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

Ohio jury service in the state courts is governed by Chapter 2313 of the Ohio Revised Code, and the main list of reasons a court may excuse you is in R.C. 2313.14. There is no statewide daily juror fee: each county's board of commissioners sets juror pay by resolution (R.C. 2313.22).

An employer may not fire or threaten to fire a permanent employee for jury service if the employee gave reasonable notice of the summons, and it may not make you use vacation or sick leave for it (R.C. 2313.19). Ohio has no automatic age-out: a juror over 75 is excused only if they ask.

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 Ohio state courts: the county courts of common pleas and, where noted, municipal courts. A summons from a federal court (the U.S. District Court for the Northern or Southern District of Ohio) follows federal law, summarized on our jury duty laws by state hub.

Do you have to go? The short answer

Yes, if you were summoned, you have to respond. Ohio's statute is unusually direct about it: "No person shall be exempted from jury service for any reason, but a person may be excused from jury service or have the person's jury service postponed" under Chapter 2313 and the general statutes (R.C. 2313.21(C)).

That means there is no category of people who are automatically off the hook because of their job. What Ohio does have is a closed list of grounds for asking to be excused, a right to one postponement if you ask in time, and a short list of people who are not qualified to serve at all.

Each county runs its own jury system through its common pleas court and jury commissioners (R.C. 2313.01). The instructions printed on your summons, and the jury office named there, control how you respond. To see which categories may apply to you, try our jury duty exemption checker.

Who can serve on an Ohio jury

A person is qualified to serve as a juror in Ohio if they are 18 or older, live in the county, and are an elector or would be one if registered. The statute says this applies "regardless of whether the person actually is registered to vote" (R.C. 2313.17(A)). Jurors are examined under oath about these qualifications.

Citizenship comes in through the word "elector." Under R.C. 3503.01(A), an elector is a U.S. citizen who is 18 or older and meets the residence and registration rules. A juror only has to be someone who would be an elector if registered, so you do not need to be on the voter rolls.

Felony convictions

A person who pleads guilty to or is found guilty of a felony "is incompetent to be an elector or juror," unless the plea or verdict is reversed or annulled, or the person receives a full pardon (R.C. 2961.01(A)). A full pardon restores the rights forfeited.

For an Ohio felony, the bar is not permanent. Under R.C. 2967.16(C)(1), the rights and privileges forfeited by a conviction are restored to a person who served the entire prison term and was not placed on post-release control, who was granted a final release or termination of post-release control by the adult parole authority, or who completed the community control sanctions the sentencing court imposed. The Ohio Attorney General has concluded that a person on probation or community control for a felony may not serve as a juror, and that the privilege of serving is restored once that period is completed (Ohio Att'y Gen. Op. 2006-031). The Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas applies the same line: "You are disqualified from service if you have been convicted of a felony and are currently on probation or are serving a community control sanction" (Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court). If you have a felony record, raise it with the jury office on your summons.

English and other challenges for cause

Ohio has no fixed English test in its jury chapter. Instead, a lawyer or the court may challenge a juror at jury selection "for want of a competent knowledge of the English language," or for prejudice, an interest in the case, a relationship to a party, or another cause that makes the person unsuitable (R.C. 2313.17(B)-(D)).

In criminal cases, a listed cause is that English is not the person's native language and their knowledge of English "is insufficient to permit the person to understand the facts and law in the case" (R.C. 2945.25(N)). These are decided at jury selection, not before you report.

Exemptions, excuses and postponements in Ohio

Ohio law separates three things. There are no exemptions (R.C. 2313.21(C)). There are excuses, which a judge or the jury commissioners may grant only on a statutory ground (R.C. 2313.14). And there are postponements, which move your service to a later date (R.C. 2313.15).

No occupational exemptions

Doctors, lawyers, police officers, firefighters and elected officials are not exempt. The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas lists attorneys, dentists, elected officials, firefighters, physicians and police officers as not exempt from jury service (Franklin County Common Pleas, Juror Eligibility).

Some county pages word this differently. Cuyahoga County's juror page says only cloistered members of religious organizations are exempt. The statute itself says no one is exempted and lists several other excuse grounds, so read the county wording as describing local practice, not a narrower state rule.

The eight grounds for an excuse

Under R.C. 2313.14(A), the court of common pleas or the jury commissioners "shall not excuse a person who is liable to serve as a juror and who is drawn and notified, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the judge or commissioners" that a ground applies. You, or another person who knows the facts, must make that showing. None of the grounds is automatic.

For a medical excuse, the documentation the court may require must verify "that a mental or physical condition renders the prospective juror unfit for jury service for the remainder of the jury year" (R.C. 2313.14(A)(4)). Cuyahoga County asks for a doctor's statement giving the condition and prognosis when a juror requests a medical deferral.

Separately from the state list, federal law lets an active-duty service 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. That determination is made by the military, and it "is conclusive" (10 U.S.C. § 982).

What counts as undue or extreme hardship

Under R.C. 2313.14 (current version effective March 20, 2025; the breast-feeding category was added effective July 23, 2024), undue or extreme physical or financial hardship "is limited to circumstances in which any of the following apply" (R.C. 2313.14(C)(1)):

• You would have to abandon a person in your care because no appropriate substitute caregiver can be found.
• Serving would cause costs that substantially affect your ability to pay necessary daily living expenses, yours or those of people you principally support.
• Serving would cause physical hardship resulting in illness or disease.
• You are a mother breast-feeding a baby aged one or younger.

Being away from work does not count on its own. The statute says hardship "does not exist solely based on the fact that a prospective juror will be required to be absent from the prospective juror's place of employment" (R.C. 2313.14(C)(2)). Franklin County Common Pleas tells employers it does not excuse jurors for work hardship but may grant a one-time deferral.

A person asking for a hardship excuse "shall provide the judge with documentation that the judge finds to clearly support the request to be excused," and without it the court may deny the request (R.C. 2313.14(D)(1)). For a breast-feeding mother, a signed affidavit is satisfactory documentation (R.C. 2313.14(D)(2)).

How long an excuse lasts

You must take the steps needed to get a ruling on your request by the date you are scheduled to appear (R.C. 2313.14(B)(1)). An excuse, "whether permanent or not," does not extend beyond that jury year. A person is excused permanently only when the deciding judge finds the grounds are permanent in nature.

The statute also bars buying your way out: no one can get an excuse or postponement by making a donation. The jury commissioners keep a record of every excuse and postponement granted.

Postponing your service

Ohio gives you a right to one postponement if you ask in time. A juror may request it at least two business days before the initial appearance, by phone, in writing or by email, and the court "shall grant" it when the juror has not been postponed before (R.C. 2313.15(A)). The new date is set with the court's employee, within the jury year and no more than six months out unless extraordinary circumstances exist.

A second or later postponement is allowed "only in the event of an extreme emergency, such as a death in the juror's family, a sudden illness of the juror, or a natural disaster or national emergency in which the juror is personally involved," that could not have been anticipated when the first postponement was granted (R.C. 2313.15(B)).

Once you are serving, the court may also postpone your service for up to three days at a time if the demands of your business require it (R.C. 2313.15(C)).

County practice can be stricter in wording. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas says deferrals are granted under certain circumstances only, must be requested in writing, and are not available to grand jurors. Follow the instructions on your summons.

Small employers: automatic postponement

If your employer has 25 or fewer full-time employees (or their equivalent) and another employee there served as a juror within the 30 days before your summons date, the court "shall automatically postpone and reschedule" your service to a mutually agreeable date no more than six months from the summons (R.C. 2313.15(E)). You or your employer must show those facts to the court's satisfaction.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Ohio?

Ohio has no upper age limit that bars service. A juror who is "over seventy-five years of age" may be excused only if "the juror requests to be excused" (R.C. 2313.14(A)(6)). It is not automatic.

The request goes to the court's designated employee by your scheduled appearance date, and you may make it in person, by phone, in writing or by email (R.C. 2313.14(B)(2)). Like other excuses, it lasts through that jury year unless the judge finds the ground permanent.

How much does jury duty pay in Ohio?

Ohio does not set a statewide daily rate. "The board of county commissioners by resolution shall fix the compensation of each juror payable out of the county treasury" (R.C. 2313.22(A)). What you are paid depends on the county, and sometimes on which court summoned you.

The statute does set a floor for long service. After ten days of actual service, pay for each additional day is at least the greater of $15 or one and one-half times the county's base rate. The county may set it higher, but not above two times the base rate (R.C. 2313.22(B)).

This table covers common pleas jurors. Each municipal court sets the fees of its own jurors (R.C. 1901.25(C)).

Residents of townships made up entirely of islands are also reimbursed for additional transportation costs, in the amount a judge of the court certifies (R.C. 2313.22(C)).

Pay in Ohio's largest counties

Because rates are local, here is what some courts publish. Check your own county's jury page for its current rate.

Cuyahoga County also offers free RTA transit passes on request, in addition to daily pay (Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court). Franklin County Municipal Court offers free COTA daily passes (Franklin County Municipal Court). Municipal courts set their own juror fees (R.C. 1901.25(C)) and may provide by rule how their jurors are chosen (R.C. 1901.25(A)(1)), so a municipal court's pay and excuse practices can differ from the county common pleas court. Franklin County Municipal Court, for example, lists loss of income when an employer does not pay for jury service as a reason to be excused (Franklin County Municipal Court).

Ohio jury duty and your employer

R.C. 2313.19 protects jurors' jobs, with conditions that matter. Read them before you assume you are covered.

Job protection for permanent employees

"No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, or take any disciplinary action that could lead to the discharge of any permanent employee who is summoned to serve as a juror" under Chapter 2313, "if the employee gives reasonable notice to the employer of the summons prior to the commencement of the employee's service as a juror and if the employee is absent from employment because of the actual jury service" (R.C. 2313.19(A)).

Three conditions are built in. The protection names permanent employees, and the section does not define that term. You must give reasonable notice of the summons before service starts; the statute sets no number of days. And the absence must be because of actual jury service. The text sets no minimum employer size.

The practical step is simple: show your employer the summons as soon as you receive it, and keep a copy of anything you give them.

No forced use of vacation or sick leave

An employer may not "require or request an employee to use annual, vacation, or sick leave" for time spent responding to a summons, taking part in jury selection, or serving on a jury (R.C. 2313.19(B)). This division says "employee," not "permanent employee."

The same division adds that an employer does not have to give leave benefits to employees who are not otherwise entitled to them under its policies.

Does your employer have to pay you?

Ohio's jury statutes do not require private employers to keep paying wages during jury service. The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas tells employers: "State Law does not currently require employers to continue paying the salary of employees while they are serving as jurors" (Franklin County Common Pleas, Information for Employers). The court encourages employers to pay anyway.

Two groups of public employees are covered by other statutes. State employees are entitled to paid leave when summoned for jury duty and cannot be required to hand over their juror pay as a condition of that leave (R.C. 124.135(A), (C)). A board of education must pay a full-time employee, including hourly and per diem employees, the difference between regular pay and juror pay (R.C. 3313.211).

Your employer's own policy, a union contract, or another public employer's leave rules may also provide pay, so check with your human resources office.

If your employer violates the law

The remedy stated in the jury chapter is contempt of court. "Whoever violates section 2313.18, 2313.19, or 2313.20 of the Revised Code may be punished as for contempt of court" (R.C. 2313.99(A)). Under R.C. 2705.05(A), a first contempt offense carries a fine of up to $250, up to 30 days in jail, or both.

Chapter 2313 does not set out its own lawsuit for damages or reinstatement. This page does not cover other possible legal claims for a wrongful firing, so do not read the absence of a damages section as meaning you have no remedy. An employee who was fired or disciplined after jury service should contact the court that summoned them and consider talking with an Ohio employment lawyer. Our guide to Ohio at-will employment laws explains the general exceptions to at-will firing.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Ohio?

No person who is drawn and notified to attend, or whose service was postponed, "shall fail to attend at the time specified in the notice or from day to day" (R.C. 2313.20). A violation may be punished as contempt of court (R.C. 2313.99(A)).

Contempt is not automatic. "In all contempt proceedings, the court shall conduct a hearing" (R.C. 2705.05(A)). The penalties the court may impose after that hearing step up with each offense:

A court may impose a fine, jail, or both. Fines collected are paid into the county treasury (R.C. 2313.99(C)).

The same contempt rule applies to a prospective juror who fails "to answer any legal and pertinent question put to the prospective juror by the court or commissioners of jurors" (R.C. 2313.18(A)). That section also gives jurors a right to an in-camera hearing on legitimate privacy interests.

If you missed your date, the safest step is to call the jury office named on your summons promptly. The statute does not describe a specific follow-up notice for jurors who miss service, so what happens next depends on the court.

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

Ohio does not set one statewide term. Each common pleas court sets the date its jury year begins and may divide the year into parts (R.C. 2313.05). Typical terms published by two large courts:

• Franklin County Common Pleas: "Regular petit (trial) jury service in the Court of Common Pleas is limited to one week of jury pool service or, if selected, the duration of one jury trial" (Franklin County Common Pleas).
• Cuyahoga County Common Pleas: petit jury service is normally one week, continuing until a trial ends if you are on one; grand jurors who are selected serve two days a week for four months (Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court).

The state statute limits repeat service after long stints. A person who has actually served two consecutive calendar weeks as a juror in any county is discharged (after finishing any trial in progress). That person "is thereafter prohibited from jury service in any court of the state until the second jury year after the day of the person's last service" (R.C. 2313.21(A)-(B)).

In counties with fewer than 100,000 people, the court makes its own rules on later service for those jurors instead. Cuyahoga County's page describes its rule as a disqualification for anyone who served as a juror in a Cuyahoga court of record within the past two years.

How to respond to an Ohio jury summons

There is no single statewide juror portal in Ohio. Each county's common pleas court and its two jury commissioners run the summons process (R.C. 2313.01), and municipal courts that use juries run their own. Your summons names the jury office and how to reach it.

Under the jury chapter, a summons is served at least six days before the term, by mail or by leaving it at your residence or usual place of business, and commissioners may set up electronic notification (R.C. 2313.10).

A few large courts' published contacts:

• Cuyahoga County Common Pleas: mail back the juror information form within ten days or complete it online through the court's jury page, which the court says is the only website authorized for its General Division jurors. Deferral requests go to the Jury Commission in writing, by fax or mail. Jury Commission information: (216) 443-8625. Petit jurors report at 8:00 a.m. to the 4th floor of the Justice Center (Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court).
• Franklin County Common Pleas: Jury Commission at 614.525.3450 (Franklin County Common Pleas).
• Franklin County Municipal Court: (614) 645-7726 (Franklin County Municipal Court).
• Clermont County Common Pleas: Jury Office at 513.732.7596 (Clermont County Common Pleas).

If you plan to ask for an excuse, get the request in early. The ruling must be obtained by your scheduled appearance date (R.C. 2313.14(B)(1)), and a first postponement request must come at least two business days before your first appearance (R.C. 2313.15(A)).

Watch for jury duty scams

Ohio courts warn about callers who claim you missed jury duty. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas says calls, texts or emails threatening arrest or fines for failing to appear are a scam: "The Court and Sheriff's Department will never contact you and ask for personal information or money" (Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court). The court directs reports to the Cuyahoga County Scam Squad at 216-443-SCAM (7226).

Franklin County Municipal Court says its jury staff never contact potential jurors by telephone and would never ask for personal or financial information over the phone. Clermont County Common Pleas says you must first receive a summons in the mail to be called, and that its Jury Commission will never ask for, collect or use your Social Security number (Clermont County Common Pleas). Learn the warning signs in our guide to government impersonation scams.

Not legal advice. This page provides general legal information about jury service in Ohio 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 jury office named on it; for an employment dispute, consult a lawyer licensed in Ohio.

Related pages

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in Ohio?

It depends on the county. Each board of county commissioners sets juror pay by resolution (R.C. 2313.22(A)); Cuyahoga County Common Pleas pays $35 a day and Franklin County Common Pleas pays $30 a day, according to their court websites.

Does jury pay go up for long trials in Ohio?

Yes. After ten days of actual service, each additional day pays at least the greater of $15 or 1.5 times the county's base rate, and the county may set it as high as 2 times the base rate (R.C. 2313.22(B)).

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

You may ask. A juror over 75 is excused only if the juror requests it, by the scheduled appearance date, in person, by phone, in writing or by email (R.C. 2313.14(A)(6), (B)(2)). It is not automatic, and there is no upper age limit for people who want to serve.

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

Ohio's jury statutes do not require private employers to, and Franklin County Common Pleas tells employers state law does not currently require them to keep paying jurors. State employees get paid leave for jury duty (R.C. 124.135), and a school board must pay a full-time employee the difference between regular pay and juror pay (R.C. 3313.211). An employer also may not require or request that you use vacation, annual or sick leave for jury duty (R.C. 2313.19(B)).

Can I be fired for jury duty in Ohio?

An employer may not discharge, threaten to discharge, or take disciplinary action that could lead to discharge of a permanent employee summoned for jury duty, if the employee gave reasonable notice of the summons before service and is absent for actual jury service (R.C. 2313.19(A)). A violation may be punished as contempt of court (R.C. 2313.99(A)).

What happens if you ignore a jury summons in Ohio?

Failing to attend as summoned may be punished as contempt of court after a hearing (R.C. 2313.20, 2313.99, 2705.05). A first offense carries up to a $250 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both.

Can I postpone jury duty in Ohio?

Yes, once, if you ask at least two business days before your first appearance and have not been postponed before; the new date is within six months unless extraordinary circumstances exist (R.C. 2313.15(A)). A second postponement needs an extreme emergency that could not have been anticipated (R.C. 2313.15(B)).

Is work a valid excuse for jury duty in Ohio?

Not by itself. Ohio law says undue or extreme hardship does not exist solely because you would have to miss work (R.C. 2313.14(C)(2)). Hardship is limited to four defined situations, and you must provide documentation the judge finds clearly supports the request.

Are doctors, police officers or lawyers exempt from jury duty in Ohio?

No. No person is exempted from Ohio jury service for any reason, though a person may be excused or postponed under the statutes (R.C. 2313.21(C)). Franklin County Common Pleas lists attorneys, physicians, police officers, firefighters, dentists and elected officials as not exempt.

Can breastfeeding mothers be excused from jury duty in Ohio?

A mother breast-feeding a baby aged one or younger is one of the four defined hardship situations, and her signed affidavit is satisfactory documentation (R.C. 2313.14(C)(1), (D)(2)). The judge still rules on the request.

Can a felon serve on a jury in Ohio?

A felony plea or verdict makes a person incompetent to be a juror (R.C. 2961.01(A)), but for an Ohio conviction that status is restored once the sentence is completed, for example after finishing community control or receiving a final release from parole (R.C. 2967.16(C)(1)), or by a full pardon. The Ohio Attorney General has concluded that a person may not serve while on probation or community control (Ohio Att'y Gen. Op. 2006-031), and Cuyahoga County Common Pleas applies the same rule. Ask the jury office on your summons about your situation.

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

A person who actually served two consecutive calendar weeks is barred from jury service in any Ohio court until the second jury year after that service (R.C. 2313.21(A)-(B)). Counties under 100,000 people make their own rules for those jurors.