(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the superior court may pay jury fees in civil cases from general funds of the court available therefor. Nothing in this section shall be construed to change the requirements for the deposit of jury fees in any civil case by the appropriate party to the litigation at the time and in the manner otherwise provided by law. Nothing in this section shall preclude the right of the superior court to be reimbursed by the party to the litigation liable therefor for any payment of jury fees pursuant to this section. Nothing in this section shall preclude the right of the county to be reimbursed by the party to the litigation liable therefor for any payment of jury fees pursuant to this section as it read in Section 4 of Chapter 10 of the Statutes of 1988, or pursuant to former Section 631.1 as it read in Section 1 of Chapter 144 of the Statutes of 1971.
§ 631.2.Payment of Jury Fees From General Funds of Court
Title 8. Of the Trial and Judgment In Civil Actions · Chapter 5. Trial by the Court · Last amended 2013 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 631.2 lets a superior court advance jury fees in civil cases from its own general funds, without changing the underlying party's obligation to deposit or reimburse those fees, and requires the demanding party to reimburse the court for jurors' fees and mileage from voir dire onward.
Full Text of § 631.2
(b) The party who has demanded trial by jury shall reimburse the superior court for the fees and mileage of all jurors appearing for voir dire examination, except those jurors who are excused and subsequently on the same day are called for voir dire examination in another case.
Plain-English Summary
This section gives a court a funding option, not a way out of the underlying obligation. Notwithstanding any other law, a superior court may pay civil jury fees from its own general funds — but nothing about doing so changes when or how the responsible party must deposit fees under § 631, or the court's right to be reimbursed by that party afterward.
Subdivision (b) makes the reimbursement concrete: the party who demanded the jury trial has to reimburse the court for the fees and mileage of every juror who appears for voir dire, with one exception — jurors excused and called the same day for voir dire in a different case don't count against that party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a court pay jury fees out of its own funds?
Yes, subdivision (a) allows the superior court to pay civil jury fees from its general funds, without altering the underlying deposit or reimbursement obligations of the parties.
Who has to reimburse the court for jurors called for voir dire?
The party who demanded the jury trial, for the fees and mileage of jurors appearing for voir dire, except jurors excused and reused the same day in another case.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats 2012 ch 470 (AB 1529),s 6, eff. 1/1/2013.
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
Also known as: court paying jury fees california