Jury Duty in Federal Court: Pay, Excuses, Employer Rules and What to Expect (2026)

A summons from a United States district court is not the same as one from your county courthouse. Federal courts draw jurors at random from voter lists, sometimes supplemented by other lists such as licensed drivers, across the counties that make up a judicial district. If you are a U.S. citizen, at least 18, have lived in the district for a year, can read, write, understand and speak English, and have no pending felony charge or unrestored felony conviction, you qualify.

Federal jurors are paid $50 a day, and a judge may add up to $10 a day once a trial juror has served more than ten days on one case. You also get a mileage allowance for the round trip. Your employer doesn't have to pay you, but it can't fire, threaten, intimidate or coerce you because of your service; an employer that does can owe your lost wages and a civil penalty of up to $5,000. A person who ignores a summons without good cause can be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to 3 days, ordered to perform community service, or any combination.

The rules are in the Jury Selection and Service Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 1861-1878, and in the written jury plan each of the 94 district courts adopts under it. The plan decides who may be excused on request, so the details below vary from district to district. Everything here is current as of November 2026.

Federal jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

Federal service usually starts with a juror qualification questionnaire, not a summons. The clerk mails it to people drawn at random from the district's master jury wheel, and you must fill it out, sign it and send it back within ten days (28 U.S.C. § 1864(a)). Most districts let you answer online through eJuror instead. People who qualify go into a second wheel, and the summons to report comes later.

The qualifications are in 28 U.S.C. § 1865(b). The court must treat you as qualified unless one of five things is true. The first:

(1) is not a citizen of the United States eighteen years old who has resided for a period of one year within the judicial district;

The other four disqualify a person who:

• can't read, write and understand English well enough to fill out the questionnaire;
• can't speak English;
• is incapable, because of a mental or physical infirmity, of serving satisfactorily; or
• has a pending charge for, or a conviction in a state or federal court of record of, a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, and has not had civil rights restored.

U.S. Courts explains the infirmity rule in practical terms: a condition disqualifies you only if it can't be addressed with an accommodation. A felony conviction doesn't count if your civil rights were legally restored, or were never lost in the place you were convicted.

Be honest on the form. Willfully misrepresenting a material fact on the questionnaire, to get out of service or to get onto a jury, carries the same penalty as ignoring a summons: a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, community service, or any combination (§ 1864(b)).

Exemptions and excuses

Federal law separates three groups: people who are exempt (barred from serving), people who are excused on request because their district's plan says so, and people the court excuses or defers case by case.

Exempt by statute. Every district plan must bar these people from service, under 28 U.S.C. § 1863(b)(6):

(6) specify that the following persons are barred from jury service on the ground that they are exempt: (A) members in active service in the Armed Forces of the United States; (B) members of the fire or police departments of any State, the District of Columbia, any territory or possession of the United States, or any subdivision of a State, the District of Columbia, or such territory or possession; (C) public officers in the executive, legislative, or judicial branches of the Government of the United States, or of any State, the District of Columbia, any territory or possession of the United States, or any subdivision of a State, the District of Columbia, or such territory or possession, who are actively engaged in the performance of official duties.

The exemption is not optional. U.S. Courts says people employed full time in these groups are barred "even if they are otherwise qualified and would like to serve." It reads the police and fire exemption as covering professional, not volunteer, departments, and the public-officer exemption as covering people elected to office or appointed by someone who was.

Excused on request, by district plan. Each district court decides which groups or occupations face "undue hardship or extreme inconvenience" from service and lists them in its plan; members of those groups are excused if they ask (§ 1863(b)(5)(A)). One group is required by statute in every district: volunteer safety personnel, meaning people who serve a public agency without pay as firefighters or members of a rescue squad or ambulance crew (§ 1863(b)(5)(B)).

The rest varies. U.S. Courts says most districts offer permanent excuses on request to groups that may include people over 70, people who served on a federal jury in the past two years, and volunteer firefighters and rescue crews. Two current plans show the pattern:

Southern District of Indiana (plan as amended February 3, 2025). Its list of groups excused on request begins:

(1) a person over seventy (70) years of age; (2) a person who has served as a federal grand or petit juror within the last two (2) years;

It also excuses volunteer safety personnel, a person with active care and custody of a child under 10 whose health or safety would be at risk, a person essential to the care of aged or infirm people, and a person so essential to a business, commercial or agricultural enterprise that it would have to close without them.

District of Maryland (plan dated July 2026). It grants a permanent excuse on request to people over 70; people who served more than five days as a federal grand or trial juror within the past two years; volunteer safety personnel; people solely responsible at home for someone who can't safely be left alone because they are under 13, disabled, or elderly or infirm; principals of a small business with fewer than 15 employees that would have to close; and healthcare providers actively treating patients. Full-time teachers (during the school year or summer) and full-time students get a temporary excuse and are summoned again later.

Plans differ in the details. The District of Delaware's plan, for example, also excuses actively practicing physicians and counts prior state jury service as well as federal. Check the plan for the district that summoned you; most courts post it on their jury page.

Excuses and deferrals from the court. Anyone summoned may be excused or deferred, by the court or by the clerk if the plan allows, for undue hardship or extreme inconvenience. 28 U.S.C. § 1866(c) says any person summoned may be:

(1) excused by the court, or by the clerk under supervision of the court if the court's jury selection plan so authorizes, upon a showing of undue hardship or extreme inconvenience, for such period as the court deems necessary,

When that period ends, you are summoned again or your name goes back in the qualified wheel. The Act defines the phrase broadly to include great distance from the courthouse, grave illness in the family, any other emergency that outweighs the duty to serve, or any other factor the court finds is an undue hardship. For a trial or grand jury expected to last more than 30 days, the court may also consider severe economic hardship to an employer from losing a key employee (§ 1869(j)).

How to ask. Put the request on your questionnaire or in eJuror, with whatever proof the court wants. The Southern District of New York asks for a doctor's note for a medical hardship and a jury certificate for recent service in another court. The Central District of California wants financial-hardship requests in writing with details about your employer, how many days it pays for jury service, and your household income and expenses. U.S. Courts notes that excuses are up to the court and can't be appealed to Congress or anyone else.

Postponing jury service

Federal law has no automatic right to a postponement. A deferral is a temporary excuse under § 1866(c)(1), granted for undue hardship or extreme inconvenience, and each district sets its own practice. U.S. Courts says eJuror lets you request an excuse or deferral and pick a new time to serve if the deferral is granted.

Two examples:

• The Central District of California allows two postponements within one year of your first report date, requested online after you submit your questionnaire.
• The Southern District of New York asks you to mail back the summons with a note saying when you can serve within the next six months. A summons marked "MUST SERVE" means your postponements are used up.

Ask before your report date if you can. The Southern District of New York doesn't pay attendance or travel to someone who gets a postponement or excuse on the day they report.

Juror pay

The fee is set by statute, not by each court. 28 U.S.C. § 1871(b):

(b)(1) A juror shall be paid an attendance fee of $50 per day for actual attendance at the place of trial or hearing. A juror shall also be paid the attendance fee for the time necessarily occupied in going to and returning from such place at the beginning and end of such service or at any time during such service. (2) A petit juror required to attend more than ten days in hearing one case may be paid, in the discretion of the trial judge, an additional fee, not exceeding $10 more than the attendance fee, for each day in excess of ten days on which he is required to hear such case.

What that means for you:

• $50 a day for every day you attend, trial or grand jury. Congress last raised it from $40 to $50 in 2018.
• Up to $60 a day on a long trial. U.S. Courts puts it this way for trial jurors: "eligible to receive up to $60 a day after serving 10 days if the presiding judge so orders." The extra $10 is up to the judge.
• Grand jurors may get up to $10 more for each day after 45 days of actual service, at the discretion of the judge in charge of that grand jury (§ 1871(b)(3)).
• Federal employees get their regular salary instead of the fee.

We checked whether the fee has risen to $60 across the board. It has not: the statute, the U.S. Courts juror pay page, and the judiciary's fiscal year 2027 budget request for juror fees all give $50 as the daily fee as of November 2026. The $60 figure is the long-trial ceiling.

Mileage and other expenses. Every juror gets a travel allowance for the round trip by the shortest practical route, whatever way you actually travel. The rate is the one the Director of the Administrative Office sets for court staff driving their own cars (§ 1871(c)(1)). The Central District of California and the Southern District of New York both list 76 cents a mile, which matches the federal rate for official travel by private car that took effect July 1, 2026. Tolls are paid in full; parking may be paid at the court's discretion with a receipt (§ 1871(c)(3)). If you live far enough away that you have to stay overnight, you get a subsistence allowance for meals and lodging (§ 1871(d)), and a sequestered jury's actual costs are covered (§ 1871(e)). If a short trip on public transit costs more than the mileage allowance, the court may pay the actual fare (§ 1871(f)).

Taxes. The Southern District of New York says the attendance fee is taxable income and the travel payment is not. The Eastern District of Kentucky sends a Form 1099 if your attendance fees for the year exceed $599.99.

Injuries. Federal jurors are covered by the federal workers' compensation law for injuries during service, including time spent in attendance, deliberating, sequestered or at a court-ordered site visit (§ 1877).

Your job is protected

28 U.S.C. § 1875(a) protects any permanent employee called to a federal jury:

(a) No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any permanent employee by reason of such employee's jury service, or the attendance or scheduled attendance in connection with such service, in any court of the United States.

An employer that breaks the rule faces three remedies under § 1875(b):

(1) shall be liable for damages for any loss of wages or other benefits suffered by an employee by reason of such violation; (2) may be enjoined from further violations of this section and ordered to provide other appropriate relief, including but not limited to the reinstatement of any employee discharged by reason of his jury service; and (3) shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for each violation as to each employee, and may be ordered to perform community service.

A few more protections:

• Your seniority survives. A reinstated employee is treated as having been on furlough or leave of absence during jury service, keeps seniority, and can take part in the employer's insurance and other benefits on the same terms as others on leave (§ 1875(c)).
• The court can give you a lawyer. You apply to the district court where the employer does business. If the court finds probable merit in your claim, it must appoint counsel to represent you, paid as provided in 18 U.S.C. § 3006A (§ 1875(d)(1)).
• Fees. A winning employee who hired a lawyer may recover a reasonable attorney's fee. An employer can recover its fees only if the court finds the claim frivolous, vexatious or brought in bad faith (§ 1875(d)(2)).

Pay is another matter. Federal law doesn't make your employer keep paying you while you serve. U.S. Courts suggests checking whether your employer has a jury duty policy, and the Central District of California asks jurors to confirm how many days of service the employer will pay before they fill out the questionnaire.

What happens if you don't show up

There are two separate failures, and the penalties match. If you don't return the questionnaire, the clerk can summon you to come in and fill it out in person. If you then fail to appear, the court orders you to show cause (§ 1864(b)). For a summons to serve, 28 U.S.C. § 1866(g) provides:

(g) Any person summoned for jury service who fails to appear as directed may be ordered by the district court to appear forthwith and show cause for failure to comply with the summons. Any person who fails to show good cause for noncompliance with a summons may be fined not more than $1,000, imprisoned not more than three days, ordered to perform community service, or any combination thereof.

So the maximum is a $1,000 fine, up to 3 days in jail, community service, or a mix. Congress raised the fine from $100 and added community service in 2008. The first step is an order to explain yourself, not an arrest, and a real order comes from the court, usually by mail. If you missed your date, call the jury office on your summons right away.

Your first day

Each of the 94 district courts runs its own jury office, so your summons and your district's jury page are the place for exact instructions. U.S. Courts' Federal Court Finder leads to every court's site. Common steps:

• Call or check the night before. Federal courts often put jurors on call. The Southern District of New York has you call a recorded line the evening before, because the schedule can change at the last minute; the Central District of California keeps jurors on call for two weeks and has them call after 7:00 p.m. the night before.
• Bring photo ID and expect a metal detector. Weapons, sharp objects and devices such as pepper spray aren't allowed. Leave extra metal and jewelry at home to speed your entry.
• Phones. Rules vary. The Central District of California lets you use a phone in the jury assembly room but not in a courtroom; the Southern District of New York allows one electronic device and has you check your phone with court security.
• Dress respectfully. Business attire is a safe choice. The Central District of California bars shorts, tank tops, flip-flops and hats (except for religious reasons) and sends home jurors who aren't dressed appropriately. Courtrooms can be cold, so bring a sweater.
• Plan for a full day. If you are picked for a trial, you serve until it ends. The Central District of California says most trials there last four to five days but asks jurors to be available for eight business days.
• Proof for your employer. Ask the jury office. In the Southern District of New York you print a proof-of-service letter from eJuror when you finish, or the court mails one if you can't.

Being summoned doesn't mean you will sit on a jury. A group of jurors goes to the courtroom, where the judge and lawyers ask questions (called voir dire) and excuse some people, and the lawyers may excuse a set number without giving a reason. Trial juries have six to twelve members, and trial jurors hear only one case before they are discharged. For civil trials, jury selection and jury size are governed by Rule 47 and Rule 48 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Grand jury service

A federal grand jury doesn't decide guilt. It hears evidence from a prosecutor and decides whether there is probable cause to charge someone with a crime; if so, it returns an indictment. A grand jury has 16 to 23 members, its proceedings are secret, and it hears many cases over its term. Grand jurors generally serve up to 18 months, and a judge can extend the term to 24 months. Most grand juries don't meet every day; a small district's might meet one day every other week.

Grand jurors are qualified, exempted and excused under the same rules as trial jurors, and paid the same $50 a day, with a possible $10 more after 45 days of service. You can't be required to serve on more than one grand jury, or on both a grand and a trial jury, in any two-year period (§ 1866(e)). U.S. Courts publishes a Grand Juror Handbook.

Jury duty scams

Scammers call, text or email claiming you missed federal jury duty and must pay a fine or face arrest. Federal courts don't do that. U.S. Courts says "Federal courts do not require anyone to provide any sensitive information in a telephone call or email." Most contact from a federal court comes through the U.S. mail.

The U.S. Marshals Service says it does not call anyone to arrange payment of fines over the phone for failing to appear for jury duty, according to a warning the District of Connecticut posted in 2025. Callers may give a badge number and the names of real federal judges, then tell you to pay with a reloadable card. The FBI warns that scammers spoof the caller ID of real officials and ask for prepaid cards such as gift cards. Don't give the caller any information or money. Report it to the clerk's office of your local U.S. District Court, your local U.S. Marshals or FBI office, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, or the Federal Trade Commission.

Recent and pending changes

• No change to the fee in 2024-2026. The $50 daily fee dates from a 2018 appropriations act (Pub. L. 115-141), effective 45 days after March 23, 2018. Despite reports of a raise, we found no Judicial Conference action or law raising it to $60 as of November 2026, and the judiciary's fiscal year 2027 budget request still describes a $50 fee.
• Mileage rose July 1, 2026. The federal private-car rate for official travel went from 72.5 cents to 76 cents a mile; courts that follow it now pay jurors 76 cents.
• District plans keep changing. The Southern District of Indiana amended its plan February 3, 2025, and the District of Maryland's current plan is dated July 2026. Check your own district's plan for its current excuses.
• H.R. 5096 (119th Congress), the Disability and Age in Jury Service Nondiscrimination Act. Would add disability and age to the Act's ban on discrimination and bar disqualifying someone who could serve with a reasonable accommodation. Introduced September 2, 2025, and referred to the House Judiciary Committee; no further action as of November 2026.
• S. 2122 (119th Congress), the Jury ACCESS Act of 2025. Would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Act's ban on discrimination. Introduced June 18, 2025, and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee; no further action as of November 2026.

The last broad changes came in 2008 (Pub. L. 110-406): the no-show fine rose from $100 to $1,000 with community service added, the employer civil penalty rose from $1,000 to $5,000, and the long-trial fee for trial jurors started after ten days instead of thirty.

Frequently asked questions

How much does federal jury duty pay?

Federal jurors are paid $50 a day under 28 U.S.C. § 1871. On a trial that runs past ten days, the judge may raise it by up to $10 a day, to $60, and grand jurors can get the same increase after 45 days. You also receive round-trip mileage (76 cents a mile in the courts we checked), tolls, and in some courts parking.

Can my employer fire me for federal jury duty?

No. 28 U.S.C. § 1875 bars any employer from firing, threatening, intimidating or coercing a permanent employee because of federal jury service. A violating employer can owe lost wages and benefits, be ordered to reinstate you, and pay a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, and the court can appoint a lawyer for you. Federal law doesn't require your employer to pay you while you serve.

How do I get out of federal jury duty?

You may be exempt if you are on active military duty, a professional police officer or firefighter, or a public officer working full time. Otherwise, check your district's jury plan: most excuse people over 70, recent federal jurors and volunteer firefighters or rescue crews on request. Anyone can ask the court for an excuse or deferral for undue hardship or extreme inconvenience, usually through eJuror.

What happens if I miss federal jury duty?

The court can order you to appear and explain why you didn't come. If you can't show good cause, you can be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to three days, ordered to do community service, or any combination. The same penalty applies to someone who ignores an order to come in and fill out the questionnaire. Call the jury office on your summons as soon as you can.

How often can you be called for federal jury duty?

In any two-year period, you can't be required to serve more than 30 days as a trial juror (unless your trial runs longer), on more than one grand jury, or as both a grand and trial juror. Many districts also excuse, on request, anyone who served on a federal jury in the past two years. State jury service is separate, so a state summons doesn't count unless your district's plan says it does.

Is there an age limit for federal jury duty?

There's no maximum age. Most district plans let people over 70 be excused on request, and some make it permanent, but you can serve if you want to. The age rule comes from your district's jury plan, not the statute, so check your court's plan or questionnaire.

Where these rules live

• 28 U.S.C. § 1863 — district jury plans, exemptions and excuses on request
• 28 U.S.C. § 1864 — questionnaire and penalties
• 28 U.S.C. § 1865 — qualifications
• 28 U.S.C. § 1866 — summons, excuses, limits on service, failure to appear
• 28 U.S.C. § 1869 — definitions, including undue hardship
• 28 U.S.C. § 1871 — juror fees, mileage and subsistence
• 28 U.S.C. § 1875 — protection of jurors' employment
• U.S. Courts: Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses
• U.S. Courts: Juror Pay
• Southern District of Indiana jury plan (2025) and District of Maryland jury plan (2026)

For the rules that govern federal civil trials themselves, see the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the federal practice guides. For jury duty in the District of Columbia's local courts, which is a separate system, see jury duty in the District of Columbia. To compare states, visit the jury duty hub.