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

Jury service in Utah's state courts is governed by Title 78B, Chapter 1, Part 1 of the Utah Code, with the qualification rules in Utah Code 78B-1-105. Jurors are paid $18.50 for the first day and $49 for each later day (78B-1-119).

Utah has no automatic exemptions and no age-out: "No qualified prospective juror is exempt from jury service" (78B-1-108). An employer may not fire, threaten or coerce you because of jury service, and may not make you use vacation or sick leave for it (78B-1-116).

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 Utah state courts (district and justice courts). A summons from the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah follows federal law, summarized on our jury duty laws by state hub.

Do you have to go? The short answer

Yes, unless you are not qualified or the court excuses or postpones your service. Utah's policy, in 78B-1-103, is that "all qualified citizens are obligated to serve when summoned, unless excused." There is no list of exempt jobs or ages.

Every request to be excused goes to the court, which decides it. To see which route might fit your situation before you fill out the form, try our jury duty exemption checker.

Who can serve on a jury in Utah

Under 78B-1-105(1), you are competent to serve as a juror if you are:

• a citizen of the United States;
• 18 years old or older;
• a resident of the county; and
• able to read, speak, and understand the English language.

The statute sets no minimum length of residence. A qualified citizen "may not be excluded from jury service on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, occupation, disability, or economic status" (78B-1-103(2)).

The court decides whether a prospective juror is disqualified, on its own initiative or when the juror asks, based on the qualification form, an interview, or other competent evidence (78B-1-105(3)-(4)). The Utah Courts FAQ says names are chosen at random from driver's license and voter registration lists.

Felony convictions and the 2025 change

Under 78B-1-105(2), a person "who has been convicted of a felony in a state or federal court of the United States is not competent to serve as a juror unless the felony conviction has been expunged or reduced to a misdemeanor."

The words "or reduced to a misdemeanor" are new. H.B. 49 added them in the 2025 General Session, and the bill took effect on May 7, 2025. Before that, only an expunged felony restored eligibility, so older guides that say "expunged only" are out of date.

The jury statute ties eligibility to those two routes: expungement or a reduction of the conviction. It does not set out how to get either one, and we did not research Utah's expungement or reduction procedures for this page. A pardon from the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole comes with a board expungement order that has the same effect as a court expungement (Utah Code 77-27-5.1). If you have a felony record, ask the court that summoned you how to answer the qualification form, or talk to a Utah lawyer. Our page on Utah court records covers sealing records.

Exemptions, excuses and postponements in Utah

78B-1-108 is one sentence: "No qualified prospective juror is exempt from jury service." What Utah has instead is excusal by the court under 78B-1-109, and postponement for good cause.

Each of these is a request, not an automatic exemption. You make the showing "by affidavit, sworn testimony, or other competent evidence" (78B-1-109(2)), and the qualification page warns that you may be asked for documentation. An excuse lasts only for the period the ground exists.

The courts' FAQ puts it in plain terms: "Judges can excuse you for public necessity, extreme inconvenience, or if you are incapable of jury service. Clerks can sometimes, but not always, accommodate your schedule." The statute's term is "undue hardship," defined in 78B-1-102(8).

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Utah?

No. We searched all of Part 1 (78B-1-101 to -152) and found no age at which a juror is excused, exempted or removed, and 78B-1-103(2) bars excluding a qualified citizen because of age. The only age rule is the minimum of 18. An older person whose health makes service an extreme physical hardship, or who is incapable of service, may ask the court to be excused under 78B-1-109.

Students, first responders and military members

Utah's jury statute lists no student, first-responder or occupation category. The courts tell summoned students to let their teachers know they are "on call" and not to miss school until they are actually told to come to the courthouse. Court rules say that being enrolled as a post-high school student is not, by itself, enough to be excused (Rule 4-404(5)(D)). A worker whose public services cannot be covered by others can ask to be excused for public necessity, which the court decides case by case.

78B-1-108 contains no military or National Guard exemption. We did not research whether Utah law outside the jury chapter gives Guard members separate relief, so a member on duty should raise it with the court under 78B-1-109. 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; that determination is conclusive (10 U.S.C. § 982).

Postponing your service

"The court may postpone jury service upon a showing of good cause" (78B-1-109(3)). The statute sets no limit on how many postponements you may request. The courts' qualification page says you may ask for service that fits your schedule, but "There are limits, however, and the clerks may not be able to meet every scheduling request."

How much does jury duty pay in Utah?

Utah sets one statewide rate. Under 78B-1-119(1), every juror "legally required or in good faith requested to attend" a trial court or grand jury is entitled to:

The state pays juror fees in courts of record; in justice courts the city or county that prosecutes the case pays (78B-1-117). You report your attendance to the clerk each day, and "No per diem shall be allowed for any day upon which attendance is not so reported" (78B-1-120). Jurors may also be given a reasonable food allowance under Judicial Council rules (78B-1-111(1)).

The courts' FAQ notes that "Some employers are willing to pay their workers at the normal rate during jury service, and the workers then turn over the jury fee to the employer." That is a voluntary arrangement, not a rule in the jury statute.

Utah employer rules for jury duty

Job protection

Under 78B-1-116(1), "An employer may not deprive an employee of employment, threaten or take any adverse employment action, or otherwise coerce the employee regarding employment because the employee receives a summons, responds to it, serves as a juror, or a grand juror, or attends court for prospective jury or grand jury service."

The section has no employer-size threshold, no full-time or length-of-employment limit, and no advance-notice requirement. The courts still tell summoned jurors to let their employer know they are on call.

No forced use of leave

An employee "may not be required or requested to use annual, vacation, or sick leave" for responding to a summons, jury selection, or serving on a jury (78B-1-116(2)). The same subsection says it does not require an employer to provide leave benefits to employees who are not otherwise entitled to them under company policy.

Does your employer have to pay you?

Utah's jury statute does not require private employers to keep paying your wages during jury service. The protection is against firing, retaliation and forced use of leave, not a pay mandate.

Under federal wage rules, an employer that pays you as a salaried exempt employee generally cannot deduct jury-duty absences from your salary in a week you also work, though it may offset the juror fees you receive (29 C.F.R. § 541.602(b)(3)).

State executive-branch employees are different. Under Utah Admin. Code R477-7-8, a benefits-eligible state executive-branch employee is entitled to a leave of absence "with full pay" when answering a jury summons or serving on a jury (R477-7-1(1) limits leave benefits to benefits-eligible positions that normally require at least 40 hours per pay period). An employee who takes that jury leave returns the juror fee to agency finance or payroll staff, while an employee who chooses to use accrued leave may keep the fee. Title R477 applies to the state executive branch and does not bind judicial-branch, state higher-education or public-school employees (R477-2-1), so those workers and local government employees should check their own leave rules.

Penalties and your remedy

An employer who violates 78B-1-116 "is guilty of criminal contempt and upon conviction may be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both" (78B-1-116(3)).

If you are fired in violation of the section, you "within 30 days may bring a civil action for recovery of wages lost as a result of the violation and for an order requiring the reinstatement of the employee" (78B-1-116(4)). Damages may not exceed six weeks of lost wages, and a prevailing employee is allowed reasonable attorney fees. The 30-day window applies to this discharge claim; we did not research whether other Utah law gives a longer period for other claims, so act quickly and see a Utah employment lawyer. Our page on Utah at-will employment laws explains the other limits on firing.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Utah

The courts describe the process on their scam warning page: "If you fail to appear for jury duty, we will mail you a failure to appear notice. If you do not respond, we may mail you a summons to appear before a judge for an 'order to show cause' hearing."

Under 78B-1-115, a person who fails to respond on time to the qualification questions, or who fails to appear or complete jury service as directed, "shall be in contempt of court and subject to penalties under Title 78B, Chapter 6, Part 3, Contempt." The courts' FAQ says those who refuse "are subject to fines and jail time for contempt of court." We did not open the contempt chapter, so this page does not state penalty amounts.

Willfully misrepresenting a material fact about qualification, excuse or postponement is an infraction (78B-1-115(3)). If you have an emergency and cannot come to the courthouse, the summons page says to contact the clerk as soon as possible.

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

Under 78B-1-110(1), in any two-year period a person may not:

• be required to serve on more than one grand jury;
• be required to serve as both a grand and trial juror;
• be required to attend court as a trial juror more than one court day, except to complete service in a particular case; or
• if the summons was complied with as directed, be selected for the prospective jury list more than once.

That last limit does not apply in counties of the fourth, fifth and sixth class, or in third-class counties with populations up to 75,000 (78B-1-110(2)).

Once qualified, you can be summoned at any time during a term that the courts' FAQ sets by county: one month in Salt Lake County district courts, three months in Davis, Utah and Weber County district courts, and six months in all other courts. The FAQ says that after you actually attend court, you cannot be summoned again for at least two years, subject to the small-county exception above.

How to respond to a Utah jury summons

1. Complete the qualification form you received. The courts encourage you to qualify online, or you may return the paper form by fax or mail to the address printed on it (qualification page). Court rules give you ten days after you receive the form to return it (Utah Code of Judicial Administration Rule 4-404(4)(C)).
2. To ask to be excused, use the excusal section of the form and be ready to provide documentation. To ask for a different date, request a schedule change; the clerks may not be able to meet every request.
3. Follow the instructions on your summons. Tell your employer and teachers that you are on call, but do not take time off until you are actually told to come to the courthouse.
4. If an emergency keeps you from appearing, contact the clerk as soon as possible. Statewide information and clerk contacts are on the Utah Courts Juror Information page.

Watch for jury duty scams

The Utah courts warn: "We will likely never call you. Jury service communication is typically done by mail." They add that they will never have law enforcement contact you about a missed jury date, never threaten arrest or jail by phone, and never ask you to pay fines with prepaid cards or wire transfers. The courts also warn of text messages that falsely appear to come from the courts and demand payment through links or QR codes.

If you get one of these calls, the courts say to hang up and report it to local law enforcement. Our guide to government impersonation scams explains how these schemes work, and our page on Utah scam and fraud laws covers where to report.

Recent changes

• May 7, 2025: H.B. 49 amended 78B-1-105 so that a felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor, not only an expunged one, no longer disqualifies a juror.
• 2025: The Legislature also amended 78B-1-110 (service limits) and 78B-1-117 (who pays juror fees). We did not review what those amendments changed; the rules described above are the current text.
• 2026: The 2026 General Session amended only 78B-1-123 and 78B-1-124, which deal with county handling of juror and witness fee certificates. None of the sections on pay, eligibility, excuses, service limits or employer protections changed (see the current Part 1 text).

Disclaimer: This page is general legal information about jury service in Utah state courts, 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 clerk listed on it; for an employment dispute, consult a lawyer licensed in Utah.

Related pages

• Jury duty laws by state
• Utah at-will employment laws
• Utah court records
• Utah scam and fraud laws
• Idaho jury duty laws
• Nevada jury duty laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in Utah?

Utah Code 78B-1-119 pays $18.50 for the first day of attendance and $49 for each later day. Mileage is paid only beyond 50 miles, at $1 for each four miles, one way.

Can I get out of jury duty in Utah?

No one is exempt (78B-1-108), but a court may excuse you for undue hardship, public necessity, breastfeeding, or incapacity, shown by affidavit, sworn testimony or other evidence (78B-1-109). Use the excusal section of your qualification form.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Utah?

No. Utah has no age-out, and 78B-1-103(2) bars excluding a qualified citizen because of age. An older person may still ask to be excused for undue hardship or incapacity.

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

Utah's jury statute does not require private employers to pay you, though it bars them from making you use vacation or sick leave (78B-1-116(2)). Federal wage rules generally bar docking a salaried exempt employee for jury absences in a week the employee also works (29 C.F.R. § 541.602(b)(3)). Benefits-eligible state executive-branch employees get full-pay jury leave under Utah Admin. Code R477-7-8.

Can I be fired for jury duty in Utah?

No. 78B-1-116 bars firing, threats, adverse action or coercion because of jury service. A fired employee may sue within 30 days for reinstatement and up to six weeks of lost wages.

Can a felon serve on a jury in Utah?

A felony conviction disqualifies you unless it has been expunged or, since May 7, 2025, reduced to a misdemeanor (78B-1-105(2)).

What happens if I ignore a jury summons in Utah?

The court mails a failure to appear notice and may then summon you to an order to show cause hearing. Failing to appear is contempt of court under 78B-1-115.

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

In a two-year period you cannot be required to attend as a trial juror more than one court day, except to finish a case, or serve on more than one grand jury (78B-1-110). The once-per-list limit does not apply in smaller counties.