Massachusetts Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Exemptions and Employer Rules

Massachusetts runs state-court jury service under Chapter 234A of the General Laws, with the qualification rules and every statutory disqualification in Mass. Gen. Laws c. 234A, § 4. Pay works in two stages: your regular employer pays your regular wages for the first three days (§ 48), and the Commonwealth pays $50 a day from the fourth day on (§ 51).

A person 70 or older may choose not to serve by saying so on the summons response; it is an election, not an automatic exemption (§ 4, cl. 2). Most trial jurors serve one day, or one trial if they are impaneled (§ 41).

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

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers trial and grand jury service in Massachusetts state courts, run through the Office of Jury Commissioner (OJC). A summons from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts follows federal law, summarized on our jury duty laws by state hub.

Do you have to go? The short answer

Yes, unless you are disqualified under § 4, use your one postponement, or a judge excuses you for extreme hardship. Chapter 234A says no one may be exempted or excluded from serving "because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, economic status, or occupation" (§ 3), so there is no automatic pass for any job.

Most requests go through the OJC's online response system or the paper Juror Confirmation Form, covered below. To see which category might fit your situation before you respond, try our jury duty exemption checker.

Who can serve on a jury in Massachusetts

Under § 4, "Any citizen of the United States who is a resident of the judicial district or who lives within the judicial district more than fifty per cent of the time, whether or not he is registered to vote in any state or federal election, shall be qualified to serve as a grand or trial juror in such judicial district unless one of the following grounds for disqualification applies."

So the tests are U.S. citizenship and residence (or living in the district more than half the time). You do not need to be registered to vote. The judicial district is generally the county.

Disqualifications, excuses and postponements

Massachusetts uses a short list of statutory disqualifications, a strict hardship excuse decided by a judge, and a postponement right. The OJC says it does not have citizenship, Social Security or medical data, so a person who is not eligible can still be summoned and needs to claim the disqualification.

Age 70 and older

Clause 2 of § 4 applies when a person "is seventy years of age or older and indicates on a juror summons response an election not to perform juror service." Nothing happens unless you make that election. If you are 70 or older and still want to serve, you can.

The OJC's eligibility page adds that if you ask to be disqualified on this ground, "the OJC will permanently remove you from the juror list," and you would need to contact the OJC to be added back if you later decide you want to serve (Learn about juror eligibility and disqualification).

Disability and caregiving

A person claiming the disability disqualification "must submit a letter from a registered physician stating the nature of the disability and the physician's opinion that such disability prevents the person from rendering satisfactory juror service" (§ 4, cl. 4). The statute gives physicians a guideline: a person is capable if able to do a sedentary job requiring close attention for six hours a day, with short breaks, for three consecutive business days. For § 4 (including the caregiver letter), "physician" includes an accredited Christian Science practitioner.

If the jury commissioner determines that the disability is permanent, the person is "considered permanently ineligible for jury service." Under § 3, a person with a physical disability otherwise serves unless the court finds that service is not feasible.

The caregiver disqualification in clause 5 is narrow. It covers a person solely responsible for the daily care of a person with a permanent disability living in the same household, it needs a physician's letter, and "Any person who is regularly employed at a location other than that of his household shall not be entitled to this disqualification." It is not a general childcare excuse.

Criminal history

Clause 7 disqualifies a person who "has been convicted of a felony within the past seven years or is a defendant in pending felony case or is in the custody of a correctional institution." The window runs seven years from the conviction, so the statute does not make a felony conviction a lifelong bar. A misdemeanor conviction is not a listed ground on its own, but anyone currently in the custody of a correctional institution is disqualified, whatever the offense.

Hardship excuses: decided by a judge

Section 39 states: "The court shall have authority to excuse a trial juror from juror service, in part or in full, upon a finding of extreme hardship; the court shall exercise this authority strictly." Military service, school, first-responder work and childcare have no separate statewide ground in Chapter 234A; they are considered under this hardship standard.

In practice, hardship requests are heard in person. Under § 66, after the welcome to jurors, the court holds a private hearing with each juror or employer who asks to be heard, to deal with "urgent personal problems of jurors and employers as to possible excuses, postponements, limitations on length of juror service, compensation, reimbursement, qualifications for juror service, or any other condition of juror service."

The OJC's excuse page tells jurors to report to the courthouse and speak to a judge. It accepts written advance requests only for an extreme hardship disqualification under OJC Regulation 9, giving examples such as members of religious orders that restrict travel or rare medical conditions that prevent leaving home, and asks for the request at least 30 days before service. It warns: "Common difficulties such as inconvenience, no childcare, or business obligations don't qualify" (Asking to be excused from jury duty).

Military service members

Chapter 234A has no separate military ground, so a service member would normally use the postponement or the hardship process. Separately, federal law says an active-duty member of the armed forces may not be required to serve on a state or local jury if the member's branch Secretary determines that service would unreasonably interfere with military duties or adversely affect unit readiness, and that determination is conclusive (10 U.S.C. § 982). Ask your command if that applies to you.

Postponing jury duty

Under § 34, "A trial juror shall have the right to one postponement of his term of juror service for not more than one year. The trial juror shall exercise this right by responding to the juror summons and indicating an election to postpone." You pick the new month, day and year; if that date is full, the OJC may assign a nearby date. The OJC says online postponements are confirmed immediately.

Further changes are discretionary. The court or OJC may defer or advance service "upon a finding of hardship, inconvenience, or public necessity provided the juror recognizes his firm obligation to perform juror service on the new date" (§ 39).

Listed senior state and federal officials, including the governor, state legislators, Supreme Judicial Court justices and members of Congress, who certify in writing that important government business requires them elsewhere "may request and shall receive any number of postponements" (§ 37). That is a postponement, not an exemption.

How much does jury duty pay in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts splits juror pay between your employer and the state. The $50 figure is set by statute, not by each county.

Section 51 reads: "Each trial juror who serves more than three days shall be paid by the commonwealth for the fourth day of service and each day thereafter at the rate of fifty dollars per day of service. A trial juror receiving payment under this section shall not be entitled to additional reimbursement for travel or other out-of-pocket expenses." A juror who serves three days or fewer receives nothing from the state under § 51.

The OJC's compensation page says the state pay is taxable, that an employer who keeps paying you beyond day three can require you to turn over the state pay, and that checks arrive within 14 days of completing service (or within 10 days after each week, for service longer than a week). You may write VOID on the check to decline it (Learn about compensation for jury duty).

Expense reimbursement and mileage

A juror who is not regularly employed must apply for the first-three-day reimbursement "before or during the judicial discretion hearings on the first morning" (§ 50); the OJC says the written request form is available at the courthouse. Section 50 also says the first three days of service do not cost you state unemployment benefits.

We did not find a statewide per-mile rate in the sections reviewed. Apart from the grand-juror and standby-juror rules described below, the travel reimbursement above is the only travel payment those sections describe.

Grand jurors are also paid by their employer for the first three days (§ 48); from the fourth day the Commonwealth pays a daily rate the court sets at a private hearing, not more than $50 a day (§§ 53, 54). The state pays only for days you actually appear as directed, and a standby juror may be reimbursed up to $50 a day for reasonable telephone and travel expenses (§ 55).

Massachusetts employer rules for jury duty

Your employer must pay the first three days

Section 48 states: "Each regularly employed trial or grand juror shall be paid regular wages by his employer for the first three days, or part thereof, of juror service." Regular employment includes part-time, temporary and casual work when your hours can reasonably be determined by a schedule or custom over the three months before service. The section states no minimum employer size. The OJC provides a juror service certificate within 14 days after each week you serve; to be paid, give your employer its copy as soon as practical (§ 58).

The OJC says employers may not have to pay workers with unpredictable schedules, independent contractors, self-employed people or out-of-state workers, but that a company headquartered elsewhere that employs you in Massachusetts must pay. If you work out of state and losing that pay is a hardship, the OJC says you can ask the judge at the courthouse, with proof of your out-of-state job, for up to $50 a day for the first three days.

After day three, Chapter 234A does not require your employer to keep paying you; the state's $50 a day takes over. State, school and local government employees should check their own leave rules for days beyond the third.

Extreme financial hardship for employers

A court may excuse an employer, or a self-employed juror, from paying the first three days on a finding of extreme financial hardship (§ 49). The Commonwealth then pays reasonable compensation that "shall not exceed fifty dollars per day," and the hearing on the employer's hardship "shall occur no later than thirty days after the tender of the juror service certificate to the employer."

Your job is protected

Under § 61, "An employer shall not deprive a juror-employee of his employment or any incidents or benefits thereof, nor shall an employer harass, threaten, or coerce an employee because the employee has received a juror summons, responds thereto, performs any obligation or election of juror service as a grand or trial juror, or exercises any right under any section of this chapter."

The same section bars compulsory work assignments and intentional interference with your availability, effectiveness, attentiveness or peace of mind during service. The statute text states no employer-size threshold and does not condition the protection on advance notice, although the OJC advises: "You should notify your employer when you receive your summons."

Schedules, vacation days and night shifts

The OJC's employment-obligations page, which reflects OJC guidance rather than the statutory text quoted above, says that during jury duty an employer cannot force you to reschedule jury duty or use vacation or personal days, cannot make a part-time employee serve on a non-work day, and cannot give mandatory work assignments (Learn about employment obligations during jury duty). The OJC also says that if your service is cancelled or you are released early, you should tell your employer and return to work if you have enough time to get there.

For night-shift workers, the OJC says: "If you work a night shift, you aren't required to work beyond midnight on the night before your first day of jury service. You may not work while you're impaneled on a trial. You aren't required to work on your last day of service if you're released by the court after 4:00 pm." The OJC adds that essential employees and small business owners must still report, and may ask for a judicial discretion hearing.

If your employer breaks the law

Under § 60, "Upon the expiration of thirty days after the tender of the juror service certificate to the employer, the juror may commence a civil action in any superior or district court having jurisdiction over the parties. Extreme financial hardship on the employer shall not be a defense to this action." The juror chooses between the § 60 and § 61 civil routes, and the OJC's legal counsel may apply for a criminal complaint against the employer.

These sections do not state their own filing deadline. Both make the employer liable "in tort," and Massachusetts's general limitations period for tort actions is three years after the claim accrues (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 260, § 2A), so talk to a Massachusetts employment lawyer promptly. For how jury protection fits with other limits on firing, see our page on Massachusetts at-will employment laws.

What happens if you ignore a Massachusetts jury summons

The summons process has deadlines. You must respond to the postcard summons within 10 days of receipt (§ 24). If you do not, a juror summons is mailed, also due within 10 days, and if there is still no response by the eighth week before the term, a Final Summons follows: "A juror who receives a final summons shall respond to the final summons within 5 days of receipt thereof" (§ 25).

If you miss service, the OJC may send a delinquency notice meant to let you fix the problem (§ 43). If you are not removed from delinquency within 30 days after that notice, the OJC may apply for a criminal complaint, with notice of a hearing to you, against a juror who failed to appear "without justifiable excuse" (§ 44).

The penalty is in § 42: "Any grand or trial juror who fails to appear for juror service or who fails to perform any condition of his juror service shall be guilty of a crime, and upon conviction thereof, may be punished by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars." The court may also issue an arrest warrant or take other steps to compel appearance. If you missed your date, contact the OJC right away.

Lying on the juror questionnaire is a separate crime. A person who "wilfully misrepresents a material fact in the confidential questionnaire for the purpose of either avoiding or securing service" faces a fine of up to $2,000 (§ 32).

How long jury duty lasts in Massachusetts

Massachusetts uses a one-day or one-trial system. Under § 41, "The length of the term of service for trial jurors shall be one day unless a juror is assigned to or impanelled on an incompleted trial when the term ends or unless the court orders otherwise." A juror who has rendered a verdict does not have to take part in a second trial. Grand jurors serve three months unless the court enlarges the term.

Section 39 sets the expectation that "every trial juror shall be prepared to serve three trial days," and the court may not limit service to fewer than three trial days except for extreme hardship. If a trial is expected to run more than three trial days, the judge announces it before impanelling (§ 40).

Some jurors are placed on standby: you call after 3 p.m. on the court day before to learn whether to report, and standby does not extend your term unless you are impaneled (§ 30).

After you serve, the three-year disqualification in § 4, cl. 8 applies on request. If your service was cancelled instead, you are not entitled to that disqualification if you are randomly selected again within three years (§ 28).

How to respond to a Massachusetts jury summons

Jury service is run statewide by the Office of Jury Commissioner. According to the OJC's Respond to your jury summons page:

1. Online: use the Massachusetts Juror Service website with the Badge Number and PIN on your summons and your ZIP code. You can confirm service, ask to be disqualified, postpone or defer, or request a hardship transfer. "Responding to your summons online will give you the quickest response and the system is available 24/7." Postponements are confirmed immediately; other requests are answered within 2 business days if you give an email address.
2. By mail: return the postage-prepaid Juror Confirmation Form (Sections 2A and 2B for disqualification, Section 3 for a hardship transfer, Section 4 for a new date).
3. By phone: the OJC Call Center, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at (800) 843-5879 in Massachusetts or (617) 338-6409 from outside the state. The OJC says the Call Center can process age and prior-service disqualifications.
4. The day before service: confirm whether you still need to report, online after 4 p.m. or on the juror line after 3 p.m.
5. Hardship: unless your situation fits the written Regulation 9 route, report on your date and ask for a hearing with the judge (§ 66).

Watch for jury duty scam calls

The OJC warns: "You should never provide personal information or financial authorizations over the phone. The OJC never contacts jurors by phone. Notices are always sent via mail, and multiple warnings, from both the OJC and the courts, are sent over a period of months or even years before an arrest warrant or fine would be issued." It says that only a judge can order a fine and that collection would never take place over the phone. Anyone who gets a call demanding money to resolve a warrant or missed jury service should contact local police or the OJC at (617) 422-5860 (Learn about jury duty scams).

Our guide to government impersonation scams explains how these schemes work, and our page on Massachusetts scam and fraud laws covers where to report.

Recent changes

The only 2025 or 2026 change we found to the sections described here is 2026 Acts c. 102, approved June 12, 2026, which updated the disability wording in § 4 (for example, "person with a permanent disability" in place of "permanently disabled person") without changing who is disqualified. The General Laws pages do not display amendment histories, so treat this as the result of our search rather than a guarantee. We did not verify the status of any juror-pay bill; the $50 daily rate in § 51 stands unless a change is enacted.

Disclaimer: This page is general legal information about Massachusetts jury service, not legal advice. The court and the Office of Jury Commissioner decide every disqualification, excuse and postponement request. Information verified October 6, 2026. For questions about your summons, contact the OJC or the jury office listed on it; for an employment dispute, consult a lawyer licensed in Massachusetts.

Related pages

• Jury duty laws by state
• Massachusetts at-will employment laws
• Massachusetts court records
• Massachusetts warrant search
• Massachusetts scam and fraud laws

Last updated: October 6, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in Massachusetts?

Your regular employer pays your regular wages for the first three days (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 234A, § 48), and the Commonwealth pays $50 per day starting on the fourth day (§ 51). Jurors who are not regularly employed may apply for up to $50 per day in expense reimbursement for the first three days (§ 50).

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

A person 70 or older may elect not to serve by indicating it on the summons response (c. 234A, § 4, cl. 2); it is not automatic. The OJC says it will then permanently remove you from the juror list unless you contact it to be added back.

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

Yes, for the first three days or part of them: c. 234A, § 48 requires your regular employer to pay regular wages, including for part-time, temporary and casual workers with schedulable hours. After day three, the statute does not require your employer to keep paying, and the state pays $50 per day.

Can I be fired for jury duty in Massachusetts?

No. Under c. 234A, § 61 an employer may not deprive you of your job or its benefits, or harass, threaten or coerce you, because of jury service. A violating employer faces a fine of up to $5,000 and can be sued, with treble damages and attorney's fees for willful conduct.

How do I get excused from jury duty in Massachusetts?

If a § 4 disqualification applies, claim it online, on the Juror Confirmation Form or through the OJC Call Center. Otherwise a judge may excuse you only for extreme hardship, applied strictly (§ 39), usually at a private hearing on your first morning (§ 66).

Can I postpone jury duty in Massachusetts?

Yes. Every trial juror has the right to one postponement of up to one year by responding to the summons and choosing a new date (c. 234A, § 34). Further deferrals are up to the court or OJC on hardship, inconvenience or public necessity (§ 39).

What happens if I miss jury duty in Massachusetts?

The OJC may send a delinquency notice, and if it is not resolved within 30 days it may seek a criminal complaint (c. 234A, §§ 43, 44). Failure to appear is a crime punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 (§ 42).

How long is jury duty in Massachusetts?

Trial jurors serve one day unless they are impaneled on a trial that is not finished, and should be prepared to serve three trial days (c. 234A, §§ 39, 41). Grand jurors serve three months unless the court enlarges the term.

Can a felon serve on a jury in Massachusetts?

A person convicted of a felony within the past seven years, facing a pending felony case, or in custody of a correctional institution is disqualified (c. 234A, § 4, cl. 7). The statute does not list a misdemeanor conviction as a ground, though anyone currently in the custody of a correctional institution is disqualified.

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

A person who served as a grand or trial juror in any state or federal court within the previous three years may claim a disqualification (c. 234A, § 4, cl. 8). If your service was cancelled, that disqualification does not apply (§ 28).