Washington Jury Duty Laws: Pay, Excuses and Employer Rules

Washington sets the rules for state-court jury service in chapter 2.36 of the Revised Code of Washington, starting with the qualifications in RCW 2.36.070. Jurors receive mileage plus an expense payment of $10 to $25 a day set by each county, and the state courts say most counties pay $10 (RCW 2.36.150).

Your employer must give you enough leave to serve and may not fire, threaten or harass you because of a summons (RCW 2.36.165). The jury statute has no age exemption: a person 80 or older may ask to be excused only by attesting that health reasons prevent them from serving (RCW 2.36.100).

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

Jurisdiction scope: This page covers jury service in Washington state courts (superior courts and courts of limited jurisdiction). A summons from a federal court in Washington 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 reschedules you. Washington's jury statute has no list of people who are exempt by occupation. Apart from people who are unqualified and people 80 or older who opt out on a health attestation, "no person may be excused from jury service by the court except upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, public necessity, or any reason deemed sufficient by the court" (RCW 2.36.100(1)).

The statewide FAQ says your summons lists a phone number to call or an address to write to if you need your service rescheduled (Washington State Courts, Jury Duty FAQ). 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 Washington

Under RCW 2.36.070, a person is competent to serve as a juror unless that person:

• is under 18;
• is not a U.S. citizen;
• is not a resident of the county where they were summoned;
• cannot communicate in English; or
• "Has been convicted of a felony and has not had his or her civil rights restored."

The section sets no minimum length of residence. Jurors are drawn at random from voter registration records and driver's license and identicard records, and no citizen may be excluded because of membership in a protected class or economic status (RCW 2.36.054; RCW 2.36.080).

The qualification declaration

Each court must have you sign a written or electronic declaration of your qualifications "under penalty of perjury" before you appear (RCW 2.36.072). If you declare that you are not qualified, you are excused from appearing.

Return the declaration. If you skip it, show up, and are later found unqualified, the statute says you are not entitled to the juror expense payment.

Felony convictions and restoration of rights

A felony conviction disqualifies you only until your civil rights are restored (RCW 2.36.070). For felonies sentenced under Washington's Sentencing Reform Act, a certificate of discharge has "the effect of restoring all civil rights not already restored," and the legislature's findings for that section name the right to serve on a jury (RCW 9.94A.637).

We did not review the restoration routes for out-of-state, federal or older Washington convictions. If you have a felony record and a summons, answer the declaration truthfully and ask the jury office or a Washington lawyer whether your rights have been restored.

Exemptions, excuses and postponements in Washington

Washington's statute works through court excuses and rescheduling rather than a list of exempt groups. Here is what chapter 2.36 provides.

Hardship, illness and caregiving

The general standard in RCW 2.36.100(1) covers most requests. The state courts' FAQ says eligible people may be excused if they have illnesses that would interfere with their ability to do a good job, would suffer unusual hardship, or cannot serve for other legitimate reasons.

For caregivers of a dependent child or adult, the FAQ asks: "We would appreciate it if you would reschedule your jury service to another date when you can make necessary care arrangements rather than asking to be excused." The statute itself has no separate caregiver category.

King County Superior Court, the state's largest, says "There are no occupational or professional exemptions for students, teachers, healthcare providers, sales professionals, or the self-employed." It asks for a letter from your medical provider for a medical excuse, cannot excuse you over the phone (King County Superior Court, Jury Duty FAQ), and does not accept FMLA documentation, prescription information or medical charts (King County Superior Court, Jury Duty Exemptions). Other counties set their own procedures.

Age: the 80-and-over health attestation

Washington's jury statute has no automatic age exemption. Under RCW 2.36.100(2), "A person who is 80 years of age or older may request to be excused from jury service if the person attests that the person is unable to serve due to health reasons." The court develops the attestation form, the form may not require a doctor's note, and "This request must be granted by the court."

Both conditions apply: age 80 or older and an attestation that health prevents service. Age alone is not enough. A person of any age may still ask for an undue-hardship excuse under subsection (1).

Postponing your service

At the discretion of the court's designee, a person excused for a particular time may be assigned to another jury term within the same 12-month period, and if the new term is assigned at the time of the excuse, no second summons is needed (RCW 2.36.100(3)). The statute does not set a number of postponements. King County says "Every person is eligible to postpone their jury duty date twice," which is that county's practice, not a statewide rule.

Recent jury service

You may be summoned again within 12 months only when the county's jury source list has been fully summoned and more jurors are needed. In that case, a juror who served at least one week in the preceding 12 months may be excused, but only on a written request that certifies the prior service (RCW 2.36.100(4)). King County says it will excuse people who served in its Superior Court within the past 12 months through its Juror Portal.

Military service members

Chapter 2.36 has no military category, and Washington's former militia jury exemption (RCW 38.40.090) was repealed in 1979 (RCW 38.40 dispositions). A Guard member asks under the general hardship standard; contact the jury office on your summons.

Federal law separately 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 about it if that applies to you.

Breastfeeding: a new rule from January 1, 2027

Under 2025 c 379 s 7, effective January 1, 2027, RCW 2.36.100(2)(b) will provide: "A person who is breastfeeding or expressing breast milk for an infant under 24 months old may request to delay or be excused from jury service if the person attests that the person is unable to serve for this reason." No doctor's note may be required, and the court must grant the request. Until that date, a nursing parent would ask under the general hardship standard.

How much does jury duty pay in Washington?

Under RCW 2.36.150, jurors receive, for each day's attendance, mileage "at the rate determined under RCW 43.03.060" plus an expense payment. For trial (petit) jurors that payment is "up to twenty-five dollars but in no case less than ten dollars," and the amount "shall be determined by the county legislative authority and shall be uniformly applied within the county."

The statute has a single daily tier, with no separate first-day or long-trial rate. King County says it fully reimburses train, light rail, bus, ferry and water taxi fare, gives a mileage allowance to drivers who park at the King County Courthouse, and mails checks every two weeks (King County Superior Court, Jury Duty FAQ). We did not check other counties' rates, so ask your county's jury office.

Washington employer rules for jury duty

Your job is protected

"An employer shall provide an employee with a sufficient leave of absence from employment to serve as a juror when that employee is summoned pursuant to chapter 2.36 RCW" (RCW 2.36.165(1)).

An employer also "shall not deprive an employee of employment or threaten, coerce, or harass an employee, or deny an employee promotional opportunities" because the employee receives a summons, responds to it, serves, or attends court for prospective jury service (RCW 2.36.165(2)).

The law reaches every employer: any person, association, partnership, or private or public corporation that employs or controls the wages, hours or working conditions of "one or more employees" (RCW 2.36.165(5)). The section states no advance-notice requirement and no full-time or length-of-service condition.

Does your employer have to pay you?

Washington's jury statute does not require private employers to keep paying you while you serve. The state courts' employer guidance says: "State law does not currently require employers to continue paying the salary of employees who are absent because of jury service" (Washington State Courts, Employer Guidelines).

Chapter 2.36 also says nothing about whether you may or must use vacation or sick leave, or about night shifts after a day in court, so check your employer's policy or union contract. State employees covered by Washington's civil service rules are different: their employer must grant paid leave for jury duty, may ask for proof of service, and they keep the juror fee on top of regular pay (WAC 357-31-310, WAC 357-31-315). School and local government employees should check their own leave policy or union contract.

If your employer violates the law

An employer who intentionally violates the leave or anti-retaliation rules "shall be guilty of a misdemeanor" (RCW 2.36.165(3)). For a violation of the anti-retaliation rule in subsection (2), you may bring a civil action for damages and for an order reinstating you, and if you win, the court awards a reasonable attorney's fee (RCW 2.36.165(4)).

The jury statute does not state a filing deadline for that lawsuit. Washington's general three-year limit for an injury to the "rights of another not hereinafter enumerated" (RCW 4.16.080(2)) may apply, so talk to a Washington employment lawyer promptly. For how this rule fits with other limits on firing, see our page on Washington at-will employment laws.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Washington

"A person summoned for jury service who intentionally fails to appear as directed shall be guilty of a misdemeanor" (RCW 2.36.170). The word "intentionally" matters: the statute targets a deliberate failure to appear.

Chapter 2.36 states no fine amount; Washington's default maximum for a misdemeanor with no stated punishment is 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both (RCW 9.92.030). Chapter 2.36 sets no show-cause process; court rules or county practice may add one. If you missed your date, contact the jury office on your summons right away, explain what happened, and ask to be rescheduled.

How long jury duty lasts in Washington

State policy says "The optimal jury term is one week or less. Optimal juror service is one day or one trial, whichever is longer" (RCW 2.36.080). That is a policy statement, not a hard limit. Each court sets the length and number of jury terms in a consecutive 12-month period (RCW 2.36.093), and the state FAQ says the number of days and hours depends on your county's jury system.

The statutes we reviewed set no fixed waiting period between services. The 12-month recent-service excuse described above is the rule that limits repeat summonses.

How to respond to a Washington jury summons

Each county runs its own jury system. Summonses go out by mail, personal service or electronically (RCW 2.36.095), and the state courts publish a page linking each county's juror information (Washington State Courts, Jury duty by county). We did not confirm a single statewide juror portal; King County runs its own online Juror Portal.

1. Read your summons for the court, your report date, and the phone number, address or website for responding.
2. Sign and return the qualification declaration before your report date (RCW 2.36.072).
3. If you are 80 or older and health prevents you from serving, ask for the court's attestation form.
4. If you need a different date, ask to be rescheduled; the court's designee decides.
5. For any other excuse, send the request and documentation your court asks for. Treat your report date as firm until the court confirms its decision.

Watch for jury duty scam calls

Washington State Courts warn that "courts, law enforcement and government agencies do not initiate calls about missing jury service or threatening the imposition of fees or driver's license suspension for failure to make a payment, and will never ask for payment or financial information" (Washington State Courts, Court Scams).

If someone calls demanding payment for a missed summons, hang up and contact the court using a number you have verified yourself. Our guide to government impersonation scams explains how these schemes work, and our page on Washington scam and fraud laws covers where to report.

Disclaimer: This page is general legal information about Washington state-court jury service, not legal advice. The court that summoned you decides every excuse and postponement request. Information verified October 6, 2026. For questions about your summons, contact the jury office listed on it; for an employment dispute, consult a lawyer licensed in Washington.

Related pages

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

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in Washington?

Washington jurors receive mileage plus a daily expense payment of $10 to $25 set by each county (RCW 2.36.150). The state courts' FAQ says most counties pay $10 a day, and King County Superior Court pays $10 a day plus transportation costs.

Can I get out of jury duty in Washington if I am over 80?

Only if you attest that health reasons prevent you from serving. A person 80 or older who makes that attestation may ask to be excused, the court's form may not require a doctor's note, and the court must grant the request (RCW 2.36.100(2)). Age alone does not excuse you.

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

Washington's jury statute does not require private employers to pay you while you serve, and the state courts' employer guidance says so. State employees covered by Washington's civil service rules must get paid leave for jury duty and keep the juror fee (WAC 357-31-310, 357-31-315); school and local government employees should check their own leave policy or union contract.

Can I be fired for jury duty in Washington?

No. RCW 2.36.165 bars an employer from depriving you of employment, threatening, coercing or harassing you, or denying you promotions because of jury service. You may sue for damages and reinstatement, and an intentional violation is a misdemeanor.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Washington?

A person who intentionally fails to appear as directed is guilty of a misdemeanor (RCW 2.36.170). If you missed your date, contact the jury office on your summons right away and ask to reschedule.

How do I get excused from jury duty in Washington?

Contact the court using the instructions on your summons. The court may excuse you for undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, public necessity, or another reason it deems sufficient (RCW 2.36.100(1)), and it may reschedule you to another term within 12 months instead.

Can a felon serve on a jury in Washington?

Yes, once civil rights are restored. RCW 2.36.070 disqualifies a person convicted of a felony who has not had civil rights restored, and for Sentencing Reform Act felonies a certificate of discharge restores civil rights (RCW 9.94A.637).

How long is jury duty in Washington?

State policy calls for service of one day or one trial, whichever is longer, and a jury term of one week or less (RCW 2.36.080), but each court sets its own terms. Your summons gives the details for your county.

Is there a breastfeeding exemption for jury duty in Washington?

Starting January 1, 2027, a person breastfeeding or expressing milk for an infant under 24 months may ask to delay or be excused on attestation, and the court must grant it (RCW 2.36.100(2)(b), as amended by 2025 c 379). Before then, ask under the general hardship standard.