What Happens If You Miss Jury Duty? Penalties and How to Fix It in Every State (2026)

If you missed your jury date, take a breath. In most places the first thing that happens is a letter, not a knock on the door, and a quick call to the jury office usually sets things right. Courts would rather have you serve than punish you.

What gets people in trouble is ignoring the follow-up. A summons is a court order. Skip it and then skip the court's next order, and you can face a fine, a contempt finding, or in some states a criminal charge. Paying a fine rarely ends the matter; you are usually still expected to serve.

This page explains the usual process, compares the penalties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the federal courts, and lists what to do now. Each state's own page quotes the penalty statute. Everything here is current as of November 2026.

What usually happens

The details vary, but most courts move in three steps.

1. A second notice. Most courts start by writing to you. Arizona must send a second summons if you missed one that came by first-class mail, and you can't be fined or arrested unless you ignore that one too. In California, the second summons goes out no earlier than 90 days after the first missed date. Colorado mails a Failure to Appear Notice meant to help you fix the problem, and the Massachusetts jury commissioner may send a delinquency notice for the same purpose. Kentucky mails a postcard within 14 days of a missed date giving you five days to call, and sends a second notice if 30 days pass with no response. In Delaware, a first miss brings a postcard; a second may bring a deputy sheriff to your home with a summons.

2. An order to explain. If the notices don't work, the court orders you to appear and show cause, meaning explain why you shouldn't be punished. In Minnesota, Nevada, Nebraska and West Virginia, for example, a missed date first brings an order to come in and explain. A good reason at that hearing usually ends the matter. In New York, the charge can't be sustained if you show undue hardship, extreme inconvenience or another good cause.

3. A penalty. Only if you can't show good cause, or skip the hearing, does the court impose a sanction. In most states that sanction is a fine for contempt of court. In a few, missing jury duty is a crime.

Arrest is possible but uncommon. The District of Columbia's Jury Plan lets the court issue a warrant if it finds a juror won't appear in response to its order. Oregon's courts warn that a judge may, rarely, issue an arrest warrant. In Louisiana, Orleans Parish's civil court warns that an absent juror may be arrested by the sheriff and brought in for contempt the same day.

The range of penalties

The penalties for missing jury duty run from a few dollars to a year in jail, though the maximums are rarely imposed.

At the low end. Illinois sets a contempt fine of $5 to $100, and Arkansas $5 to $500. North Carolina sets a fine of up to $50, and Louisiana up to $50, up to three days in jail, or both. Virginia fines a missing juror $50 to $200. South Carolina imposes a civil penalty of up to $100, and Vermont up to $200. Rhode Island sets a minimum fine of $20 and no maximum.

In the middle. A $500 cap is common. New Jersey, Nevada, Oklahoma and Wisconsin cap the fine or sanction at $500. In Kansas, the fine of up to $100 applies for each day of unexcused absence, so missing a week costs more than missing a day. New York's civil penalty is capped at $250.

At the high end.

• Texas: a contempt fine of $100 to $1,000, plus a separate fine of $100 to $500 for failing to attend.
• Federal courts: up to a $1,000 fine, up to 3 days in jail, community service, or a mix.
• Maryland: up to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or both.
• Utah: a contempt fine of up to $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, or both.
• Minnesota and Washington: a misdemeanor, with up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
• Massachusetts: a crime, with a fine of up to $2,000.
• California: sanctions of up to $250 for a first violation, $750 for a second and $1,500 for a third or later one.
• Michigan: contempt, with a fine of up to $7,500, up to 93 days in jail, or both.
• Alaska: criminal contempt is a class A misdemeanor, carrying up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $25,000.

Penalties tied to your income or your service. Oregon's contempt law allows a fine of $500 or one percent of annual gross income, whichever is greater. Tennessee assesses up to $500, but suspends everything above $50 if you go on to finish your jury service. Missouri, Mississippi and Oklahoma let the court order community service lasting at least as long as your jury service would have, instead of or on top of a fine.

The table below lists each jurisdiction's penalty as its page summarizes it. The state pages give the full statute and process.

A fine doesn't end your duty

In many places, paying the penalty doesn't get you out of serving. Arizona and California say so directly: you can still be ordered to serve. In Texas, Tarrant County's jury office notes that a no-show is still rescheduled for a later date. New York ends every noncompliance case with an order fixing a new date for service, and disobeying that order is what turns the matter into contempt. Tennessee calls its penalty remedial: the point is to get you to serve.

The questionnaire counts too

Many courts send a qualification questionnaire before, or with, the summons. Ignoring it can bring the same trouble as missing your date:

• Maryland: failing to return the qualification form can bring a $1,000 fine, 30 days in jail, or both.
• New Jersey: the same $500 penalty applies to ignoring the questionnaire without a reasonable excuse.
• South Dakota: willfully failing to return the questionnaire is covered by the same $50 to $500 fine.
• Federal courts: if you don't return the questionnaire, the clerk can summon you to come in and fill it out in person.

Lying on the form is worse than ignoring it. Maryland treats a false statement made to avoid or get jury service as a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $5,000.

Being late can count

Show up on time. Arizona's Maricopa County Superior Court doesn't accept late jurors: arrive after check-in and you get a failure-to-appear summons and a new date within 60 to 90 days. Clark County in Nevada warns that a late juror may be fined for contempt, and West Virginia's handbook gives the same warning.

How to fix it now

1. Call the jury office today. Use the number on your summons or the court's official website, not a number from a call, text or email. Have your juror number ready.
2. Explain what happened. An illness, an emergency or a summons you never received are the kinds of reasons courts accept. Some courts want it in writing: Oklahoma's Tulsa County asks you to write to the jury clerk with your juror ID number and an explanation, and you should hear back within two weeks.
3. Reschedule. Most courts will simply give you a new date. In Ohio, Illinois and Oklahoma, missing a postponed date is handled like missing the first one, so treat the new date seriously.
4. Answer any court order. If you receive an order to show cause, go to the hearing. Skipping it is what usually leads to a fine.
5. If you were sanctioned without a hearing, ask to undo it. In California, you can ask the court to set aside sanctions imposed by default within 60 days by explaining why you couldn't attend, and the court must set them aside if you show good cause. Judicial Council form JURY-010 is made for that motion.

Watch out for fake fines. Courts don't call to collect a fine for missing jury duty or ask you to pay by gift card or wire. If someone does, it's a scam. See jury duty scams.

Frequently asked questions

Will I be arrested for missing jury duty?

Probably not for a single missed date. Most courts send a notice first and then an order to appear and explain, and only a judge can impose a penalty after that. An arrest warrant is usually a last resort for someone who ignores the court's orders. If you missed your date, calling the jury office quickly is the best way to avoid any of this.

How much is the fine for missing jury duty?

It depends on the state. Fines range from as little as $5 in Illinois and Arkansas to $1,000 in Texas and federal court, $7,500 in Michigan and $25,000 in Alaska. Many states cap the fine at $500. These are maximums, and acting quickly helps: in Florida, Orange and Osceola counties say that if you reschedule after a missed date and then report, you won't be fined.

What if I never got the summons?

Tell the court. Penalties generally depend on proof that you were summoned. In New York, no penalty can be imposed unless it's shown you actually got the summons or questionnaire. In Nebraska, you aren't in contempt for ignoring a summons sent only through the online jury system. Keep your address current with the court.

Can I just pay the fine instead of serving?

Usually not. In Arizona, California and Texas, paying a fine or sanction doesn't end your obligation, and courts typically give you a new date. In Tennessee, most of the penalty is suspended if you go on to serve.

What if I was sick on my jury date?

Call the jury office as soon as you can, before your reporting time if possible. A sudden illness or family emergency is the kind of reason courts accept, and you'll usually be rescheduled. New Jersey, for example, tells sick jurors not to come in and to call to reschedule.

Is missing jury duty a crime?

In a few places. Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Washington and Puerto Rico treat it as a crime, and Colorado makes a knowing failure to appear without a good excuse a petty offense. In New Hampshire, missing your date and then failing to show cause when the court orders you to is a misdemeanor. Most states handle it as contempt of court or a civil penalty.

Related pages

• Jury duty in every state
• Jury duty scams
• How to get out of jury duty
• Can my employer fire me for jury duty?
• Juror pay by state
• Federal jury duty