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

North Dakota's district courts draw jurors at random from a master list built from voters, driver's license and ID holders, and other lists the Supreme Court designates. If you're a U.S. citizen, at least 18, live in the state and the county, and can communicate in English with reasonable accommodation, you're qualified. The statute says flatly that no qualified person is exempt.

Jurors get $100 for each day you must attend district court, or $50 for a first day of four hours or less, plus mileage at the state employee rate. Your employer doesn't have to pay you, but it can't fire, lay off, penalize or threaten you for serving; doing so is a crime, and a fired juror can sue for up to six weeks' lost wages and reinstatement. The old penalty section for skipping jury duty was repealed, so a no-show is handled as contempt of court, which can mean a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 1 year in jail.

The rules are in chapter 27-09.1 of the North Dakota Century Code (N.D.C.C.), the Uniform Jury Selection and Service Act, with contempt in chapter 27-10. The Supreme Court's Jury Selection Plan (Administrative Rule 9) fills in the details. Everything below is current as of November 2026.

North Dakota jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

The Act starts with a promise and a duty. Section 27-09.1-01 declares that jurors are to be chosen at random from a fair cross section of the community, and that all qualified citizens have "an obligation to serve as jurors when summoned for that purpose." Section 27-09.1-08 then lists who is disqualified:

2. A prospective juror is disqualified to serve on a jury if the prospective juror: a. Is not a citizen of the United States and a resident of the state and county in the jury pool; b. Is not at least eighteen years old;

The other grounds are being unable, with reasonable accommodation, to communicate in and understand English; being unable, even with accommodation, to serve because of a physical or mental disability (the court may ask for a physician's certificate); and having lost the right to vote because of imprisonment in the penitentiary or a conviction that by law disqualifies you (§ 27-09.1-08).

A past conviction usually doesn't bar you. In North Dakota, a person sentenced to prison for a felony loses the right to vote only "during the term of actual incarceration" (§ 12.1-33-01). Once you're out, you're generally eligible again. The state courts' juror handbook puts it the same way: people currently imprisoned who have lost their civil rights can't serve.

No one may be excluded because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical disability or economic status (§ 27-09.1-02).

Where names come from. Each county clerk keeps a master list of actual voters, supplemented with other lists the Supreme Court designates, such as utility customers, property taxpayers, motor vehicle registrations, tribal registries and driver's licenses (§ 27-09.1-05). The court's Jury Selection Plan currently uses the voter list from the last general election and the driver's license and ID card list, merged without duplicates.

The qualification form. If you're drawn, the clerk sends a juror qualification form, which you must return within ten days. Lying on it to get out of service, or to get on a jury, is a class B misdemeanor; if you don't return it, the clerk can direct you to appear in person to fill it out (§ 27-09.1-07). The state courts now have you complete the questionnaire online, and everyone must do it, even people who plan to ask for an excuse.

Exemptions and excuses

The statute is short and strict:

27-09.1-10. No exemptions. No qualified prospective juror is exempt from jury service.

So there's no list of exempt jobs. Lawyers, doctors, police and public officials all serve unless a judge excuses them. In 2025 the Senate rejected a bill that would have excused law enforcement officers from criminal juries (see the changes section below).

Excuses for hardship. The court decides, on your request or its own:

2. A person who is not disqualified for jury service may be excused from jury service by the court upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity, for a period the court deems necessary, at the conclusion of which the person shall reappear for jury service in accordance with the court's direction.

What the Supreme Court's plan adds. The Jury Selection Plan in Administrative Rule 9, as revised effective June 1, 2025, fills in how clerks and judges handle requests:

• Age 72. A prospective juror who is 72 or older on the date of the summons gets an exemption if he or she asks for it.
• Temporary excuse. For undue hardship, extreme inconvenience or public necessity; it lasts for the current two-year jury cycle.
• Permanent excuse. For someone who can't serve now and is extremely unlikely ever to be able to; it removes you from current and future pools.
• Recent service. A person who has served, or appeared twice, in the prior two years may ask to be excused.
• Medical requests. A note from a medical provider is required for any excuse or deferral based on a medical need.
• Quick answers. The court should decide a request within five days of getting it, or of getting any extra information it asked for.

(N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 9, Jury Selection Plan)

How to ask. Complete the online qualification questionnaire first, then submit the excusal or deferral request the summons describes. Contact the clerk of district court for your county with questions.

Postponing jury duty

North Dakota calls a postponement a deferral. Under the Jury Selection Plan, a deferral moves your service to a set later time within the current two-year jury cycle. It is meant mainly for people temporarily away from the county, such as college students and retirees who winter elsewhere, when coming home would be impractical. The statute itself builds in the same idea: a hardship excuse lasts "for a period the court deems necessary," after which you report again when the court directs (§ 27-09.1-11). Ask through the process on your summons.

Juror pay

Section 27-09.1-14 sets the rate:

A juror must be paid mileage at the rate provided for state employees in section 54-06-09. A juror must be compensated at the rate of one hundred dollars for each day of required attendance at sessions of the district court unless the juror is in attendance for four hours or less on the first day, in which case compensation for the first day is fifty dollars.

What that means:

• $100 a day. That's $100 for each day you're required to attend district court, the same in every county.
• $50 for a short first day. If you're there four hours or less on your first day, that day pays $50.
• Mileage. You're paid mileage at the rate set for state employees. Section 54-06-09 directs the state's budget director to set that rate equal to the federal General Services Administration rate for privately owned vehicles (§ 54-06-09).
• The state pays. District court jurors' fees and mileage are paid by the state, not the county. The courts' handbook says checks usually arrive within a few weeks.
• Coroner's inquests are different: $10 a day, paid by the county.
• When it changed. The 2023 Legislative Assembly doubled the rates, from $50 a day and $25 for a short first day, in the judicial branch budget bill (House Bill 1002). The North Dakota courts announced the raise took effect July 1, 2023.

Your job is protected

Section 27-09.1-17 protects jurors and witnesses:

1. An employer may not deprive an employee of employment, lay off, penalize, threaten, or otherwise coerce an employee with respect thereto, because the employee receives a summons or subpoena, responds thereto, serves as a juror or witness, or attends court for jury service or to give testimony pursuant to a subpoena.

Four things follow:

1. The protection starts with the summons. It covers getting the summons, responding to it, attending court, and serving.
2. Violating it is a crime. An employer who breaks the rule "is guilty of a class B misdemeanor," which carries up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,500, or both (§ 12.1-32-01).
3. A fired juror can sue, but quickly. An employee discharged in violation of the law may sue within ninety days for lost wages and an order of reinstatement. Damages "may not exceed lost wages for six weeks," and a winning employee gets a reasonable attorney's fee.
4. Your employer needn't pay you. The law protects the job, not the paycheck. Ask about your employer's policy, and tell your employer about the summons and your schedule as soon as you can.

What happens if you don't show up

Chapter 27-09.1 once had its own penalty section, but § 27-09.1-16 was repealed in 1993. Today a juror who ignores a summons faces contempt of court. Contempt includes "Intentional disobedience, resistance, or obstruction of the authority, process, or order of a court" (§ 27-10-01.1), and a summons is court process. The punitive sanctions:

2. a. A court, after a finding of contempt of court in a nonsummary procedure under subdivision b of subsection 1 of section 27-10-01.3, may impose for each separate contempt of court a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or both.

In a summary proceeding, the limit is a fine of $500 and 30 days in jail (§ 27-10-01.4). Those are maximums, not the usual outcome. Under the Jury Selection Plan, a clerk who can't reach a no-show by phone mails a notice asking for a written explanation within 15 days; only if none comes, or it falls short, does the clerk ask the court for an order to show cause. If you have a conflict or an emergency, call the clerk of court right away.

Your first day

Details vary by county, so follow your summons. The North Dakota courts' Jurors Handbook covers the basics:

• Do the questionnaire first. Complete the online qualification questionnaire within 10 days of getting your summons.
• Check your reporting instructions. Your summons letter tells you where and when to report, and the date or time can change, so check before you go.
• Dress. There's no formal dress code; business casual is suggested. Skip clothing with offensive words or images.
• Leave weapons at home. Firearms and other dangerous weapons aren't allowed in courthouses.
• How long. Under the Supreme Court's plan, service should generally last no more than two days or one trial, whichever is longer, and the time you must stay on call should usually be 30 days or less. Overnight stays are rare.
• No legal knowledge needed. The judge explains the law you apply.
• Proof for your employer. Ask the clerk's office for a record of your attendance.

Grand jury service

Grand juries are called only by written order of a district judge, who must order one when the judge thinks it necessary, when the state's attorney asks in writing, or when enough voters sign a petition. A grand jury has eight to eleven members from the county with the same qualifications as trial jurors (N.D.C.C. §§ 29-10.1-01, 29-10.1-02). A session is limited to ten calendar days unless the judge extends it (§ 29-10.1-04). No one can be required to serve on more than one grand jury, or as both a grand and a trial juror, in any two-year period (§ 27-09.1-15).

Jury duty scams

Scammers call claiming you missed jury service, sometimes posing as law enforcement and threatening arrest unless you pay a fine. North Dakota's courts warned about these calls in November 2025: state courts and local law enforcement will never call to threaten you or demand immediate payment, by phone or wire, for not responding to a jury summons. Hang up, call the clerk of court's office to check, don't give out card or Social Security numbers, and report the call to local police (North Dakota Courts scam notice; see also the federal courts' juror scam warning).

Recent and pending changes

We found no pending jury bills as of November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does jury duty pay in North Dakota?

North Dakota pays $100 for each day you must attend district court, or $50 if your first day lasts four hours or less. You also get mileage at the state employee rate. The state pays these, so the rate is the same in every county.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in North Dakota?

No. An employer may not fire, lay off, penalize, threaten or coerce you because you got a summons or served. Doing so is a class B misdemeanor, and a fired employee can sue within 90 days for up to six weeks of lost wages, reinstatement and attorney's fees. Your employer doesn't have to pay you while you serve.

How do I get out of jury duty in North Dakota?

No one is automatically exempt. Fill out the online questionnaire, then ask the court to excuse you for undue hardship, extreme inconvenience or public necessity, or to defer you to a later date in the two-year cycle. Under the Supreme Court's plan, people 72 or older can ask for an exemption, and medical requests need a provider's note.

What happens if I miss jury duty in North Dakota?

The clerk will try to reach you and ask for a written explanation. If you have no good reason, the court can hold you in contempt; after a full hearing the maximum is a $1,000 fine and 1 year in jail. Call the clerk before your date if something comes up.

How often can you be called for jury duty in North Dakota?

In any two-year period you can't be required to spend more than 10 court days as a trial juror, unless you're needed to finish a case. You also can't be made to serve on more than one grand jury, or on both a grand and a trial jury, in that period. The court's plan lets you ask to be excused if you've served in the past two years.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in North Dakota?

You must be at least 18. The statute sets no upper limit, but under the Supreme Court's Jury Selection Plan anyone 72 or older on the date of the summons can ask for an exemption.

Where these rules live

• N.D.C.C. § 27-09.1-08 — Who is disqualified
• N.D.C.C. § 27-09.1-10 — No exemptions
• N.D.C.C. § 27-09.1-11 — Excuses
• N.D.C.C. § 27-09.1-14 — Juror pay and mileage
• N.D.C.C. § 27-09.1-15 — Limits on length of service
• N.D.C.C. § 27-09.1-17 — Employer protection
• N.D.C.C. § 27-10-01.4 — Contempt sanctions
• N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 9 — Jury Selection Plan
• North Dakota Courts: Jurors Handbook
• N.D. R. Civ. P. 47 — Jurors
• North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure on this site
• Law schools in North Dakota