee of employment, threaten, or otherwise coerce an employee with respect to employment because the employee receives a summons, responds to a summons, serves as a juror, or attends Court for prospective jury service" (§ 11-1913(a)). The subsection states no minimum employer size and no limit to full-time or permanent workers. Neither § 11-1913 nor § 11-1912 sets a notice requirement or a rule on night shifts or forced use of vacation or sick leave.

Does your employer have to pay you?

For many D.C. workers, yes, within limits. Section 15-718(c) provides: "For jury service of 5 days or less, petit or grand jurors employed full-time in the District of Columbia shall be entitled to their usual compensation less the fee received for jury service." The same subsection adds: "Employers with 10 or less employees shall not be required to pay a juror-employee his or her usual compensation."

So the pay requirement covers full-time employees, for the first 5 days of service or less, at employers with more than 10 employees. A day does not count if you would not have earned regular wages that day, or if you would not have worked more than half of a shift that extends into another day. Part-time workers and employees of employers with 10 or fewer workers are outside § 15-718(c), and the section does not say how it applies to a D.C. resident who works full-time outside the District.

The D.C. Courts' juror page states the rule more loosely ("If you have a salaried job: Your employer must pay you your usual salary for jury duty"); the statute's limits are the ones above. The 2020 Jury Plan says only that private employers are "encouraged" to pay; that wording does not displace the statutory requirement in § 15-718(c).

If your employer does not pay as § 15-718(c) requires, § 15-718(d) lets you "bring a civil action for recovery of wages or salary lost as a result of the violation," and a prevailing employee can recover attorney fees. Section 15-718 does not state a filing deadline; D.C.'s general limitations statute sets 3 years for claims with no specific deadline (§ 12-301(a)(8)), but we found no ruling applying it to § 15-718(d), so act promptly.

D.C. government employees

The D.C. Department of Human Resources says District employees "are entitled to receive court leave for the duration of any service as a grand juror or petit juror in any jurisdiction, including time spent pursuant to a summons to appear for such service," whether or not they are selected (DCHR Issuance I-2025-4, effective April 14, 2025). Court leave means no loss of pay or leave, and night-shift employees get court leave for their night tour.

If you are excused for half or more of a workday, your agency may require you to return to duty or use annual leave, but not if you could not perform a substantial part of a day's duty on return or you work a night shift. Fees received under court leave generally must be turned over to your agency, with listed exceptions. Federal employees are entitled to paid court leave for jury service under 5 U.S.C. § 6322(a). Federal employees and others whose employers keep paying them are not paid the D.C. attendance fee (§ 15-718(a); § 11-1912(c)).

If your employer violates the law

An employer who violates § 11-1913(a) "is guilty of criminal contempt" and "may be fined not more than $300, imprisoned for not more than 30 days, or both, for a first offense, and may be fined not more than $5,000, imprisoned for not more than 180 days, or both, for any subsequent offense" (§ 11-1913(b)).

If you are fired, § 11-1913(c) gives you a lawsuit: "the employee within 9 months of such discharge may bring a civil action for recovery of wages lost as a result of the violation, for an order of reinstatement of employment, and for damages." A prevailing employee is entitled to reasonable attorney fees. The 9-month clock runs from the discharge. For threats or coercion short of firing, the text provides only the criminal-contempt route. For how this fits with other limits on firing, see our page on District of Columbia at-will employment laws.

What happens if you miss jury duty in D.C.

The process starts with a court order, not an automatic fine. Under § 11-1907(b), "A prospective juror who fails to appear for jury duty may be ordered by the Court to appear and show cause why he or she should not be held in contempt for such failure to appear." The Jury Plan adds that the court may issue an arrest warrant.

The Jury Plan requires you to return the qualification form within five days of receiving it. The statute does not say whether paying a penalty ends your obligation to serve. If you missed your date, contact the Juror Office right away.

How long jury duty lasts in D.C.

Petit jurors report for 1 day; in the court's words, "If you have completed voir dire and all jury panels have been filled , your service for the day is complete." If you are selected as a juror, the court says you must return each day until the trial is finished. Grand jurors serve 25 workdays, Monday through Friday, starting at 8:30 a.m. The court's page also says grand jurors are on call for 18 months for recall dates set by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Under § 11-1911, "In any twenty-four month period an individual shall not be required to serve more than once as a grand or petit juror except as may be necessary by reason of the insufficiency of the master juror list or as ordered by the Court." The court's page puts it as: after your service is over, you will not be picked for 2 years.

How to respond to a D.C. jury summons

1. Respond within 5 days. Use eJuror with the 9-digit bar-coded juror number on your summons. The eJuror form can also be used to defer service up to 90 days from your original date.
2. Ask for a deferral or excusal through eJuror, by email to jurorhelp@dcsc.gov (grand jurors: grandjurorhelp@dcsc.gov), by calling (202) 879-4604, or by live chat on the court's site.
3. Check whether to report. Petit jurors call (202) 879-4604, option 5, after 5 p.m. the day before their date. Grand jurors do not call.
4. Go to the Juror Office at the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Ave. NW, Room 4670. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you served between April 1 and August 31, 2025 and never cashed your check, the court says those checks have expired; it reissues payment on a debit card at the Juror Office, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with photo ID.

Watch for jury duty scam calls

The D.C. Courts warn on their juror page: "Scammers may call or email pretending to be the court. They might say you missed jury duty and ask for money. The court will never ask for your financial information by phone or email . If you get a suspicious call or message, contact your local police." Our guide to government impersonation scams explains how these schemes work, and our page on D.C. scam and fraud laws covers where to report.

Pending changes

• H.R. 7881 (119th Congress), the D.C. Juror Pay Parity Act, introduced March 9, 2026 and referred to the House Oversight Committee, would set Superior Court juror pay "at rates equivalent to the rates provided under section 1871 of title 28, United States Code" (bill text). It is pending, not law.
• H.R. 1537 (119th Congress), the District of Columbia Superior Court Jury Duty for Seniors Opt Out Act of 2025, introduced February 24, 2025 and referred to the House Oversight Committee, would let the court exclude a person 70 or older on request under § 11-1908(b) (bill text). Congress.gov lists no action after that referral as of October 7, 2026. It is pending, not law.
• We found no D.C. enactment in 2025 or 2026 changing jury qualifications, pay or employer protections. Our search of D.C. Council bills was limited to a web search, so check the Juror Office if your situation turns on a recent change.

Disclaimer: This page is general legal information about jury service in the District of Columbia, not legal advice. The Superior Court and its Clerk decide every deferral and excusal request. Information verified October 7, 2026. For questions about your summons, contact the Juror Office at (202) 879-4604; for an employment dispute, consult a lawyer licensed in the District of Columbia.

Related pages

• Jury duty laws by state
• District of Columbia at-will employment laws
• D.C. court records
• D.C. scam and fraud laws
• Maryland jury duty laws
• Virginia jury duty laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in D.C.?

The D.C. Courts pay $57 per day if your job does not pay you, and a $7 travel stipend if your employer pays your usual salary. The statute's original $30 fee in D.C. Code § 15-718(a) has been raised by the Superior Court's Board of Judges under § 15-718(e).

Does my employer have to pay me for jury duty in D.C.?

If you work full-time in the District for an employer with more than 10 employees, yes, for jury service of 5 days or less: you are entitled to your usual compensation less the jury fee (D.C. Code § 15-718(c)). You can sue for unpaid wages and recover attorney fees if you prevail (§ 15-718(d)).

Can I be fired for jury duty in D.C.?

No. An employer may not fire, threaten or coerce you because of a summons or jury service (§ 11-1913(a)). A fired employee may sue within 9 months for lost wages, reinstatement and damages, and the employer can be held in criminal contempt.

Can I get out of jury duty in D.C. if I am over 70?

The D.C. Courts say a person 70 or older may be excused on request. The D.C. Code sets no age limit and forbids excluding anyone because of age (§ 11-1903), so the excusal is the court's practice and is not automatic.

Can a felon serve on a jury in D.C.?

A felony conviction disqualifies you, but you may qualify for petit jury service 1 year after finishing incarceration, probation or parole, after certifying it on the qualification form (§ 11-1906(b)(2)(B); Jury Plan § 6(g)). The Jury Plan sets 10 years for grand jury service, and a pending felony or misdemeanor charge disqualifies you.

Can I postpone jury duty in D.C.?

Yes. You may request a deferral of up to 90 days from your original date, on the same day of the week, through eJuror or the Juror Office; a longer deferral must be requested in writing to the Clerk (Jury Plan § 6; § 11-1909).

What happens if I miss jury duty in D.C.?

The court may order you to show cause why you should not be held in contempt. Without good cause, the penalty is a fine of up to $300, up to 7 days in jail, or both (§ 11-1907(b)).

How often can you be called for jury duty in D.C.?

You cannot be required to serve more than once in any 24-month period, unless the master juror list runs short or the court orders it (§ 11-1911). Petit jurors report for 1 day and, if selected for a trial, return each day until it ends; grand jurors serve 25 workdays.