Florida Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Excuses and Employer Rules (2026)

Florida's rules for state-court jury service are in Chapter 40 of the Florida Statutes, with the qualifications in Fla. Stat. § 40.01 and every disqualification and excuse in § 40.013. Jurors whose employer keeps paying them get nothing from the clerk for the first three days; everyone else gets $15 a day, and every juror gets $30 a day from the fourth day (§ 40.24).

Your employer cannot dismiss you because of jury service, and a dismissed juror can sue for damages (§ 40.271). A person 70 or older is excused on request, but nothing happens automatically at 70.

Information last verified on October 6, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers jury service in Florida state courts. A summons from a federal court (a U.S. District Court sitting in Florida) follows federal law, summarized on our jury duty laws by state hub.

Who can serve on a jury in Florida

Fla. Stat. § 40.01 says jurors "shall be taken from the male and female persons at least 18 years of age who are citizens of the United States and legal residents of this state and their respective counties" who hold a Florida driver license or ID card or have signed the juror affidavit in § 40.011.

That last point matters if you do not drive. Because § 40.01 ties eligibility to a Florida driver license or ID card, a person without either can add themselves by signing the affidavit at the clerk's office (§ 40.011(3)).

Who is disqualified

Under § 40.013, these people are not qualified to serve, whether or not they ask:

• People facing charges or with certain convictions: anyone under prosecution for any crime, or convicted in Florida, a federal court, or any other state, territory or country of bribery, forgery, perjury, larceny or any offense that is a felony in Florida (or would be if committed here), "unless restored to civil rights" (§ 40.013(1)).
• Certain officials: the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, any Cabinet officer, any clerk of court and any judge (§ 40.013(2)(a)).
• Anyone interested in the case: a person with an interest in an issue being tried cannot sit on that case, though being a resident or taxpayer of a state, county or city that is a party does not disqualify anyone (§ 40.013(3)).

Felony convictions and restored civil rights

Clerks must remove convicted felons, people adjudicated mentally incompetent and deceased people from the jury lists every month. A person whose civil rights or competency has been restored and who wants to serve must sign the § 40.011 affidavit to get back on the lists (§ 40.022).

Fla. Stat. § 940.05 says a person convicted of a felony "may be entitled to" restoration of the rights of citizenship after a full pardon from the Board of Executive Clemency, serving the maximum term of the sentence, or a final release by the Florida Commission on Offender Review.

Florida's constitutional rule restoring voting rights after a sentence is completed (Fla. Const. art. VI, § 4) is written about voting and holding office and does not mention jury service. This page does not treat restored voting rights as restored jury eligibility. If this applies to you, confirm your status with your county's clerk of court before relying on it either way.

Jury duty exemptions and excuses in Florida

Most of Florida's excuses work only if you ask. A few are mandatory once you ask ("shall be excused upon request"), some are up to the judge ("may"), and one recent-service rule makes you exempt. The table below follows the wording of § 40.013.

A few details are easy to miss:

• The parent excuse depends on employment. A parent who works full time does not fall under § 40.013(4), even with a child under 6. That parent may still ask for a hardship excuse under § 40.013(6).
• Student and childbirth excusals cover one summons. Each applies "only to the specific summons" or "that specific summons," so you would ask again if summoned later.
• The recent-service exemption counts reporting, not just being summoned, and only in a court in your county of residence.
• Deaf or hearing-impaired jurors who want to serve cannot be excused from a civil jury solely on that basis unless the judge finds that the evidence requires auditory discrimination or that the trial's timely progression would be considerably affected (§ 40.013(5)).

Chapter 40 contains no exemption for military service members and no breastfeeding provision; the postpartum rule in § 40.013(12) is tied to the date of birth. A person in either situation can ask for a postponement or a hardship excuse.

Hardship excuses

Under § 40.013(6), "A person may be excused from jury service upon a showing of hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity." The statute does not define those terms or list the documents you need. Ask your county clerk's jury office what it requires, and expect the court to decide.

Can you get out of jury duty in Florida if you are over 70?

You can ask to be excused, and if you do, the court must excuse you. § 40.013(8) says: "A person 70 years of age or older shall be excused from jury service upon request."

The same subsection lets a person 70 or older ask, in writing, to be permanently excused. That one is worded "may," so it is not guaranteed. If you are permanently excused and later change your mind, you can ask in writing to go back on the jury lists, as long as you still meet the qualifications.

Nothing happens automatically at 70. Florida has no maximum age for jurors, so a person who does not ask stays on the list and can be summoned.

How much does jury duty pay in Florida?

Florida's juror pay is set by statute and paid by the clerk of the circuit court. What you receive for the first three days depends on whether your employer keeps paying you (§ 40.24).

Some readers see this rule reversed online. Under § 40.24(3), the $15 goes to jurors who are not regularly employed or whose wages stop, not to employees who keep getting paid.

"Regular employment" includes part-time, temporary and casual work, if your hours were reasonably predictable by schedule or custom during the three months before your term (§ 40.24(2)). Days count as service when you report; a day you were told before reporting not to come in does not count. A juror excused at their own request gets no first-three-days payment under § 40.24(3) (§ 40.24(7)).

Travel, meals and other expenses

The clerk pays no mileage. § 40.24(5) says: "Jurors are not entitled to additional reimbursement by the clerk of the circuit court for travel or other out-of-pocket expenses." Parking and meals are county practice, not set by Chapter 40; ask your county's jury office.

When the court orders a jury sequestered, the sheriff provides meals and lodging, paid by the clerk (§ 40.26).

Reemployment assistance and donating your pay

A juror receiving reemployment assistance benefits does not lose them because of juror pay (§ 40.24(6)). In circuits that choose to allow it, you can irrevocably donate all of your juror pay at the end of service to the organization named by the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office or to a domestic violence shelter, and the clerk must tell you about the option in writing (§ 40.24(8)).

Can your employer fire you or stop paying you for jury duty in Florida?

Your employer cannot dismiss you for serving. Fla. Stat. § 40.271(1) says no person summoned to serve, or accepted to serve, on a grand or petit jury "shall be dismissed from employment for any cause because of the nature or length of service upon such jury."

Threats count too. An employer or its agent who threatens to dismiss a summoned juror because of the nature or length of service may be held in contempt of the court that issued the summons (§ 40.271(2)).

Suing over a dismissal

A person dismissed in violation of the statute can bring a civil action in Florida courts and recover "not only compensatory damages, but, in addition thereto, punitive damages and reasonable attorney fees" (§ 40.271(3)). The right to sue is tied to an actual dismissal; a threat alone is a contempt matter under subsection (2).

Section 40.271 does not state a filing deadline. If you were dismissed, speak with a lawyer licensed in Florida promptly about which time limit applies.

What the statute does not cover

Section 40.271 speaks only to dismissal and threats of dismissal. It does not mention employer size, advance notice, discipline short of dismissal, shift changes, or use of vacation or sick leave.

Pay is the bigger gap. Florida's jury statute does not require an employer to keep paying wages during jury service. Employees of state executive agencies in the State Personnel System are the exception: under Florida Administrative Code Rule 60L-34.0071(3)(a), an agency employee summoned for a jury panel gets paid administrative leave for the hours of jury duty, up to a normal workday, keeps the jury fees, and must return to work if released early. Legislative, court, state university, city and county employees should check their employer's leave policy. If your employer does continue your regular wages, you simply receive no clerk payment for the first three days (§ 40.24(3)(a)). Check your employer's written leave policy, and tell your employer about the summons early as a practical matter.

How to postpone jury duty in Florida

Under § 40.23(2), service "may be postponed for a period not to exceed 6 months upon written or oral request." You may name a preferred date, and it must be given consideration. While a public health emergency declared by the State Health Officer or a state of emergency declared by the Governor is in effect, the postponement may run up to 12 months.

The statute says "may," so the postponement is not guaranteed, and it does not state a limit on how many times you can ask. Requests go to the clerk of the circuit court in the county that summoned you, using the contact details on your summons.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Florida?

§ 40.23(3) says a person duly summoned who "fails to attend without any sufficient excuse shall pay a fine not to exceed $100, which fine shall be imposed by the court to which the juror was summoned, and, in addition, such failure may be considered a contempt of court."

Two points follow from that text. The fine is imposed by the court, not by a phone caller or a clerk demanding payment. And contempt is a separate exposure on top of the fine, which § 40.23(3) does not cap. Chapter 40 does not set out the show-cause procedure, and the statute does not say whether paying a fine ends your obligation to serve.

If you missed your date, contact the clerk's jury office in your county as soon as you can.

How long jury duty lasts and how often you can be called

Florida uses a one-day or one-trial system. Under § 40.41, "The length of the term of service for a petit juror shall not exceed 1 day unless the juror is assigned to or impaneled on a trial that is not completed in 1 day or unless the court orders otherwise." Jurors waiting for assignment must be released as early as possible once they are not needed.

Where the court authorizes it, a jury pool may place jurors on telephone on-call status instead of having them wait at the courthouse (§ 40.231).

How often you can be called is governed by the one-year exemption in § 40.013(7): if you were summoned and reported as a prospective juror in any court in your home county, you are exempt for one year from your last day of service.

How to respond to a Florida jury summons

Florida's jury system runs county by county. The chief judge has overall responsibility, but the clerk of the circuit court handles the processing of jurors, including qualifications, summonses, reporting and pay (§ 40.001). Each county's clerk runs its own juror process; your summons names the clerk's office to contact.

The summons comes by mail. The clerk must mail it at least 14 days before the court sits, unless the court orders shorter notice (§ 40.23(1)).

To respond:

1. Read the summons for your reporting date, courthouse and the clerk's contact details.
2. If an excuse in § 40.013 fits, ask the clerk's jury office using the method on your summons. Most excuses require a request. A permanent excusal at 70 must be requested in writing, and one for permanent incapacity must come with a physician's written statement.
3. If you need more time, ask to postpone, in writing or orally, for up to 6 months.
4. Otherwise, report as directed and keep any proof of attendance for your employer.

Our jury duty exemption checker walks through the common categories, but the clerk or the court decides every request.

Jury duty scam calls in Florida

The Florida Attorney General has warned about callers posing as court officials. According to its guidance, a court always sends jury summonses by mail, not by email, phone call or text; a government office will never demand payment over the phone; a fine is never imposed until after a person appears in court to explain a failure to appear; and no one should pay a caller by gift card, money transfer app or wire transfer.

The Attorney General advises reporting suspected scams to your local county clerk's office. Our guide to government impersonation scams explains how these schemes work and where else to report them.

Disclaimer: This page provides general legal information about jury service in Florida state courts, not legal advice. The court that summoned you decides every excuse, postponement and penalty. Information verified October 6, 2026. For questions about your summons, contact the clerk of court's jury office listed on it; for an employment dispute, consult a lawyer licensed in Florida.

Related pages

• Jury duty laws by state
• Florida at-will employment laws
• Florida court records
• Florida scam and fraud laws

Last updated: October 6, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in Florida?

If your employer keeps paying your regular wages, the clerk pays nothing for the first three days; otherwise you get $15 a day for those days. Every juror gets $30 a day from the fourth day, and the clerk pays no mileage or travel reimbursement (Fla. Stat. § 40.24).

Does my employer have to pay me for jury duty in Florida?

Florida's jury statute does not require an employer to keep paying wages during jury service. If your wages stop, the clerk pays you $15 a day for the first three days and $30 a day after that (§§ 40.24, 40.271). State agency employees are the exception: they receive paid administrative leave for jury duty under Fla. Admin. Code R. 60L-34.0071.

Can I be fired for jury duty in Florida?

No. Fla. Stat. § 40.271 bars dismissal because of the nature or length of jury service, a threat of dismissal may be treated as contempt of court, and a dismissed juror can sue for compensatory and punitive damages plus reasonable attorney fees.

Can I get out of jury duty in Florida if I am over 70?

Yes, if you ask. A person 70 or older shall be excused on request and may be permanently excused on written request, but nothing is automatic at 70 (§ 40.013(8)).

Can I get out of jury duty in Florida if I have a young child?

A parent who is not employed full time and has custody of a child under 6 is excused on request, and so is any expectant mother (§ 40.013(4)). A parent who works full time can ask for a hardship excuse under § 40.013(6), which the court decides.

Are college students exempt from jury duty in Florida?

Not automatically. A full-time student aged 18 to 21 at a high school, state university, private postsecondary institution, Florida College System institution or career center is excused from that specific summons on request (§ 40.013(11)). Older students may ask for a hardship excuse.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Florida?

The court that summoned you can impose a fine of up to $100 if you failed to attend without a sufficient excuse, and the failure may also be treated as contempt of court (§ 40.23(3)). Contact your county clerk's jury office promptly.

How do I postpone jury duty in Florida?

Ask the clerk's jury office in writing or orally; service may be postponed for up to 6 months, or up to 12 months during a declared public health emergency or state of emergency (§ 40.23(2)).

How often can you be called for jury duty in Florida?

If you were summoned and reported as a prospective juror in any court in your home county, you are exempt for one year from your last day of service (§ 40.013(7)).

Can a felon serve on a jury in Florida?

Not unless restored to civil rights. Section 40.013(1) disqualifies anyone under prosecution for any crime or convicted of a felony or of bribery, forgery, perjury or larceny, and a person whose civil rights are restored must sign the clerk's affidavit to return to the jury lists (§ 40.022).