Legal · Jury duty

What to do with a jury summons

Real summonses come by mail. Find the court, your report date and the response deadline, then answer by that deadline (online through eJuror for federal courts). If the date is a real hardship, ask the court for a deferral right away. Ignoring a federal summons can mean a fine up to $1,000, up to three days in jail or community service. A call or email demanding personal info or a "fine" for missing jury duty is a scam.

Easy10 min to read; 15 min to respondFree; jurors are paidChecked October 2, 2026

You'll need

The summons
Your work and school calendar
Your juror number from the summons, if responding online

What to know

Read the whole summons. It says which court, when to report and how to respond. State courts handle 98% of all cases, Source: State Courts Center⁶ so your summons is likely from a state court. Rules, pay and deadlines differ from the federal ones below, so follow what your summons says.
Check whether it's federal. For a federal summons, go to the website of the district court that selected you and complete the Juror Qualification Questionnaire online through eJuror. Source: U.S. Courts¹
Know the federal qualifications: U.S. citizen, at least 18, living mainly in the district for a year, able to read, write, understand and speak English adequately, and no pending felony charge or felony conviction (unless civil rights were restored). Source: U.S. Courts³
Have a conflict? Courts can grant temporary deferrals or excuses for "undue hardship or extreme inconvenience." Contact the court that summoned you; each of the 94 federal district courts has its own policies, and decisions can't be appealed. Source: U.S. Courts³
Tell your employer right away and give them a copy. Federal law forbids firing, intimidating or coercing a permanent employee because of federal jury service. Source: U.S. Courts⁴
Plan your money. Federal jurors get $50 a day (up to $60 after 10 days on a trial jury if the judge orders it), plus reasonable travel costs and, in some courts, parking. Your employer doesn't have to keep paying you, so ask about the company's policy. Source: U.S. Courts⁴

Watch out Scammers call, email and message people threatening fines or jail for missing jury duty and pressure them for confidential information. Federal courts don't ask for sensitive information by phone or email, and most court contact comes by U.S. mail. Don't share anything; contact the clerk of the U.S. District Court in your area (find it with the Federal Court Finder) and report the scam to the FTC. Source: U.S. Courts²

Federal jury service at a glance

From U.S. Courts. Source: U.S. Courts³ For a state court, check your summons and the court's website.

Question	Federal answer
Minimum age	18
Pay	$50 a day; up to $60 after 10 days on a trial jury if the judge orders it
Who's exempt	Active-duty military and National Guard, full-time professional police and firefighters, and full-time public officers
Common excuses some courts offer on request	Over 70, served on a federal jury in the past two years, volunteer firefighter or rescue or ambulance crew
Can I be fired for serving?	No, if you're a permanent employee

Asking for a deferral

"Hi, I'm calling about my jury summons, juror number ____. My report date is ____, and I have final exams that week. Could I defer to a date after ____? I can serve any week in ____."

See it done

Video by WFYI Indianapolis public media Public media

How Does Jury Duty Work?

Watch on YouTube: How Does Jury Duty Work? | Simple Civics

Full title on YouTube: “How Does Jury Duty Work? | Simple Civics”2023 · Checked October 3, 2026

This walks through what happens at the courthouse. Rules differ by state. What to do with the summons, and how to spot jury-duty scams, is in the steps.

Video won't load at school or work? No problem. Everything you need is in the steps; the video's just a bonus. Watch it on YouTube later.

If it doesn't work

Missed the deadline or the date? Call the clerk's office on the summons as soon as you can. In federal court, someone who fails to appear can be ordered to show cause, and without good cause can be fined up to $1,000, jailed up to three days or ordered to do community service. Source: 28 U.S.C. § 1866(g)⁵
Got a suspicious call or email? Hang up or don't reply, and contact the clerk directly. Source: U.S. Courts² Pretending to be a federal court official is a crime. Source: U.S. Courts²
Employer pushing back on federal service? Tell them federal law protects your job. Source: U.S. Courts⁴ For help, see Getting free legal help.

Good to know

The details, if you want them. Tap a line to open it.

How you were picked

Federal courts randomly select eligible citizens from counties in the district, using a jury wheel built in proportion to each county's registered voters. Source: U.S. Courts³

What jurors do

A jury decides the facts of a case under the law as the judge explains it, listening to testimony and reviewing evidence in civil and criminal trials. Source: U.S. Courts¹

Overnight trips

If a federal court requires you to stay overnight, you may get allowances for meals and lodging. Source: U.S. Courts⁴

Take it with you

Printable card Download card (PDF)

Sources

U.S. Courts Jury service
U.S. Courts Juror scams
U.S. Courts Juror qualifications, exemptions and excuses
U.S. Courts Juror pay
Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School 28 U.S. Code § 1866
National Center for State Courts About state courts

Lesson L8.1 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed.

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