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

Indiana courts draw jurors at random from a statewide master list that the Indiana Supreme Court builds from Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Department of Revenue records. If you are an adult U.S. citizen who lives in the county, can communicate in English, and still has the right to vote, you are probably qualified.

Since July 1, 2023, jurors have been paid $30 a day for reporting and $80 a day once seated on a trial, rising to $90 a day from the sixth day of trial. Your employer doesn't have to pay you, but firing, punishing or threatening you for jury service is a crime. Ignoring a summons can be treated as contempt of court. People 75 or older can claim an exemption, and since July 1, 2026, so can mothers who are breastfeeding a baby born in the past year.

The rules come from two places: Indiana Code chapter 33-28-5, and the Indiana Jury Rules adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court. Each county runs its own jury office, so your summons and your county court's website are the place for local instructions. Everything below is current as of November 2026.

Indiana jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

Jury Rule 5 sets out what every juror must swear to. It reads:

In order to serve as a juror, a person shall state under oath or affirmation that he or she is: (a) a citizen of the United States; (b) at least eighteen (18) years of age; (c) a resident of the summoning county; (d) able to read, speak, and understand, the English language;

The rule goes on to list four more conditions. You must also:

• not have a physical or mental disability that prevents you from serving satisfactorily;
• not be under a guardianship because of mental incapacity;
• not have lost your right to vote because of a felony conviction without having it restored; and
• not be a law enforcement officer, if the trial is a criminal case.

A few points worth knowing:

• A felony record isn't always permanent. The test is your voting rights. If they have been restored, the conviction no longer disqualifies you.
• Police officers can still serve on civil juries. The bar applies only to criminal trials, as Monroe County's and Marion County's jury pages point out.
• Disability alone doesn't disqualify you. The court decides whether you can serve with reasonable accommodation (Jury Rule 5).
• Where names come from. Indiana once called jurors from voter registration lists. Since 2006, the Indiana Supreme Court's statewide jury pool has merged Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Department of Revenue records instead, and it covers more than 99% of eligible jurors.

Your answers are recorded under oath or affirmation, and no disqualification, exemption or deferral may be granted unless the facts support it (Jury Rule 8). Jury questionnaires are not open to the public (Jury Rule 10).

Exemptions and excuses

Indiana has only a short list of exemptions, and the rules say so plainly. Jury Rule 6:

A person may claim exemption from jury service only if the person (1) has completed a term of jury service in the twenty-four (24) months preceding the date of the person's summons, or (2) is exempt from jury service pursuant to an exemption expressly provided by statute.

The exemptions you can claim:

• Age 75 or older. You may ask to be exempted if you are at least 75 and wish not to serve (IC 33-28-5-18). The state's model juror qualification form has a box for it, and Marion and Monroe counties list it among their exemptions. It is optional; you are welcome to serve.
• Recent jury service. If you finished a term of jury service in the 24 months before your summons, you may claim an exemption (Jury Rule 6).
• Military service. Active-duty service members are exempt, according to Marion and Monroe counties. Since July 1, 2015, the exemption also covers members of the armed forces reserves and the Indiana National Guard while on military orders (S.E.A. 1131, P.L. 19-2015).
• Breastfeeding mothers (new in 2026). Since July 1, 2026, a woman may claim an exemption if she gave birth in the preceding 365 days, is currently breastfeeding the baby, and wishes to be exempted (S.E.A. 139, P.L. 69-2026).

Excuses the court may grant. Beyond the exemptions, the court decides. Jury Rule 5 lets the court excuse a person whose bona fide religious conviction and affiliation with a religion prevent jury service, if the person asks in advance. Monroe County also accepts medical excuses with a doctor's statement.

What usually won't work. Monroe County tells jurors that normal work obligations, child care and transportation are not grounds for exemption under Indiana law. If one of those makes your date hard, a deferral is the better request.

How to ask. Follow your summons. Most counties take requests through the online or phone questionnaire, by email, or by mail. In Marion County, the phone or online questionnaire tells you right away whether you are disqualified or exempt; if you think you should be excused and aren't, you email your reasons to the jury office, and you may still ask the judge after you report.

Postponing jury duty

Indiana calls a postponement a deferral. Jury Rule 7:

The judge or judge's designee may authorize deferral of jury service for up to one (1) year upon a showing of hardship, extreme inconvenience, or necessity.

The Indiana Judicial Branch says courts generally don't make you appear in person to ask. You can call, email where the court accepts it, write, or go in, and the court that sent your summons will tell you how. The state's model form asks how many months you need, up to one year, and why.

Ask early, and give a date that works. Marion County, for example, asks for your name, juror number, deferral request and preferred date by email to its jury office.

Juror pay

The Legislature sets juror pay in IC 33-37-10-1, and it doubled it in 2023. The Marion Superior Court states the current rates this way:

Jurors will receive $30 just for reporting for service. If you are selected as a juror, you will receive $80 per day for the first five days of the trial. Beginning on the sixth day of the trial, jurors will receive $90 per day through the end of the trial.

A few details:

• Reporting counts. A prospective juror who reports on the summons date is treated as in attendance for that day, even if not seated or later removed, according to the Indiana Office of Court Services' summary of the 2023 law (H.E.A. 1466).
• Mileage is extra. Counties also pay mileage to and from the courthouse. Monroe and Starke counties both list mileage on top of the daily rate; Kosciusko County lists 49 cents a mile. Ask your county for its current rate.
• Parking and transit vary. Marion County validates free juror parking in a section of Lot B at the Community Justice Campus and can give you a one-week bus pass; Starke County's parking is free.
• Payment timing. Marion County usually mails checks within three weeks after your service ends.

Before July 1, 2023, the rates were $15 a day before the jury was chosen and $40 a day after.

Your job is protected

Indiana makes it a crime to punish someone for jury service. The Marion Superior Court's jury page quotes IC 35-44.1-2-11:

A person who knowingly or intentionally: (1) dismisses an employee; (2) deprives an employee of employment benefits; or (3) threatens such a dismissal or deprivation; because the employee has received or responded to a summons, served as a juror, or attended court for prospective jury service commits interference with jury service, a Class B misdemeanor.

What that means in practice:

• Tell your employer right away. Indiana's job protection in IC 33-28-5-24.3 depends on notice. The Starke Circuit Court and Lake County's jury office both say the protection applies so long as you notify your employer when you get the summons.
• Pay is up to your employer. No Indiana law makes employers pay wages during jury service. As Starke County puts it, salary is a matter between you and your employer, so check your handbook.
• Get proof of service. Courts will give you an attendance slip or work excuse on request.
• If you are penalized, the Starke Circuit Court and Lake County's jury office tell jurors to contact the Office of the Indiana Attorney General. You may also want to talk to a lawyer.

What happens if you don't show up

Skipping jury duty can land you in contempt of court. Indiana's jury statute makes a person summoned for jury service who fails to appear or complete service subject to contempt (IC 33-28-5-24), and the Marion Superior Court warns jurors: "Failure to appear could result in being found in Contempt of Court."

In practice, a juror who misses a date can expect to be ordered to come to court and explain before any penalty is imposed. Lying on the juror qualification form is a separate problem: the form is signed under the penalties for perjury. If you missed your date, call the jury office as soon as you can.

Your first day

Every county runs its own process, so read your summons first. A typical sequence, using Marion County (Indianapolis) as the example:

• Check in the night before. Starting the day before your date, call the juror line or log in to the online juror portal after 5:30 p.m. with your juror, PIN and group numbers. If your group isn't needed, you are excused. Monroe County jurors are on call for a month and check a phone line each evening, or get texts or emails if they opted in.
• Arrive early. In Marion County, report to the Jury Assembly Room (C0176) at the Community Justice Campus, 675 Justice Way, by 8 a.m.
• Bring your summons card and your parking ticket for validation.
• Plan lunch. Marion County suggests bringing your own (plastic utensils, no glass); meals are provided only during deliberation. Some smaller counties, such as Kosciusko, provide jurors' meals.
• Dress for court. Business or business-casual clothes are fine. Kosciusko County asks jurors not to wear muscle shirts, cutoff shorts or hats.
• Leave the kids at home. Children aren't allowed in Marion County's jury assembly room or deliberation rooms.
• Expect security screening, and check the courthouse's prohibited-items list before you go.
• Orientation. Every Indiana trial court must give prospective jurors an orientation before selection, including a standard presentation recommended by the Indiana Judicial Conference (Jury Rule 11).

How long you serve is set by Jury Rule 9:

A person who appears for service as a petit juror serves until the conclusion of the first trial in which the juror is sworn, regardless of the length of the trial or the manner in which the trial is disposed.

If you report but aren't chosen, your service ends when jury selection is completed. Monroe County says most of its jury trials finish within two to five days, and the Starke Circuit Court says most of its trials last one or two days.

Grand jury service

Grand juries decide whether to bring criminal charges. Indiana Jury Rules 2 through 10 govern how grand juries are assembled and selected, as well as trial juries (Jury Rule 1), so grand jurors are drawn from the same county jury pool and must meet the same qualifications.

Jury duty scams

Indiana courts reach prospective jurors by mail: the jury administrator mails each person drawn a juror qualification form and notice of service (Jury Rule 4). Scammers call or email instead, claim you missed jury duty and have a warrant, and demand payment by prepaid card or gift card. The federal court in northern Indiana warns that no court or law enforcement agency will ever call or email to collect a fine for missing jury duty, or ask for your Social Security number that way; any fine is imposed by a judge in open court after you have a chance to explain. Hang up, don't pay, and call your county's jury office using the number on its official website. The federal courts keep a juror scam warning with reporting information.

Recent and pending changes

• S.E.A. 139 (2026), P.L. 69-2026, effective July 1, 2026. Added an exemption for a woman who gave birth in the preceding 365 days, is currently breastfeeding, and wishes to be exempted.
• H.E.A. 1264 (2024), P.L. 65, effective July 1, 2024. Requires the state to give county voter registration offices information about voters who are disqualified, or potentially disqualified, from jury service because they are not U.S. citizens, and sets out what those offices must do with it.
• H.E.A. 1466 (2023), P.L. 237, effective July 1, 2023. Raised juror pay from $15 to $30 a day before the jury is chosen, and from $40 to $80 a day for the first five days of trial and $90 a day after that. It paid for the raise with higher jury fees on convicted defendants and a $75 jury fee on civil tort and plenary filings.

We found no other jury bills pending as of November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does jury duty pay in Indiana?

Indiana pays $30 a day for each day you attend before a jury is chosen, including a day you report and aren't seated. Once you are on a trial jury, you get $80 a day for the first five days and $90 a day from the sixth day on. Counties also pay mileage, and some help with parking or bus fare.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in Indiana?

No. Firing an employee, cutting their benefits, or threatening either because they received a summons or served on a jury is the crime of interference with jury service, a Class B misdemeanor. Tell your employer as soon as you get your summons. Your employer doesn't have to pay your wages while you serve.

How do I get out of jury duty in Indiana?

You can claim an exemption if you are 75 or older, served on a jury in the past 24 months, are on active military duty or reserve orders, or are breastfeeding a baby born in the past 365 days. The court may also excuse you for a sincere religious reason or a documented medical problem. If the timing is the issue, ask for a deferral of up to one year.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Indiana?

A person who fails to appear for jury service can be held in contempt of court. The court can order the juror to come in and explain, and the judge decides any penalty. If you missed your date, contact the jury office right away; a court will never ask you to pay a fine over the phone.

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

There's no fixed limit, but recent service protects you. If you completed jury service in the 24 months before your summons, you can claim an exemption. And once you serve, you aren't placed on another panel until everyone else in that year's pool who isn't exempt has been called.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Indiana?

You must be at least 18, and there is no maximum age. Anyone 75 or older may ask to be exempted, usually by checking the box on the juror qualification form or telling the jury office. You don't have to claim it; older jurors are welcome to serve.

Where these rules live

• Indiana Jury Rule 5 — qualifications and religious excuse
• Indiana Jury Rule 6 — exemptions
• Indiana Jury Rule 7 — deferral
• Indiana Jury Rule 9 — term of service
• IC 33-28-5 — jury selection and service
• IC 33-37-10-1 — juror pay
• IC 35-44.1-2-11 — interference with jury service
• Indiana Judicial Branch: Serving Jury Duty
• Marion Superior Court: Jury Service Information

For the rules that govern Indiana civil trials themselves, see the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure. You can also read about Indiana law schools, or compare states on the jury duty hub.