Jury Duty in Florida: Pay, Exemptions, Excuses and What to Expect (2026)

Florida draws its jurors from the state's driver license and ID card records. If you are 18 or older, a U.S. citizen and a legal resident of the county, and you hold a Florida license or ID card, your name can be drawn. The county clerk of court mails the summons, and in most counties you answer it through the clerk's online juror portal.

The headline numbers are modest. Jurors whose employer keeps paying them get nothing from the state for the first 3 days; everyone else gets $15 a day for those days, and every juror gets $30 a day from the fourth day on. State law forbids firing you for jury service but doesn't make your employer pay you, although Miami-Dade County has its own pay rule. Skipping a summons without a good excuse can cost a fine of up to $100 and a contempt finding.

The law is in chapter 40 of the Florida Statutes, which covers juries and juror pay, and the grand jury rules are in chapter 905. Each county clerk runs its own jury office, so details like parking and reporting times vary. Everything below is current as of November 2026.

Florida jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

Section 40.01 sets the baseline:

40.01 Qualifications of jurors.—Jurors shall be taken from the male and female persons at least 18 years of age who are citizens of the United States and legal residents of this state and their respective counties and who possess a driver license or identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles pursuant to chapter 322 or who have executed the affidavit prescribed in s. 40.011.

The state's motor vehicle department sends each clerk a list of licensed drivers and ID card holders every quarter. If you don't have either but want to serve, you can sign an affidavit at the clerk's office and be added (§ 40.011). The clerk purges the lists at least monthly of people adjudicated mentally incompetent, people convicted of a felony, and people who have died (§ 40.022).

A few people can't serve at all (§ 40.013):

• anyone under prosecution for a crime;
• anyone convicted of a felony in Florida, in federal court or elsewhere, "unless restored to civil rights";
• the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, Cabinet officers, clerks of court and judges; and
• anyone with a stake in the case being tried.

A person whose civil rights or mental competency has been restored and who wants to serve signs the same affidavit to get back on the list (§ 40.022(3)).

Exemptions and excuses

Florida has almost no automatic exemptions. Instead, section 40.013 lists groups the court must excuse if they ask, and groups it may excuse. Nobody in the first group is barred from serving; they simply get to choose.

Excused on request, by right:

• Age 70 or older. You can also ask, in writing, to be excused permanently, and later ask to be put back on the list. The statute says:

(8) A person 70 years of age or older shall be excused from jury service upon request. A person 70 years of age or older may also be permanently excused from jury service upon written request. A person who is permanently excused from jury service may subsequently request, in writing, to be included in future jury lists provided such person meets the qualifications required by this chapter.

• Expectant mothers, and parents not employed full time who have custody of a child under 6 (§ 40.013(4)).
• New mothers. A woman who gave birth within the 6 months before the reporting date is excused on request, for that summons only (§ 40.013(12)).
• Caregivers of a person who can't care for himself or herself because of mental illness, intellectual disability, senility or another physical or mental incapacity (§ 40.013(10)).
• Full-time students aged 18 to 21 attending high school, a state university, a private college, a Florida College System institution or a career center, for that summons only (§ 40.013(11)).
• Full-time law enforcement officers and their agencies' investigators, unless they choose to serve (§ 40.013(2)(b)).
• Recent jurors. If you reported as a prospective juror in any court in your county within the past year, you're exempt for 1 year from your last day of service (§ 40.013(7)).

Excused at the judge's discretion:

• practicing attorneys, practicing physicians and people who are physically infirm (§ 40.013(5));
• anyone who shows "hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity" (§ 40.013(6)); and
• a person permanently unable to care for himself or herself, with a physician's written statement, who can be excused permanently (§ 40.013(9)).

Being deaf or hard of hearing isn't by itself a reason to excuse someone who wants to serve on a civil jury, unless the judge finds the evidence requires hearing or the trial would be considerably slowed (§ 40.013(5)).

How to ask. Use your county clerk's juror portal or write to the jury office, with any proof the clerk asks for. In Miami-Dade, for example, requests must come through the Clearview Juror Portal or in writing, phone requests aren't accepted, and expectant mothers and people claiming a medical incapacity send a doctor's certificate (Miami-Dade Clerk). The same page notes that "Telephone requests for excusal or disqualification will not be accepted."

Postponing jury duty

The statute lets you postpone for up to 6 months, and you can make the request in writing or orally. During a public health emergency or a state of emergency declared by the Governor, the limit stretches to 12 months. You may name the date you'd prefer, and the clerk must consider it (§ 40.23(2)).

Courts usually grant one postponement as a courtesy. Miami-Dade says it grants "one courtesy request for postponement of jury duty," made online up to seven days before your start date; later requests need extenuating circumstances (Miami-Dade Clerk). Orange and Osceola counties allow a one-time deferral of up to six months through their jury portal (Ninth Judicial Circuit).

Juror pay

Florida's pay rule depends on whether your paycheck keeps coming. Section 40.24 says:

(3)(a) Jurors who are regularly employed and who continue to receive regular wages while serving as a juror are not entitled to receive compensation from the clerk of the circuit court for the first 3 days of juror service.

(b) Jurors who are not regularly employed or who do not continue to receive regular wages while serving as a juror are entitled to receive $15 per day for the first 3 days of juror service.

(4) Each juror who serves more than 3 days is entitled to be paid by the clerk of the circuit court for the fourth day of service and each day thereafter at the rate of $30 per day of service.

In short:

The rates are set by statute and are the same in every county. There's no mileage, parking or other expense reimbursement from the clerk (§ 40.24(5)), though many courthouses offer free juror parking. Days when you were told before reporting that you weren't needed don't count as service (§ 40.24(2)). If you ask to be excused, you don't get the first-3-days pay (§ 40.24(7)). Jurors on reemployment assistance keep their benefits (§ 40.24(6)), and some circuits let you donate your fee to the Guardian ad Litem program or a domestic violence shelter (§ 40.24(8)).

When a court orders a jury kept together, the sheriff provides meals and lodging at the clerk's expense (§ 40.26).

Miami-Dade mails one check for each week of service, about four weeks after the week served (Miami-Dade Clerk).

Your job is protected

Section 40.271 protects anyone summoned to, or accepted for, a grand or trial jury:

(1) No person summoned to serve on any grand or petit jury in this state, or accepted to serve on any grand or petit jury in this state, shall be dismissed from employment for any cause because of the nature or length of service upon such jury.

An employer, or its agent, who threatens to fire you over jury service may be held in contempt of the court that issued the summons (§ 40.271(2)). If you're fired, you can sue. The statute says the employee is "entitled to collect not only compensatory damages, but, in addition thereto, punitive damages and reasonable attorney fees" (§ 40.271(3)). The statute sets no special deadline to sue; talk to a lawyer promptly if it happens to you.

Does your employer have to pay you? State law doesn't require it. It only shifts who pays: if your employer keeps paying your regular wages, the state skips the $15 for the first 3 days.

Miami-Dade is different. According to the county clerk, section 11-31 of the Miami-Dade County Code requires employers to pay employees for jury service when all of these are true: the employee is regularly scheduled for at least 35 hours a week, the employer has at least 10 full-time employees and offices or business in the county, the employee serves as a juror in Miami-Dade, and the employee gives the employer a copy of the summons at least five working days before the absence. The payment doesn't include commissions, and the employer may subtract what the state pays you (Miami-Dade Clerk).

What happens if you don't show up

Section 40.23(3) sets the penalty:

(3) Any person who is duly summoned to attend as a juror in any court and who fails to attend without any sufficient excuse shall pay a fine not to exceed $100, which fine shall be imposed by the court to which the juror was summoned, and, in addition, such failure may be considered a contempt of court.

In practice, courts start with a letter. Orange and Osceola counties send a failure-to-appear letter telling you to contact the jury office, and if you reschedule and then report, you won't be fined. If you don't, contempt proceedings can lead to community service or other sanctions, including jail (Ninth Judicial Circuit). If you're sick or have an emergency on your reporting day, call the jury office and ask to be rescheduled.

Your first day

Florida uses a one day or one trial system. If you aren't picked for a trial or a selection in progress by the end of your first day, you're done. If you are picked, you serve until the trial ends or the judge releases you (Miami-Dade Clerk). In Orange and Osceola, most jurors finish in one day, and a trial typically lasts three days (Ninth Judicial Circuit).

• Register first. Most clerks want you to complete an online questionnaire before you report. In Miami-Dade you're on standby for the whole week on your summons, and you get an email with reporting instructions on the Friday before.
• Bring your summons. In Miami-Dade it contains your juror badge. Hillsborough also asks you to bring it.
• Dress. Business or business-casual clothes; Miami-Dade doesn't allow shorts or uniforms. Bring a sweater or light jacket, since jury rooms can be cold.
• Parking. Many courthouses offer free juror parking, but some require you to bring your garage ticket for validation. Check your clerk's page.
• Plan for a full day. Service doesn't end at a set hour.
• Proof for your employer. Ask for an attendance certificate. In Miami-Dade you can print one from the juror portal after 7 p.m. on each day of service.
• Disability accommodations. Contact the court's ADA coordinator; Miami-Dade asks for at least seven days' notice.

Grand jury service

Grand jurors are chosen under the same rules as trial jurors: the same qualifications, excuses and pay. One extra rule applies: an elected public official can't serve. A grand jury has 15 to 21 members and is convened for a term of 6 months (Fla. Stat. § 905.01). The court can extend a term for up to 90 days to finish a specific investigation (§ 905.095).

Jury duty scams

Scammers call, text or email claiming you missed jury duty and must pay a fine right away. Florida's clerks don't work that way. Miami-Dade's clerk says it "will not harass or threaten you via any form of communication concerning Jury Duty including threats to impose financial penalties," and asks that such attempts be reported to the clerk and local police (Miami-Dade Clerk). The Ninth Circuit says people who fail to appear "will receive a letter, never a phone call." If in doubt, hang up and call the jury office number on your clerk's official website. The federal courts publish a similar warning about juror scams.

Recent and pending changes

No law changing juror qualifications, excuses, pay or employer duties was enacted in 2025 or 2026; the history notes in the 2026 Florida Statutes show no amendment to chapter 40's juror sections after 2024. No such bill was pending for the 2027 session as of November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does jury duty pay in Florida?

If your employer keeps paying your regular wages, you get nothing from the state for the first 3 days. If you're unemployed, self-employed or your wages stop, you get $15 a day for those days. Everyone gets $30 a day from the fourth day on, and there's no mileage reimbursement.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in Florida?

No. Section 40.271 bars firing anyone summoned to or serving on a jury, threats can be punished as contempt of court, and a fired employee can sue for compensatory and punitive damages plus attorney fees. State law doesn't require your employer to pay you, but Miami-Dade County's code does for many full-time employees.

How do I get out of jury duty in Florida?

You can ask to be excused if you're 70 or older, pregnant, gave birth in the last 6 months, a parent at home with a child under 6, a caregiver for an incapacitated person, a full-time student aged 18 to 21, or a full-time law enforcement officer. Others can ask the court to excuse them for hardship, extreme inconvenience or public necessity. If the date is the problem, ask for a postponement of up to 6 months through your county clerk.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Florida?

The court can fine you up to $100 and may hold you in contempt. Most courts first send a letter asking you to contact the jury office. Rescheduling and then reporting usually ends the matter.

How often can you be called for jury duty in Florida?

If you reported for jury service in your county, you're exempt for 1 year from your last day of service. After that, you can be summoned again. A summons from federal court is separate and follows federal rules.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Florida?

There's no upper age limit, but anyone 70 or older is excused on request and can ask in writing to be excused permanently. You must be at least 18 to serve.

Where these rules live

• Fla. Stat. § 40.01 — Qualifications of jurors
• Fla. Stat. § 40.013 — Persons disqualified or excused
• Fla. Stat. § 40.23 — Summoning jurors, postponement and the fine
• Fla. Stat. § 40.24 — Juror compensation
• Fla. Stat. § 40.271 — Job protection
• Fla. Stat. § 905.01 — Grand jury
• Miami-Dade Clerk — Postponement or excusal
• Miami-Dade Clerk — Juror payment
• Ninth Judicial Circuit — Jury duty FAQ
• Law schools in Florida