Michigan Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Exemptions and Employer Rules (2026)

Michigan jury service in the state courts is governed by Chapter 13 of the Revised Judicature Act, and one section, MCL 600.1307a, holds the qualifications and most of the statutory exemptions. Counties set juror pay, but state law sets a floor of at least $25 for the first day and $40 for each later day, rising to $30 and $45 in fiscal years when the State Court Administrator determines the state juror compensation reimbursement fund held more than $2,000,000 (MCL 600.1344).

An employer that fires, disciplines or threatens a worker because of jury duty commits a misdemeanor and may be held in contempt (MCL 600.1348). A person more than 70 years old may ask to be exempt, and the court must grant the request.

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 Michigan state courts: the circuit courts and district courts, which run jury selection county by county. A summons from a federal court (a U.S. District Court sitting in Michigan) follows federal law, summarized on our jury duty laws by state hub.

Do you have to go? The short answer

If you received a Michigan jury summons or juror questionnaire, you have to respond. The questionnaire must be returned fully answered within 10 days (MCL 600.1313), and failing to answer it is one of the acts the circuit court may punish as contempt (MCL 600.1346).

Whether you then have to serve depends on three things. First, whether you are qualified at all. Second, whether you fall in one of Michigan's statutory exemptions, which the court must grant when you ask and provide any required proof. Third, whether the chief judge agrees to excuse you or postpone your service for a reason the statute allows.

Jury selection runs through each county's courts, and the summons names the court and how to reach it. To see which categories may apply to you, try our jury duty exemption checker.

Who can serve on a Michigan jury

Under MCL 600.1307a(1), a juror must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, 18 or older, and a resident of the county the juror is selected for (and, for district courts in districts of the second and third class, a resident of the district).
• Be able to communicate in the English language.
• Be physically and mentally able to carry out the functions of a juror. "Temporary inability must not be considered a disqualification."
• Not have served as a petit or grand juror in a court of record during the preceding 12 months.
• Not have been convicted of a felony.

Names are drawn from state lists of licensed drivers and state ID holders, according to the Michigan Courts juror page.

The 12-month rule

For the 12-month rule, a person "has served as a juror if that individual has been paid for jury service" (MCL 600.1307a(7)). The Michigan Courts juror page puts it this way: "while you can be called for duty more than once, you cannot serve on a jury more than once in a 12-month period."

If you were paid for jury service in a court of record in the past 12 months, tell the court that summoned you.

Felony convictions

Any felony conviction disqualifies a person from Michigan jury service (MCL 600.1307a(1)(e)). For this rule, "felony" means a violation of the penal law of Michigan, another state or the United States punishable by death or imprisonment for more than 1 year, or an offense the law expressly designates a felony (MCL 600.1307a(8)(b)).

The section contains no time limit and no language restoring eligibility after a sentence ends. It does not mention set-aside or pardoned convictions. Michigan's set-aside law says that once a conviction is set aside, including automatically, the person "for purposes of the law, is considered not to have been previously convicted," subject to exceptions that do not mention jury service (MCL 780.622(1)). If your felony was set aside or pardoned, tell the court that and ask how it treats your questionnaire answer.

Exemptions, excuses and postponements in Michigan

Michigan separates exemptions, which the court must grant when you ask and give the required proof, from excuses and postponements, which a judge decides.

Statutory exemptions (on request)

None of these is automatic. Each applies only if you claim it.

A separate statute, the Michigan Military Act, provides that officers and enlisted members of the organized militia (the Michigan Army National Guard, the Air National Guard and, when it exists, the defense force) "during service in the organized militia are exempt from jury duty" (MCL 32.511; MCL 32.509). Tell the court that summoned you and ask what proof of membership it wants.

The active-duty exemption, in the statute's words: a service member "may claim exemption from jury service for the period during which the individual is on active duty and must be exempt upon making the request of the court and providing a copy of the service member's orders" (MCL 600.1307a(5)).

Separately, federal law lets an active-duty member's military department exempt the member from state or local jury service if it determines service would unreasonably interfere with military duties or hurt unit readiness, and that determination "is conclusive" (10 U.S.C. § 982).

Excuses decided by the chief judge

Beyond the exemptions, "The chief judge of the court to which a person is returned as a juror may excuse the person from serving when it appears that the interests of the public or of the individual juror will be materially injured by his or her attendance or the health of the juror or that of a member of his or her family requires his or her absence from court" (MCL 600.1335(1)).

That is a discretionary decision. You may apply to the chief judge to be excused or postponed on any ground in the chapter, "in person or by a person capable of making the necessary proof of his or her claim," and the judge's action and reason go into the court record (MCL 600.1333).

The county jury board may also screen out people who are disqualified or exempt and, with the chief circuit judge's written approval, leave out someone whose public-interest, health or family-health ground applies (MCL 600.1320).

The Michigan Courts juror page gives examples of hardship a court may consider: lack of transportation, excessive travel, an extreme financial burden, undue risk to physical property, effects on another person's care, and risk to public health or safety. It says a medical excuse requires a letter from a doctor (Michigan Courts). Those examples are the court page's wording; the court decides each request.

Postponing your service

Michigan gives judges two postponement tools. A trial judge "at his or her discretion, may grant a deferral of jury service to a person if the person claims that serving on the date he or she is called creates a hardship," and then sets a future date the person can serve without hardship (MCL 600.1320(4)).

The chief judge may also postpone a juror to a later term of court if the juror has not yet been called for voir dire in any case (MCL 600.1334(1)). The sections cited here set no cap on the number of postponements, but courts set their own limits. Wayne County's court says: "If you are not available on the date scheduled, you may request one postponement" (Third Circuit Court, Postponement and Excusal).

Students

Students get postponements, not excuses, under MCL 600.1335(2)-(3):

• High school: the court "shall postpone the person's term of service until the end of the school year" for a full-time student enrolled in and attending high school.
• College and other schools: a full-time student at a college, community college, university, graduate or professional school, vocational school or other accredited school is postponed to the end of the academic year on request, with satisfactory proof that the term of service will likely interfere with the class schedule.

The Michigan Courts page says a student must submit a copy of the class schedule.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Michigan?

Michigan has no upper age limit that bars service. Instead, "An individual more than 70 years of age may claim exemption from jury service and must be exempt upon making the request" (MCL 600.1307a(2)).

Two points matter. The exemption is on request only, so a person over 70 who wants to serve may. And the statute says "more than 70," so 70 itself is not enough under the statute's text.

Court pages word this loosely. The Michigan Courts page says "People over 70 may request an age exemption." Wayne County's court says jurors "age 70 or older" may request to be excused. The statute controls; if you are exactly 70, ask the court how it handles your request.

How much does jury duty pay in Michigan?

The county board of commissioners sets juror pay and mileage, but it cannot go below the state floor in MCL 600.1344. The floor has two tiers. The higher one applies in fiscal years when the State Court Administrator determines the juror compensation reimbursement fund holds more than $2,000,000.

The State Court Administrator's current determination of which tier applies was not located for this page. Wayne County's Third Circuit Court states the higher figures: "Jurors will be compensated $30 for the first day of service and $45 for each subsequent day plus 20 cents per mile for travel," with mileage computed from the juror's Wayne County zip code (Third Circuit Court, Jury Services FAQ). Wayne jurors may receive more than one check for consecutive days.

Other counties publish their own rates. Check your county court's juror page or the jury office on your summons for the current figure. Juror pay comes from the county, not your employer.

Michigan jury duty and your employer

Michigan's employer rules are in MCL 600.1348. They are short, and they are enforced through criminal law and contempt rather than a lawsuit section.

Job protection

"An employer or the employer's agent, who threatens to discharge or discipline or who discharges, disciplines, or causes to be discharged from employment or to be disciplined a person because that person is summoned for jury duty, serves on a jury, or has served on a jury, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and may also be punished for contempt of court" (MCL 600.1348(1)).

The text sets no notice requirement, no minimum time on the job, no full-time condition and no employer-size threshold. It covers the summons itself, service, and the period after service. The Michigan Courts juror page adds that employers cannot discipline someone chosen to serve "even for a long trial."

Even though the statute does not require notice, giving your employer a copy of the summons promptly is a sensible step.

Limits on making you work extra hours

An employer may not require a person with jury duty to work hours that, added to the hours spent on jury duty that day, exceed the hours the person normally and customarily works in a day. It also may not require work that extends beyond the person's normal quitting time (MCL 600.1348(2)).

Both limits give way if the work is "voluntarily agreed to by that person" or a collective bargaining agreement provides otherwise. A violation is a misdemeanor and may also be punished as contempt. As the Michigan Courts page puts it, employers cannot "force a worker to go beyond normal hours to make up for time spent on jury service."

Does your employer have to pay you?

Michigan's jury employer statute does not require an employer to keep paying wages while you serve, and the juror fee is paid by the county (MCL 600.1348; MCL 600.1344). The statute also says nothing about whether an employer may require you to use vacation or sick time.

Your employer's policy, a union contract, or a public-employer rule may still provide pay. State classified civil service employees are covered by a Civil Service Commission rule: an employee summoned to jury duty "is paid the difference between any jury or subpoena fee received and the employee's regular pay during the period of required attendance" (Michigan Civil Service Commission Rule 5-6.9). Other public employees should check their employer's rules or union contract.

If your employer violates the law

A violation of either subsection is a misdemeanor and may be punished as contempt of court. Except as otherwise provided by law, the general contempt penalty is a fine of up to $7,500, imprisonment of up to 93 days, or both, in the court's discretion (MCL 600.1715(1)). Section 600.1348 does not state a penalty for the misdemeanor, so the general default applies: up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both (MCL 750.504).

The section creates no express lawsuit for damages or reinstatement. This page does not cover other possible claims for a wrongful firing, so do not read that silence as meaning a fired juror has no remedy. Tell the court that summoned you what happened and consider talking with a Michigan employment lawyer. Our guide to Michigan at-will employment laws covers the general exceptions to at-will firing.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Michigan?

MCL 600.1346 lists acts the circuit court may punish as contempt. They include "Failing to attend court, without being excused, at the time specified in the notice, or from day to day, when summoned as a juror." The list also covers:

• Failing to answer the juror questionnaire.
• Failing to appear before the jury board when required.
• Refusing to take an oath or answer questions about your qualifications.
• Giving a false certificate or false representation affecting another person's qualification.
• Paying or taking money to evade jury service.

The general contempt penalty is a fine of up to $7,500, imprisonment of up to 93 days, or both (MCL 600.1715(1)). Where the commitment is for failing to do something still within the person's power to do, the 93-day cap does not apply, and imprisonment ends when the person performs the act (MCL 600.1715(1)-(2)).

The Michigan Courts juror page summarizes the risk plainly: "You can be held in contempt of court, fined, or even jailed." The jury statute does not describe a specific follow-up notice for people who miss service, so if you missed your date, call the court named on your summons promptly.

How long jury service lasts in Michigan

Each court sets the length by local court rule. Petit juror service "shall not exceed the term of court," except that a juror serving on an unfinished case continues in that case until it ends (MCL 600.1343).

Any Michigan court may adopt a "1 day, 1 trial" system (MCL 600.1372). Under it, your service ends when the first trial you are sworn on concludes, and if you are not seated, you are generally excused at the end of the day, though the trial judge may hold you over another day to continue jury selection (MCL 600.1371).

Wayne County uses one day or one trial and tells jurors the average trial lasts 3 to 4 days (Third Circuit Court, Jury Services FAQ). After paid service, the 12-month rule keeps you off juries for the next 12 months (MCL 600.1307a).

How to respond to a Michigan jury summons

Michigan has no single statewide juror portal. Each county's courts run their own summons, questionnaires and requests, and the first notice comes by written notice, ordinary mail or personal service (MCL 600.1332). The Michigan Courts juror page explains state-court service in general.

Return the questionnaire within 10 days. If you plan to claim an exemption, have the proof ready: a copy of military orders, a letter verifying nursing, or your Address Confidentiality Program card.

Published contacts for the two largest courts:

• Wayne County (Third Circuit Court, Detroit): excusal requests by email to juryservices@3rdcc.org or by phone at 313-224-2507; the one-time postponement by mail, email, phone or fax (313-237-9203). Severely ill jurors should not report and can postpone by email or by phone (prompt 7). The online questionnaire must still be completed. Jurors 70 or older, or with a medical or other condition, may request excusal and may need physician documentation (Third Circuit Court).
• Oakland County: Circuit/Probate Jury Services at 248-858-0010, plus the county's Juror Access site (Oakland County Jurors).

Watch for jury duty scams

The Michigan Courts juror page warns that calls or messages threatening arrest, a bench warrant or 30 days in jail for missed jury duty unless you pay by credit card or give your Social Security number are scams. "Courts do not call people who've missed jury duty to get their financial information" (Michigan Courts).

The page advises never giving bank, credit card or Social Security information to someone who calls, emails or texts you, and reporting suspicious calls to local police and the court named. Learn the warning signs in our guide to government impersonation scams.

Not legal advice. This page provides general legal information about jury service in Michigan state courts, not legal advice. The court that summoned you decides every excuse and postponement request. Information was last verified on October 7, 2026. For questions about your summons, contact the court named on it; for an employment dispute, consult a lawyer licensed in Michigan.

Related pages

• Jury duty laws by state
• Michigan at-will employment laws
• Michigan court records
• Michigan scam and fraud laws
• Ohio jury duty laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in Michigan?

Counties set the rate, but not below $25 for the first day and $40 for each later day, or $30 and $45 in fiscal years when the State Court Administrator determines the state juror compensation reimbursement fund held more than $2,000,000 (MCL 600.1344). Wayne County's Third Circuit Court pays $30 the first day, $45 each later day and 20 cents per mile.

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

If you are more than 70 years old, you may claim an exemption and the court must grant it when you ask (MCL 600.1307a(2)). It is not automatic, and the statute's wording is 'more than 70.'

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

Michigan's jury employer statute, MCL 600.1348, does not require employers to keep paying wages during jury service; the juror fee comes from the county under MCL 600.1344. Your employer's policy or a union contract may still provide pay. State classified civil service employees are paid the difference between the juror fee and regular pay (Civil Service Rule 5-6.9).

Can I be fired for jury duty in Michigan?

No employer may fire, discipline or threaten you because you were summoned, serve or served on a jury; a violation is a misdemeanor and may also be punished as contempt (MCL 600.1348(1)). The statute has no notice or employer-size condition.

Can my employer make me work after jury duty in Michigan?

Not beyond your normal day. An employer may not require hours that, added to your jury hours that day, exceed your normal daily hours or run past your normal quitting time, unless you voluntarily agree or a collective bargaining agreement provides otherwise (MCL 600.1348(2)).

What happens if you ignore a jury summons in Michigan?

Failing to attend without being excused, or failing to return the questionnaire, may be punished as contempt (MCL 600.1346). The general contempt penalty is a fine up to $7,500, up to 93 days in jail, or both (MCL 600.1715(1)).

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

You can be called more than once, but you are not qualified if you were paid for petit or grand jury service in a court of record in the preceding 12 months (MCL 600.1307a(1)(d), (7)).

Can a felon serve on a jury in Michigan?

Generally no. A person convicted of a felony, meaning an offense punishable by death or more than 1 year in prison or expressly designated a felony, is not qualified (MCL 600.1307a(1)(e), (8)(b)). The section has no restoration language. A conviction that has been set aside is treated as not having occurred for most legal purposes under MCL 780.622(1); ask the court how it applies that to jury service.

Can students postpone jury duty in Michigan?

Yes. A full-time high school student's service is postponed to the end of the school year, and a full-time college or other accredited school student is postponed to the end of the academic year on request with proof of a class conflict (MCL 600.1335(2)-(3)).

Can nursing mothers get out of jury duty in Michigan?

A nursing mother may claim an exemption for the period she is nursing and must be exempted on request if she provides a letter from a physician, a certified lactation consultant or a certified nurse midwife (MCL 600.1307a(3)).

Can I postpone jury duty in Michigan?

A trial judge may grant a hardship deferral and set a new date (MCL 600.1320(4)), and the chief judge may postpone you to a later term before you are called for voir dire (MCL 600.1334(1)). Courts set their own limits; Wayne County allows one postponement.