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

Wyoming state-court jury service is governed by chapter 11 of Title 1 of the Wyoming Statutes, starting with the qualifications in Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-101. Jurors are paid $30 for each full or part day they attend, and the court may add $20 a day for jurors who attend more than five consecutive days (§ 1-11-303).

An employer may not fire, threaten, intimidate or coerce you because of jury service, and an employee who sues under the jury statute must do so within six months (§ 1-11-401). Wyoming's jury statute does not require private employers to keep paying you while you serve. A person who has turned 72 may ask to be excused (§ 1-11-104).

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

Do you have to serve? The short answer

If you are qualified and do not hold an exemption you have properly claimed, yes, unless the court excuses or reschedules you. Wyoming separates two routes: a short list of people who are exempt under § 1-11-103 and must claim it in a sworn declaration, and the narrower grounds on which a court may excuse a juror under § 1-11-104.

Wyoming's excuse statute says outright that a juror may not be excused "for hardship or inconvenience to his business." To sort out which route might fit you before you contact the court, try our jury duty exemption checker.

Who can serve on a jury in Wyoming

Under Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-101(a), a juror must be:

• "An adult citizen of the United States who has been a resident of the state and of the county ninety (90) days before being selected";
• In possession of natural faculties, of ordinary intelligence, and without a mental or physical infirmity preventing satisfactory jury service; and
• "Possessed of sufficient knowledge of the English language."

The statute says "adult." The Wyoming Judicial Branch's jury FAQ says a potential juror "must be eighteen years of age or older" (Wyoming Judicial Branch). The court must discharge a person who is not qualified.

Section 1-11-101(b) adds: "No citizen shall be excluded from service as a juror on account of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or economic status." Juror names come from voter lists and may also come from Wyoming driver's license and state ID lists (§ 1-11-129), so the Judicial Branch notes you can be summoned even if you are not registered to vote.

Felony convictions and restoring your rights

Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-102 says: "A person who has been convicted of any felony is disqualified to act as a juror unless his conviction is reversed or annulled, he receives a pardon or his rights are restored pursuant to W.S. 7-13-105(a) or (f)."

The restoration routes in Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-105 work like this:

• Governor's certificate. On written application, the governor may issue a certificate restoring the rights lost under § 6-10-106 once the person's term of sentence expires or the person satisfactorily completes probation (§ 7-13-105(a)). This is discretionary.
• Restoration after five years. Subsection (f) says other rights lost under § 6-10-106 "shall be restored five (5) years after the person has completed their sentence, including applicable periods of probation or parole." This route is available only if you have no other felony conviction apart from convictions arising from the same occurrence or related course of events. The Department of Corrections notes the restoration date on a certificate (for certificates issued on or after July 1, 2023, the same certificate that restores voting rights), and a new felony conviction on or after the date a restoration certificate is issued voids it (§ 7-13-105(f), (h)).

One point is easy to miss. Wyoming has a separate certificate that restores only voting rights for certain nonviolent felonies (§ 7-13-105(b) and (c)). Under Wyo. Stat. § 6-10-106(a)(iv), a person whose rights are restored that way "shall remain incompetent to be a juror." That changes if your rights are later restored under subsection (f). If you have a felony record and receive a summons, tell the court which kind of restoration, if any, you have and ask the clerk whether you are eligible.

Exemptions, excuses and postponements in Wyoming

Exemptions must be claimed under oath

The exemptions in § 1-11-103 are not automatic. Under Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-105, "Failure of any person who is exempt to submit a declaration under penalty of perjury is a waiver of his exemption, and he is required to appear upon the day for which the jury is summoned and serve as a juror the same as if he were not entitled to exemption unless otherwise excused by the court." A person discharged on the declaration does not need to appear, and the discharge lasts for the jury term in which the person was summoned (§ 1-11-103(b)).

The Judicial Branch says you can request an exemption through the eJuror Juror Homepage or in writing to the court that summoned you.

What counts as an excuse

Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-104(a) says: "A juror may not be excused for a trivial cause or for hardship or inconvenience to his business, but only when material injury or destruction to his property or property entrusted to him is threatened, or when his health or the sickness or death of a member of his family requires his absence." The same subsection adds: "A person may be excused from jury duty when the care of that person's young children requires his absence." The statute does not define "young children."

These are decisions for the court, and the Judicial Branch says each court decides excusal requests case by case. Separately, when a court has to summon extra jurors in the middle of choosing a jury, it may excuse someone whose distance from the court would unduly delay the trial (§§ 1-11-118, 1-11-125). That is a narrow, mid-trial rule, not a general distance excuse.

Age: an excuse on request at 72

Wyoming has no automatic maximum age; age is even listed among the grounds on which no citizen may be excluded. Under § 1-11-104(a), "A person who has attained the age of seventy-two (72) years may be excused at his request." The Judicial Branch FAQ says a person over 72 who does not wish to serve "may request to be excused." Make the request through eJuror or in writing to the summoning court, and do not simply skip your date.

National Guard and military members

Two Wyoming statutes cover the Guard. Section 1-11-103(a)(iii) exempts "An active duty member of the Wyoming national guard," and the military code separately says members of the Wyoming National Guard are exempt from "Service as jurors" (Wyo. Stat. § 19-9-401(a)(ii)). The second provision does not say whether the sworn declaration in § 1-11-105 applies, so the safe course is to submit the declaration.

For active-duty members of the armed forces, § 1-11-103(a)(iv) exempts a person exempt under federal law. Federal law says an active-duty member 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). It is a decision by the Secretary, not an automatic exemption.

Postponing (deferring) your service

No Wyoming jury statute provides for deferral; the Judicial Branch handles it in practice. Its jury page says eJuror lets jurors "request an excuse or deferral, and select an alternate time to serve," and you can also make a written request to the summoning court (Wyoming Judicial Branch). A deferral is not guaranteed, and chapter 11 sets no limit on how many you may request.

How much does jury duty pay in Wyoming?

Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-303 says: "Jurors shall receive thirty dollars ($30.00) for each full or part day of actual attendance. A juror in attendance for more than five (5) consecutive days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, may, in the discretion of the court, be allowed an additional twenty dollars ($20.00) per day for each day actually in attendance."

Jurors in every Wyoming court receive the same fees and mileage as district-court jurors (§ 1-11-119), and § 1-11-301 says jurors receive the fees in the statute "and none other." The mileage statute ties the rate to what the state or the paying government sets, capped at the IRS maximum nontaxable rate at the time of travel (§ 9-3-103(a)(iii)); our research did not find a published cents-per-mile figure. The clerk issues a certificate for the fees and mileage you are owed (§ 1-11-304).

Wyoming employer rules for jury duty

Job protection

Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-401(a) says: "No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate or coerce any employee by reason of the employee's jury service, for the attendance or scheduled attendance in connection with jury service, in any court in the state of Wyoming."

The section has no minimum employer size, no notice requirement and no full-time limit. Telling your employer as soon as you get your summons is still sensible.

Does your employer have to pay you?

Wyoming's jury statute does not require private employers to keep paying your wages while you serve. Section 1-11-401 treats a reinstated employee as having been "on furlough or leave of absence" during jury service, and it says nothing about whether an employer may require you to use vacation or sick leave or may offset your juror fees. Check your employer's policy or any union contract.

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 employees

Wyoming's State Personnel Rules (chapter 6, section 8, Court Leave) say covered state employees "required to serve as a member of a jury panel or as a witness of the court shall be granted leave with pay for their regularly scheduled work days(s)." The rule covers permanent, probationary and most at-will employees, and temporary employees with six months of continuous employment. Executive employees and at-will employees in the Governor's office follow the Executive Leave Policy instead, and intermittent employees, emergency employees, interns and at-will contract employees do not receive paid court leave under the rule. Employees must provide written documentation of the jury obligation (State Personnel Rules, ch. 6, linked from the state personnel rules page).

Our research did not cover county, city or school-district employees, so local government and school employees should check their own leave rules.

If you are fired or threatened

Under § 1-11-401(b), a violating employer may be enjoined and ordered to provide other appropriate relief, "including but not limited to reinstatement," is liable for exemplary damages "not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for each violation as to each employee," and is liable for the employee's reasonable costs and attorney fees. A reinstated employee returns without loss of seniority and keeps insurance and other benefits under the employer's rules for employees on furlough or leave (§ 1-11-401(c)).

The deadline is short: "No action by an employee aggrieved hereunder shall be brought more than six (6) months after the alleged violation" (§ 1-11-401(d)). A court may award a winning employer attorney fees if the employee's case was frivolous, vexatious or brought in bad faith (§ 1-11-401(e)). If you were fired or threatened, talk to a Wyoming employment lawyer promptly. For how this fits with other limits on firing, see our page on Wyoming at-will employment laws.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Wyoming

Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-115 says: "Any juror summoned who willfully and without reasonable excuse fails to attend may be arrested and compelled to attend and is subject to contempt of court." Chapter 11 does not set a fine amount or jail term for missing jury duty. It allows arrest and contempt, and § 1-11-125 refers to fining jurors who neglect or refuse to serve, so any penalty is up to the court.

The questionnaire is not optional either. The Judicial Branch says "it is mandatory that each juror complete one of the questionnaires (and return it if completed on paper)." If you claim an exemption, your declaration is made under penalty of perjury (§ 1-11-105), so answer accurately.

If you missed your date, contact the court that summoned you right away; the statute targets jurors who fail to attend willfully and without reasonable excuse.

How long jury duty lasts in Wyoming

Wyoming does not set a fixed length of service by statute. Each court sets its own jury term, and the base jury list is summoned for that term (§ 1-11-106(a)). Trial juries in circuit court have six jurors, and district-court civil juries have six unless 12 are demanded (§ 1-11-119).

The statutes do set limits once you serve. If you were selected and sworn as a juror during a jury term, you will be excused on request from further service in that court for the rest of that term, and the court may excuse you for the following term (§ 1-11-104). After your jury is discharged, you will be excused on request for the rest of the calendar year (§ 1-11-122). The Judicial Branch says it "strives to ensure that jurors are not called by multiple jurisdictions within a particular year," but federal and state courts call jurors separately, so both can summon you.

How to respond to a Wyoming jury summons

The Judicial Branch runs a statewide eJuror system through its jury duty page.

1. Find the court that summoned you. The Judicial Branch says: "The bolded lines at the top of the summons will provide you with the name of the court which summoned you to serve on jury duty."
2. Complete the juror questionnaire online through eJuror or on paper, and return the paper version if you use it.
3. If you are exempt under § 1-11-103, submit the declaration under penalty of perjury; without it the exemption is waived.
4. To ask for an excuse or a later date, use eJuror or write to the summoning court, and treat your report date as firm until the court answers.

Watch for jury duty scam calls

The Wyoming Judicial Branch has warned about scam calls, texts and emails from people posing as officers or court officials. It says it "does not use these methods to contact citizens and will never demand payment over the phone for missed jury service or other court-related matters," and that notice of jury service comes by mailed summons and questionnaire (Judicial Branch scam warning). Be suspicious of anyone who asks for financial information, threatens jail over money, or demands payment anywhere other than a clerk of court's office. The Judicial Branch says to report these contacts to local law enforcement and the FTC.

Our guide to government impersonation scams explains how these schemes work, and our page on Wyoming scam and fraud laws covers where to report.

Recent changes to Wyoming jury law

The statute text on this page comes from the Wyoming Legislature's compiled Title 1 PDF, which was last modified on May 8, 2026, after the 2026 budget session. That compilation shows the $30 daily fee and the other chapter 11 provisions as described above.

We checked the bills enacted in the 2025 general session and the 2026 budget session. The only one that changed chapter 11 was 2025 Senate File 9 (2025 Wyo. Sess. Laws ch. 100), which amended the felony-disqualification rule in § 1-11-102 along with the restoration statute; the text above reflects it. A 2026 act (ch. 95) added § 6-10-106(a)(v), under which an out-of-state restoration of firearm rights does not restore jury eligibility unless that state's law restores it. If your summons or the court's instructions differ from this page, follow the court.

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

Related pages

• Jury duty laws by state
• Wyoming at-will employment laws
• Wyoming court records
• Wyoming scam and fraud laws
• Colorado jury duty laws
• Montana jury duty laws

Last updated: October 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does jury duty pay in Wyoming?

Jurors receive $30 for each full or part day of actual attendance. If you attend more than five consecutive days, not counting weekends and holidays, the court may allow an additional $20 for each day actually in attendance (Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-303). Mileage is paid when the one-way trip is more than five miles (Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-302).

Can I get out of jury duty in Wyoming if I am over 72?

A person who has reached 72 may be excused at his or her request (Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-104(a)). It is not automatic, so make the request through eJuror or in writing to the court that summoned you.

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

Wyoming's jury statute does not require private employers to pay your wages while you serve. Covered state employees get paid court leave under the State Personnel Rules, and local government and school employees should check their own leave rules.

Can I be fired for jury duty in Wyoming?

No. An employer may not discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate or coerce an employee because of jury service (Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-401). Remedies include reinstatement and exemplary damages up to $1,000 per violation, and a lawsuit must be filed within six months.

Can I be excused from jury duty in Wyoming because of work?

The statute says a juror may not be excused for a trivial cause or for hardship or inconvenience to business (Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-104(a)). Excuses are allowed for threatened material injury to property, your health or a family member's sickness or death, and the care of young children.

Who is exempt from jury duty in Wyoming?

Salaried active firefighters, active police and law enforcement members, elected public officials, Wyoming National Guard members and people exempt under federal law (Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-11-103(a), 19-9-401(a)(ii)). Each must submit a declaration under penalty of perjury, or the exemption is waived (Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-105).

Can a felon serve on a jury in Wyoming?

Not unless the conviction is reversed or annulled, the person is pardoned, or rights are restored under Wyo. Stat. § 7-13-105(a) or (f) (Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-102). A certificate restoring only voting rights does not restore jury eligibility (Wyo. Stat. § 6-10-106(a)(iv)).

What happens if I ignore a jury summons in Wyoming?

A summoned juror who willfully and without reasonable excuse fails to attend may be arrested, compelled to attend and held in contempt of court (Wyo. Stat. § 1-11-115). The jury statute does not set a fine amount, so any penalty is up to the court.