(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), on and after July 1, 2000, the fee for jurors in the superior court, in civil and criminal cases, is fifteen dollars ($15) a day for each day’s attendance as a juror after the first day.
§ 215.Juror fees and expenses; Use of public transit service
Title 3. Persons Specially Invested With Powers of a Judicial Nature · Chapter 1. Trial Jury Selection and Management Act · Last amended 2023 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 215 sets juror pay at $15 a day after the first day of attendance, adds mileage reimbursement at 34 cents a mile, exempts jurors who keep receiving their regular government salary, and requires courts to provide or reimburse public transit access for summoned jurors.
Full Text of § 215
(b) A juror who is employed by a federal, state, or local government entity, or by any other public entity as defined in Section 481.200, and who receives regular compensation and benefits while performing jury service, shall not be paid the fee described in subdivision (a).
(c) All jurors in the superior court, in civil and criminal cases, shall be reimbursed for mileage at the rate of thirty-four cents ($0.34) per mile for each mile actually traveled in attending and returning from court as a juror after the first day.
(d) All jurors and prospective jurors who have been summoned shall be provided with access to existing public transit services at no cost utilizing one of the following options:
(1) Courts may partner with public transit operators in their county to create new programs or continue existing public transit programs that provide no-cost service for jurors and prospective jurors who have been summoned.
(2) A method of reimbursement determined by the court up to a daily maximum of twelve dollars ($12).
(e) Subdivision (d) does not apply to a court in an area where a public transit operator does not provide existing service that is reasonably available to the court facility.
(f) In determining whether transit service is reasonably available to the court facility, the court shall consider factors that include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Proximity of transit service to the court location.
(2) Hours of operation of transit service in the vicinity of the court location.
(3) Frequency of operation of transit service in the vicinity of the court location.
(4) Availability of transit access to all areas of the court’s jurisdiction from which a potential juror may reside.
(g) Prior to determining that transit service is not reasonably available to the court facility, the court shall contact the public transit operator to inquire whether new transit options may be implemented near the court.
Plain-English Summary
Section 215 sets out what a juror is paid for showing up. Since July 1, 2000, jurors in the superior court, in both civil and criminal cases, receive $15 for each day’s attendance after the first day, plus mileage reimbursement of 34 cents a mile for each mile traveled attending and returning from court after the first day. A juror employed by a federal, state, or local government entity, or another public entity, who keeps receiving regular compensation and benefits during jury service does not also receive this fee.
The section also addresses getting jurors to the courthouse in the first place. Every summoned juror and prospective juror must have access to public transit at no cost, either through a court partnership with a local transit operator or through reimbursement up to $12 a day. That requirement does not apply where no public transit operator provides service reasonably available to the court facility, a determination that weighs proximity, hours and frequency of service, and whether transit reaches all the areas a potential juror might live in. Before concluding that transit is not reasonably available, the court must first contact the transit operator to ask about new options.
Official Comment
The following official comments are published by the California Law Revision Commission (and, for a few older sections, its predecessor Code Commissioners) alongside the statute itself — not commentary from this site.
1998 Law Revision Commission Comment. Subdivision (a) of Section 215 is amended to reflect the elimination of the justice court. Cal. Const. art. VI, §§ 1, 5(b).
2002 Law Revision Commission Comment. References to the municipal courts are deleted from subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 215 to reflect unification of the municipal and superior courts pursuant to Article VI, Section 5(e), of the California Constitution.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do California jurors get paid per day?
Section 215 sets the fee at $15 for each day’s attendance after the first day, plus mileage reimbursement of 34 cents a mile after the first day.
Do government employees get paid extra for jury duty?
No. A juror employed by a government entity who continues receiving regular pay and benefits during jury service does not also receive the § 215 fee.
Does California cover public transit costs for jury duty?
Yes. Courts must provide no-cost public transit access for summoned jurors, either through a transit partnership or reimbursement up to $12 a day, unless transit service is not reasonably available to the court facility.
What if there is no bus or train service near the courthouse?
The transit-access requirement does not apply where no public transit operator provides reasonably available service, but the court must first contact the transit operator about possible new options before reaching that conclusion.
Amendment History
Added Stats 1988 ch 1245 § 2. Amended Stats 1998 ch 931 § 54 (SB 2139), effective September 28, 1998; Stats 2000 ch 127 § 1 (AB 2866), effective July 10, 2000; Stats 2002 ch 144 § 1 (AB 2925) (ch 144 prevails), ch 784 § 48 (SB 1316); Stats 2004 ch 227 § 9 (SB 1102), effective August 16, 2004; Stats 2022 ch 326 § 2 (AB 1981), effective January 1, 2023.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
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