Missouri Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Excuses and Employer Rules

Missouri state-court jury service is governed by chapter 494 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, with the disqualifications in RSMo 494.425 and the excuses in RSMo 494.430. Juror pay is set county by county: the statute guarantees at least $6 a day plus mileage at the state-employee rate (RSMo 494.455), and many counties pay more.

Your employer may not fire, discipline, threaten or take adverse action against you over a jury summons, and may not require or even request that you use vacation or sick leave for jury service (RSMo 494.460). A person 75 or older shall be excused on timely application to the court; it is not automatic.

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 Missouri state courts (circuit courts). A summons from a federal court in Missouri 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, excused, or postponed. Missouri has a long list of excuses, but every one of them in RSMo 494.430 applies only "upon timely application to the court," so you must ask. A hardship request has to be decided before your report date.

The quickest way out of a bad date is the one-time postponement in RSMo 494.432, which the court must grant if you meet its conditions. To see which category might fit your situation before you contact the court, try our jury duty exemption checker.

Who can serve on a jury in Missouri

Under RSMo 494.425, the following people are disqualified from serving as a petit (trial) or grand juror:

• anyone less than 21 years of age;
• anyone not a citizen of the United States;
• anyone not a resident of the county (or city not within a county) served by the court issuing the summons;
• anyone convicted of a felony, "unless such person has been restored to his civil rights" (see the next section, because another statute says otherwise);
• anyone unable to read, speak and understand English, unless the inability is due to a vision or hearing impairment that auxiliary aids or services can adequately compensate for;
• anyone on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, or any member of the organized militia on active duty under order of the governor;
• any judge of a court of record; and
• anyone who, in the judgment of the court, is incapable of performing a juror's duties because of mental or physical illness or infirmity.

Note the age: Missouri jurors must be at least 21, not 18. The statute states no minimum length of county residence. For the illness category, you or your personal representative may give the court documentation from a licensed physician verifying that a condition makes you unfit for jury service for up to 24 months (RSMo 494.425(8)).

Felony convictions: two statutes that point different ways

Missouri law is not consistent on this point. RSMo 494.425(4) disqualifies a person convicted of a felony "unless such person has been restored to his civil rights," and the Missouri Courts juror pages repeat that "unless restored" wording.

A separate statute, RSMo 561.026(3), says: "Notwithstanding any other provision of law except for section 610.140, a person who is convicted: ... (3) Of any felony shall be forever disqualified from serving as a juror." Section 610.140 is Missouri's expungement statute.

Two situations are addressed directly. First, expungement: an expungement order under RSMo 610.140 restores your civil rights, and subsection 9 says this "includes fully restoring the civil rights of a person to the right to vote, the right to hold public office, and to serve as a juror."

Second, a suspended imposition of sentence (SIS): the Missouri Court of Appeals rejected an argument that two jurors who had pleaded guilty and received an SIS were ineligible to serve, holding that "a SIS is not a 'conviction' for purposes of Section 561.026(3)" (Uxa ex rel. Uxa v. Marconi, 128 S.W.3d 121 (Mo. App. 2003)).

For other felony convictions, the conflict is unresolved. Missouri appellate courts have cited each statute without reconciling them: State v. Martinelli, 972 S.W.2d 424 (Mo. App. 1998) relied on the 561.026(3) "forever disqualified" rule, while a footnote in State v. Brandolese (Mo. banc 2020) listed "a felon who has not had his or her civil rights restored" among disqualified jurors, and State v. Bozeman (Mo. App. 2024) applied 494.425(4) to a juror with a felony conviction. None of these decisions turned on a juror whose civil rights had been restored. A 2008 bill to delete the "unless restored" exception from 494.425 (S.B. 998) was referred to committee and did not pass. We found no statute or appellate decision that reconciles the two sections.

If you have a felony conviction that has not been expunged, answer the qualification form truthfully and let the jury office decide, or ask a Missouri lawyer. Do not assume that a completed sentence, or a restoration of rights by some route other than expungement, makes you eligible. Hiding a felony is risky: in Martinelli, a juror who did not disclose three felony guilty pleas during jury selection was found in criminal contempt and sentenced to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Military service members

Missouri writes a military disqualification into its jury statute. RSMo 494.425(6) disqualifies "Any person on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States or any member of the organized militia on active duty under order of the governor." Note the limit: a National Guard member is covered while on active duty under the governor's order, not simply because of membership.

Federal law adds that 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).

Exemptions and excuses in Missouri

RSMo 494.430.1 says: "Upon timely application to the court, the following persons shall be excused from service as a petit or grand juror." The categories are:

The Missouri Courts Juror Basics page adds that the public-safety category "does not usually excuse law enforcement or fire suppression employees from service" (Missouri Courts, Juror Basics).

Age: the 75-and-over excuse

A person "seventy-five years of age or older" shall be excused under RSMo 494.430.1(7), but only on timely application. You stay on the jury list until you ask. The sections we reviewed set no upper age disqualification.

The excuse may not be permanent. Under RSMo 494.430.7, "After two years, a person excused from jury service shall become eligible once again for qualification as a juror unless the person was excused from service permanently," and an excusal is permanent "only when the deciding judge determines that the underlying grounds for being excused are of a permanent nature." The statute does not say age automatically counts as permanent, so you may need to ask again if summoned later.

Hardship: what counts and what to bring

Missouri defines hardship narrowly. Under RSMo 494.430, it is limited to:

• having to abandon a person under your personal care or supervision because no appropriate substitute caregiver can be found;
• incurring costs that would have a substantial adverse impact on necessary daily living expenses for you or those you principally support; or
• physical hardship that would result in illness or disease.

"Undue or extreme physical or financial hardship does not exist solely based on the fact that a prospective juror will be required to be absent from his or her place of employment" (RSMo 494.430.5). A judge of the court that summoned you decides, and you must get a ruling no later than your scheduled report date.

The judge may require documentation "such as, but not limited to, federal and state income tax returns, medical statements from licensed physicians, proof of dependency or guardianship, and similar documents." The statute is blunt: "Failure to provide satisfactory documentation shall result in a denial of the request to be excused." The documents are filed under seal (RSMo 494.430.6).

Postponing jury duty in Missouri

RSMo 494.432 gives you "the right to postpone the date of their initial appearance for jury service one time only." "When requested, postponements shall be granted," provided:

1. you have not previously been granted a postponement;
2. you appear in person or contact the board of jury commissioners by telephone, email, or in writing to ask; and
3. before granting it, the court sets a new date not more than six months after the date you were originally called, on a day the court is in session.

For a full-time student at an accredited institution, the new date may be up to twelve months out. A second postponement is allowed only for an extreme emergency that could not have been anticipated, such as a death in the family, sudden grave illness, a natural disaster or a national emergency, with a new date within six months.

Small-employer postponement

If your employer has five or fewer full-time employees (or their equivalent) and another of its employees was already summoned for the same period, "A court shall automatically postpone and reschedule the service" of the second juror, and that postponement does not use up your one automatic postponement (RSMo 494.460.4).

Separately, the jury supervisor or board of jury commissioners, following written guidelines adopted by the circuit court, "may postpone that prospective juror's service to a later date" on your application (RSMo 494.415.3). That route is discretionary.

How much does jury duty pay in Missouri?

Missouri pay depends on your county. RSMo 494.455.1 sets the floor: "Each grand and petit juror shall receive a minimum of six dollars per day, for every day the juror may actually serve as a juror, and the mileage rate as provided by section 33.095 for state employees for every mile the juror may necessarily travel going from the juror's place of residence to the courthouse and returning, to be paid from funds of the county or a city not within a county."

The statute allows two other county systems:

• $18 tier: if a county authorizes at least $6 a day more from its own funds, the state reimburses another $6, so total pay is at least $18 a day plus mileage for each day you actually serve as a petit juror in a case, or as a grand juror during a term (RSMo 494.455.2). This applies only where the county opts in.
• Two-days-unpaid system: by majority vote, a county may pay $50 a day "for the third day the juror may actually serve as a juror and for each subsequent day," plus mileage, "provided that no grand or petit juror shall receive compensation for the first two days" (RSMo 494.455.3).

What selected counties report paying

The Missouri Courts Local Jury Offices page is "based on local jury office survey responses," so treat these as reported figures with their update dates, not statute. "Serving" and "not serving" are the page's own labels; the page does not define them further.

The St. Louis City row has not been updated since 2020, so confirm it with that jury office. Other counties on the page vary; examples include a flat $6 a day in Atchison County, $25 serving and $6 not serving in Andrew County, the same in Buchanan County with $50 a day after the third day, and $30 serving and $20 not serving in Benton County.

A note on mileage

A 2025 law, S.B. 218, replaced the old fixed rate of seven cents per mile in RSMo 494.455 with the state-employee mileage rate, effective August 28, 2025. The Missouri Courts Common Questions page still says jurors receive "seven cents for every mile," which is out of date. The survey table above shows 70 cents a mile for most counties listed.

The statute also requires the jury commissioners to submit a statement of each juror's fees after each panel finishes, and "Within thirty days of the submission of the statement of fees, the governing body shall cause payment to be made" (RSMo 494.455.4).

Missouri employer rules for jury duty

Your job is protected

"An employer shall not terminate, discipline, threaten or take adverse actions against an employee on account of that employee's receipt of or response to a jury summons" (RSMo 494.460.1). The section sets no minimum employer size, no notice-to-employer condition, and no full-time limitation.

Your employer cannot make you use your leave

Missouri also protects your leave: "An employee may not be required or requested to use annual, vacation, personal, or sick leave for time spent responding to a summons for jury duty, time spent participating in the jury selection process, or time spent actually serving on a jury" (RSMo 494.460.3).

The same subsection says it does not require an employer to provide such leave to employees who are not otherwise entitled to it under company policies.

Does your employer have to pay you?

Missouri's jury statute, section 494.460, does not require private employers to pay your wages while you serve; it protects your job and your leave, not your paycheck. Missouri state employees covered by the state personnel rules are different: they "shall be granted time off from duty, with compensation" for jury service (1 CSR 20-5.020(8)(A)1). School and local government employees should check their employer's policy. The section also has no rule on shift scheduling around jury service.

If you are fired for jury service

"An employee discharged in violation of this section may bring civil action against his or her employer within ninety days of discharge for recovery of lost wages and other damages caused by the violation and for an order directing reinstatement of the employee. If the employee prevails, the employee shall be entitled to receive a reasonable attorney's fee" (RSMo 494.460.2).

The 90 days runs from the discharge. The written civil remedy covers a discharge; the section has no criminal penalty. Talk to a Missouri employment lawyer promptly. For how this rule fits with other limits on firing, see our page on Missouri at-will employment laws.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Missouri

Under RSMo 494.450, a summoned person who willfully fails to appear without a postponement or excuse, "or to respond to the juror qualification form shall be in civil contempt of court, enforceable by an order directing him or her to show cause for his or her failure to comply with the summons and the juror qualification form."

After a show-cause hearing, "the court may impose a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars." The court may also, in addition to or instead of the fine, order community service "for a period of no less than if the prospective juror would have completed jury service," with proof of completion. The court may excuse the sanctions "for good cause shown or in the interests of justice." The section does not list a jail penalty. If you missed your date, contact the jury office right away.

How long jury duty lasts in Missouri

Under RSMo 494.445, "no petit juror shall be required to attend court for prospective jury service more than twenty days in any one-year period except as is necessary to complete service in a particular case."

In jurisdictions on the nonpartisan court plan, a petit juror cannot be required to attend for more than two days on a summons unless placed on a panel of prospective jurors or selected for a particular case. We did not determine which circuits are on that plan; your summons or jury office will tell you your term.

The sections we reviewed contain no bar on being summoned again soon. Names come from a random selection of at least two government records, such as the personal property tax list, voter registration list and driver's license records (RSMo 494.410). If you served on a state or federal jury within the past two years, you must ask to be excused under RSMo 494.430.1(1).

How to respond to a Missouri jury summons

1. Complete the juror qualification form. The statute says the form instructs you to fill it out and return it within ten days, with your declaration that your answers are true to the best of your knowledge; it does not need to be notarized (RSMo 494.415).
2. Your summons directs you to the courts' online questionnaire. The Missouri Courts Common Questions page says: "If applicable for your county, after completing the questionnaire through the Juror Portal, you may be able to request an excuse on the Jury Home page. The excuse will be sent to the court for review or you may contact the local jury offices."
3. For the one-time postponement, contact the jury commissioners in person, by phone, email or in writing (RSMo 494.432).
4. For a hardship excuse, gather the documentation the judge may require and make sure you have a ruling before your report date.
5. Find your county's phone number and pay on the Local Jury Offices page, and call the number on your summons with questions.

If you get a call, text or email demanding payment for a missed jury summons, contact your county jury office directly before doing anything. Our guide to government impersonation scams explains how these schemes work, and our page on Missouri scam and fraud laws covers where to report.

Disclaimer: This page is general legal information about Missouri state-court jury service, not legal advice. The court that summoned you decides every excuse and postponement request. Information verified October 7, 2026. For questions about your summons, contact the jury office listed on it; for an employment dispute, consult a lawyer licensed in Missouri.

Related pages

• Jury duty laws by state
• Missouri at-will employment laws
• Missouri court records
• Missouri scam and fraud laws
• Kansas jury duty laws
• Illinois jury duty laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in Missouri?

It depends on your county. RSMo 494.455 guarantees at least $6 a day plus mileage at the state-employee rate, and counties may pay more. The Missouri Courts survey lists, for example, $18 a day while serving in Jackson and St. Louis counties and $20 a day in St. Charles County.

Why did I not get paid for my first two days of jury duty in Missouri?

Some counties, including Boone and Greene, have adopted the system in RSMo 494.455.3, which pays nothing for the first two days and $50 a day from the third day on, plus mileage.

Can I get out of jury duty in Missouri if I am over 75?

A person 75 or older shall be excused on timely application to the court (RSMo 494.430.1(7)). You must ask; it is not automatic, and the excusal lasts two years unless the judge finds the ground permanent.

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

Missouri's jury statute, RSMo 494.460, does not require private employers to pay your wages, but an employer may not require or request that you use vacation, personal or sick leave for jury service. State employees covered by the state personnel rules get time off with compensation for jury service (1 CSR 20-5.020(8)(A)1); school and local government employees should check their employer's policy.

Can I be fired for jury duty in Missouri?

No. RSMo 494.460 bars an employer from terminating, disciplining, threatening or taking adverse action against you because of a jury summons. A fired employee may sue within 90 days of the discharge for lost wages, damages, reinstatement and attorney's fees.

Can I postpone jury duty in Missouri?

Yes. You have a one-time right to postpone your first appearance to a date within six months, or twelve months for a full-time student, by contacting the jury commissioners in person, by phone, email or in writing (RSMo 494.432).

What happens if I miss jury duty in Missouri?

Willfully failing to appear, or failing to return the qualification form, is civil contempt. After a show-cause hearing the court may fine you up to $500, order community service, or both (RSMo 494.450).

Can a felon serve on a jury in Missouri?

The statutes conflict. RSMo 494.425(4) disqualifies a felon unless restored to civil rights, but RSMo 561.026(3) says any felony conviction forever disqualifies a person from jury service, except that an expungement under section 610.140 expressly restores the right to serve as a juror. The Missouri Court of Appeals has held that a suspended imposition of sentence is not a conviction for purposes of 561.026(3) (Uxa v. Marconi, Mo. App. 2003). No appellate decision reconciles the two statutes for other cases, so answer the qualification form truthfully and let the court decide.

Is there a breastfeeding exemption for jury duty in Missouri?

A nursing mother shall be excused on her request with a completed written statement from her physician certifying that she is a nursing mother (RSMo 494.430.1(2)).