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

Michigan draws its jurors at random from the Secretary of State's list of licensed drivers and state ID holders in each county. If you're a U.S. citizen, 18 or older, and live in the county, you may get a juror questionnaire and a summons in the mail. Courts such as Oakland County's let you answer online and check the night before whether you need to report.

The headline numbers: jurors earn at least $30 for the first day and $45 for each day after, plus at least 20 cents a mile. Your county may pay more. Your employer doesn't have to pay you, but firing, disciplining or threatening you for jury service is a misdemeanor. Ignoring a summons is contempt of court, which can mean a fine of up to $7,500, up to 93 days in jail, or both.

The law is in chapter 13 of the Revised Judicature Act, MCL 600.1301 and the sections after it. Everything here is current as of November 2026.

Michigan jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

MCL 600.1307a(1) sets five qualifications. You must:

• be a U.S. citizen, 18 or older, and live in the county that summons you (for some district courts, in the district);
• be able to communicate in English;
• be physically and mentally able to serve, though a temporary problem doesn't disqualify you;
• not have served as a trial or grand juror in a court of record in the past 12 months; and
• not have been convicted of a felony.

Michigan's felony bar has no end date or restoration process in the statute. A felony here includes any offense, in any state or federal court, punishable by more than one year in prison or labeled a felony by law. Service "counts" for the 12-month rule only if you were paid for it (MCL 600.1307a(7)).

Names come from the combined driver's license and state ID list that the Secretary of State sends each county every year (MCL 600.1310). The county jury board mails a qualification questionnaire, and you must return it, fully answered, within 10 days of getting it (MCL 600.1313).

Exemptions and excuses

Michigan separates exemptions, which you can claim by right, from excuses, which the chief judge grants case by case.

The exemptions in MCL 600.1307a:

• Age. The statute is direct:

(2) An individual more than 70 years of age may claim exemption from jury service and must be exempt upon making the request.

• Nursing mothers. You're exempt while you're nursing if you send a letter from a physician, a lactation consultant or a certified nurse midwife confirming it.
• Active-duty service members. Exempt while on active duty, with a copy of your orders.
• Military spouses. Exempt while you live outside Michigan or the United States because of your spouse's active duty, again with a copy of the orders.
• Address confidentiality program participants. Exempt while in the program, with your participation card from the Department of Attorney General.

Everyone else may ask to be excused. Under MCL 600.1335(1), the chief judge may excuse you when serving would materially injure your interests or the public's, or when your health, or a family member's, requires you to stay away. That covers medical problems, caregiving and serious financial hardship, but it's discretionary, so send documentation. Oakland County, for example, asks for a physician's letter on letterhead for a medical excusal, and the letter must say "permanently" if you want a permanent one (Oakland County Circuit Court). Livingston County's district court says work and child care arrangements aren't reasons for excusal (53rd District Court).

Apply to the chief judge of the court that summoned you, in person or through someone who can prove your claim (MCL 600.1333). In practice, most courts take requests through their online questionnaire. If you show up and turn out to be unqualified, or exempt and claim it, the court must send you home (MCL 600.1337).

Postponing jury duty

The chief judge may postpone your service to a later term if you haven't yet been called into a courtroom for jury selection (MCL 600.1334). Your name then goes on the list for that later date (MCL 600.1339).

Students have a right to a postponement under MCL 600.1335. A full-time high school student's service is pushed to the end of the school year. A full-time college, university, graduate, professional or vocational student gets a postponement to the end of the academic year on request, with proof that serving would likely interfere with classes.

Courts set their own deferral rules. Oakland County's circuit court allows "a one-time deferral of jury service for any reason," requested online after you complete the questionnaire. Livingston County's district court asks you to pick an alternate date online.

Juror pay

The minimum rates are in MCL 600.1344. The county board of commissioners sets the actual rate, which can't be lower than the statute's floor. The higher floor applies whenever the State Court Administrator finds enough money in the juror compensation reimbursement fund:

(i) For the first day or 1/2 day of actual attendance at the court, not less than $30.00 per day and $15.00 per 1/2 day. (ii) For each subsequent day or 1/2 day of actual attendance at the court, not less than $45.00 per day and $22.50 per 1/2 day.

The State Court Administrative Office told courts these minimums took effect April 1, 2018, along with a mileage minimum of 20 cents a mile (SCAO memorandum, February 1, 2018). If the fund ever falls short, the statute's lower floor is $25 a day and $40 a day after that, with 10 cents a mile.

Local courts we checked pay the higher rates. Oakland County pays $30 and $45 a full day, plus round-trip mileage of 20 cents a mile, on a pay card handed out at check-in. Livingston County's 53rd District Court pays the same daily rates, adds a $10.00 mileage fee, and pays by debit card. Your county may differ, so check your summons.

Your job is protected

MCL 600.1348(1) reads:

(1) An employer or the employer's agent, who threatens to discharge or discipline or who discharges, disciplines, or causes to be discharged from employment or to be disciplined a person because that person is summoned for jury duty, serves on a jury, or has served on a jury, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and may also be punished for contempt of court.

The law also stops your employer from loading extra work onto a jury day. An employer can't make you work hours that, added to your time in court, go beyond your normal day, or keep you past your usual quitting time, unless you agree or a union contract allows it (MCL 600.1348(2)). Because the statute sets no penalty of its own, a misdemeanor here carries up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both (MCL 750.504).

Michigan doesn't require employers to keep paying you. Oakland County notes that many employers do, and suggests asking about your workplace's policy. Proof of service for your employer is available on Oakland's Juror Access website when you finish.

What happens if you don't show up

MCL 600.1346 lists the acts the circuit court can punish as contempt. They include:

The following acts are punishable by the circuit court as contempts of court: (a) Failing to answer the questionnaire provided for in section 1313. … (e) Failing to attend court, without being excused, at the time specified in the notice, or from day to day, when summoned as a juror.

Unless another law says otherwise, contempt can bring a fine of up to $7,500, up to 93 days in jail, or both (MCL 600.1715). If you missed your date, call the jury office right away and ask what to do next.

Your first day

Follow the reporting instructions on your summons. In Oakland County, you check your status on the Juror Access website or by phone after 5:00 p.m. the day before; if it says your service is complete, you don't go. Livingston County's district court has jurors call its hotline after 5:30 p.m. the Friday before their term begins.

At the Oakland County Courthouse in Pontiac, check-in runs from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. at the first-floor Jury Office. Bring the juror badge printed on your summons, and plan to stay the whole day. Expect a metal detector. Weapons and cutting tools, including scissors and knitting needles, aren't allowed. Phones and other electronics must be off in the courtroom, and no photos or recordings are allowed. Dress the part: no shorts, tank tops, sweat suits or exercise clothes, and hats come off in the courtroom. Bring a book or something quiet; the assembly room has Wi-Fi, outlets and vending machines.

Oakland's circuit court runs one trial per term. If you aren't picked by the end of the first day and aren't told to come back, you're done. If you're seated, you serve until the case ends. Oakland says the average criminal trial lasts 3 days and the average civil trial 4 days. Michigan law allows any court to adopt a one-day, one-trial system (MCL 600.1372). Other courts summon you for a longer term: Livingston's district court, for example, uses a term of two to three weeks, during which you won't sit on more than one case.

Grand jury service

Grand jurors are drawn the same way and from the same list as trial jurors (MCL 600.1326). A Michigan grand jury is convened only when a court orders one or a statute requires it. The term is 6 months, and the judge may extend it by up to 6 more (MCL 767.7a).

Jury duty scams

Scammers call Michigan residents posing as sheriff's deputies or court staff, claim you missed jury duty, and demand money for a bond or fine. Hang up. The Attorney General's office says delinquent jurors "are never contacted by phone to pay fines for missed jury duty" and that real notices come by mail (Michigan Attorney General). Oakland County's jury office adds that its staff would never call to ask for a Social Security, credit card or prepaid card number. If you're unsure, call your court at a number you look up yourself.

Recent and pending changes

• Military spouses (December 14, 2023). 2023 PA 308 (House Bill 4850) added the exemptions for active-duty service members and for spouses living outside Michigan or the United States because of a service member's duty.
• Juror fund transfers (September 21, 2026). 2026 PA 101 (Senate Bill 527) moves $1,000,000.00 a year from the juror compensation reimbursement fund to the court equity fund for fiscal years 2027 through 2029. It doesn't change juror pay.
• Pending: caregiver exemptions. Senate Bill 330, passed by the Senate on October 21, 2025, would let familial caretakers of hospice patients, and parents caring for a child with a serious health condition, claim an exemption with a medical letter. It's in the House Judiciary Committee.
• Pending: a centralized jury system. House Bill 4091 would replace local jury boards with a centralized jury process, and House Bill 4094 would change eligibility for people with certain criminal records. Both have sat in the House Judiciary Committee since February 2025.
• Pending: one-person grand juries. House Bill 4434, passed by the House on June 11, 2025, would repeal the one-judge grand jury law. It's in a Senate committee.

Frequently asked questions

How much does jury duty pay in Michigan?

State law sets a floor of $30 for the first day and $45 for each day after, or $15 and $22.50 for a half day, plus at least 20 cents a mile. Your county board of commissioners sets the actual rate and may pay more. The rates are in MCL 600.1344.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in Michigan?

No. Under MCL 600.1348, an employer that fires, disciplines or threatens you because you were summoned or served commits a misdemeanor and can be held in contempt. Your employer also can't make you work extra hours on a jury day. It doesn't have to pay you while you serve.

How do I get out of jury duty in Michigan?

If you're over 70, nursing, on active military duty, a military spouse living out of state, or in the address confidentiality program, claim the exemption and send the proof the law asks for. Anyone else can ask the chief judge for an excuse based on health, a family member's health, or serious harm to your interests, with documentation. Students get a postponement, not an excuse.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Michigan?

Failing to attend without being excused is contempt of court under MCL 600.1346. The maximum is a $7,500 fine, 93 days in jail, or both. Call the jury office as soon as you realize you missed your date.

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

You can be summoned more than once, but you're not qualified to serve if you were paid for jury service in a court of record during the preceding 12 months (MCL 600.1307a). If you get a new summons within that year, say so on the questionnaire.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Michigan?

There's no upper age limit, but anyone more than 70 years old may claim an exemption, and the court must grant it on request. You must be at least 18 to serve. The rule is in MCL 600.1307a(2).

Where these rules live

• MCL 600.1307a — Qualifications and exemptions
• MCL 600.1313 — Juror questionnaire
• MCL 600.1333 — Applying to be excused or postponed
• MCL 600.1335 — Grounds for excuse; student postponements
• MCL 600.1343 — Term of service
• MCL 600.1344 — Juror pay and mileage
• MCL 600.1346 — Contempt for failing to attend
• MCL 600.1348 — Employer protections
• MCL 600.1715 — Contempt penalties
• Michigan Court Rules