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

Every Pennsylvania county runs its own jury system. The county's jury selection commission draws names at random from a master list built from voter rolls and, through a statewide system, from driver's license, tax and public assistance records. If your name comes up, you'll get a questionnaire and a summons from your county's court of common pleas, not from the state.

The headline numbers come from Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Chapter 45. Jurors earn $9 a day for the first three days they report in a calendar year and $25 a day after that, plus 17 cents a mile everywhere except Philadelphia. Your employer doesn't have to pay you, but most employers can't fire, demote or threaten you for serving. Ignoring a summons can bring a contempt finding, a fine of up to $500 and up to 10 days in jail.

This page covers state court jury duty as of November 2026. A summons from a federal court in Pennsylvania follows federal law instead.

Pennsylvania jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

Section 4502 sets a short list. You qualify in a county if you are a citizen of the Commonwealth, old enough to vote in state and local elections (18), and you live in that county. The statute sets no minimum time living there, but you can serve only where you live now. If you've moved away, tell the jury office in writing; Butler County, for one, excuses people who send a signed statement that they no longer live there.

You're disqualified if any of these is true:

• you can't read, write, speak and understand English;
• a mental or physical infirmity makes you unable to give efficient jury service; or
• you've been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison and haven't received a pardon or amnesty.

The conviction rule has no expiration date. In Pennsylvania only a pardon or amnesty lifts it. Old violations of the pre-1977 Vehicle Codes that would be summary offenses, or no offense at all, today don't count (§ 4502(b)).

Pennsylvania's courts encourage people who speak English as a second language to serve. You don't need perfect English, only enough to follow the evidence and the judge's instructions.

Exemptions and excuses

Pennsylvania's list of exemptions is short and closed. Section 4503(a) begins:

(a) General rule.--No person shall be exempt or excused from jury duty except the following:

The eight groups it then names are:

1. People on active duty in the armed forces of the United States or of Pennsylvania.
2. People who served on any jury in the past three years, or in the past year if that service lasted fewer than three days.
3. People who show the court undue hardship or extreme inconvenience.
4. Spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents and grandchildren of criminal homicide victims.
5. People who served an 18-month term on a statewide investigating grand jury and choose not to serve again.
6. People 75 or older who ask to be excused.
7. Pennsylvania judges and magisterial district judges, and federal judges.
8. Breastfeeding women who ask to be excused.

There are no exemptions for an occupation. Lawyers, doctors, police officers, teachers and students are all eligible. Allegheny County's court puts it plainly: "There are no provisions for any specific exemption of jury service based on one’s occupation, profession, or status."

Age 75 and older. The age excuse is yours to claim, not automatic. Section 4503(a)(6) covers "Persons 75 years of age or older who request to be excused." Philadelphia's jury commission says: "If you are 75 years or older, you are invited to serve, but not required." Allegheny County goes further by local policy and lets anyone 70 or older ask to be removed from its juror list permanently.

Undue hardship. Everything else (medical problems, caregiving, money, school, a job you can't leave) falls under the hardship excuse. The court decides, and it can excuse you for good or only for a while. If the excuse is temporary, the statute says you "shall, at the end of the period, be assigned to the next jury array." Philadelphia lists lost wages, childcare and caring for an ill parent as examples of hardship and asks for some verification with the questionnaire. Allegheny County can grant a temporary excusal for up to two years and asks for a doctor's certification for medical and caregiving claims.

Medical conditions. A condition that makes you unable to serve is really a disqualification under § 4502. Counties ask for proof: Allegheny requires a Medical/Mental Infirmity Certificate within 30 business days after you submit your questionnaire, and Butler County notes that a doctor's note isn't an automatic excusal.

Small-business employees. If you work for one of the small employers the job-protection law doesn't cover (see below), you can ask the court to excuse you, and it must (§ 4563(e)).

Relatives of homicide victims can also ask the jury commission to place their names on the list of disqualified jurors, and can ask to have them removed later (§ 4523(b)).

How to ask. Use the remarks section of the juror questionnaire, or write to the jury office named on your summons, and attach whatever proof you have. The questionnaire is signed subject to the penalty for perjury, so answer truthfully (§ 4521(d)(2)).

Postponing jury duty

No statute governs postponements. Each county sets its own policy, and most will move your date once without much fuss.

• Philadelphia: you can postpone online after you complete the questionnaire and pick a new date, with some limits. Hardship requests must go by mail. If you've already returned the questionnaire, call 215-683-7170 and use Option 4.
• Allegheny County: a first deferral can be requested online or by phone at least seven business days before your date. Later requests must be in writing, and a third is granted only in rare cases. People summoned for an investigating grand jury can't defer.

If you're summoned elsewhere, the instructions on your summons name the office to contact.

Juror pay

Juror pay is set by state law and is the same in every county. Section 4561(a) reads:

(a) Compensation.--A person summoned to serve as a juror shall receive compensation at the rate of $9 a day for the first three days in any calendar year he shall be required to report for service and $25 a day for each day thereafter in such calendar year that such person is required to report. In addition, persons so summoned shall be paid a travel allowance at the rate of 17¢ per mile circular except that no travel allowance shall be paid in the first judicial district.

A few things follow from that text:

• The three days count by calendar year. If you serve two days in March and are called again in October, your third day is paid at $9 and the rest at $25.
• Mileage is round trip ("circular") at 17 cents a mile, but not in the First Judicial District, which is Philadelphia.
• The state shares the cost. The Commonwealth reimburses each county 80% of what it pays beyond the first three days when the juror is in a trial or grand jury proceeding (§ 4561(b)).

Counties handle payment and extras differently. Philadelphia pays by check at the end of your service. Allegheny County pays by voucher or mail and doesn't provide or reimburse parking. Butler County adds $5 toward parking on selection day and pays on a prepaid debit card. Your county's jury page will say how it works there.

Taxes. Philadelphia's court notes that juror fees are income: "Juror attendance fees are considered to be income and should be reported to the Internal Revenue Service on your tax form." It issues a Form 1099-MISC to anyone paid $600 or more in a year.

Your job is protected

Section 4563(a) protects most workers:

(a) General rule.--An employer shall not deprive an employee of his employment, seniority position or benefits, or threaten or otherwise coerce him with respect thereto, because the employee receives a summons, responds thereto, serves as a juror or attends court for prospective jury service. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the employer to compensate the employee for employment time lost because of such jury service.

So your employer can't fire you, demote you, take away your seniority or benefits, or pressure you, for getting a summons or for serving. But it doesn't have to pay you for the days you miss. Philadelphia's court says the same: "Under Pennsylvania law, an employer is not required to pay persons during their period of jury service." Some union contracts and employer policies do pay; ask.

Who isn't covered. The protection doesn't apply to retail or service employers with fewer than 15 people, or to manufacturers with fewer than 40 (§ 4563(d)). Workers for those employers can ask to be excused instead.

If your employer breaks the law:

• It commits a summary offense (§ 4563(b)).
• You can sue for the wages and benefits you lost and for an order putting you back in your job. Damages are limited to what you actually lost, and if you win, the court awards a reasonable attorney's fee (§ 4563(c)).
• The deadline is short. Section 5522(b)(4) lists "An action under section 4563(c) (relating to civil remedy available)" among the actions that must be started within six months.

What happens if you don't show up

A jury summons is a court order. Section 4584 says:

A prospective juror who has been summoned to serve as a juror and who fails to appear as summoned shall, unless exempt or excused pursuant to section 4503 (relating to exemptions from jury duty), be punishable for contempt of court and may be fined in an amount not exceeding $500 or imprisoned for a term no more than ten days or both.

That's a fine of up to $500, up to 10 days in jail, or both. Courts would rather reschedule you than punish you. Philadelphia's jury commission says it hopes to avoid using this power by making service as flexible as it can, and Butler County asks anyone who missed service to call right away and return for another selection. If you can't make it, call before your date.

Not returning the questionnaire has its own consequence: the commission can summon you to its office to fill it out (§ 4521(d)(4)).

Your first day

Details vary by county, so read your summons first. The two largest courts show what to expect.

The night before. In Philadelphia, call 215-683-7170 between 5 p.m. and midnight and choose Option 2 to learn whether you're needed. If you're told not to come, you're treated as having served and won't be called again for at least 12 months. In Allegheny County, check your reporting status online with your juror number and date of birth. Butler and McKean Counties ask you to check your status after 5 p.m. the day before; McKean uses a recorded phone line.

What to bring. Your summons (Philadelphia requires the original), a photo ID, and something to read. Waits are normal.

Phones and devices. Philadelphia and Allegheny allow phones and laptops in the jury assembly rooms but not in use in courtrooms. Some smaller counties, such as McKean, don't allow cell phones in the courthouse at all. Philadelphia bars AI glasses and other eyewear with cameras or microphones.

What to wear. Business casual is safe. Allegheny County lists jeans, t-shirts, shorts and tank tops as inappropriate and may send a juror home to change.

The day. Expect check-in, an orientation, and then questioning by the judge and lawyers (voir dire) for jurors sent to a courtroom. In Philadelphia you report at 8:15 a.m.; in Allegheny County selection typically ends by 4:30 p.m. If you're not picked, your service is usually done that day.

Proof for your employer. Philadelphia attaches proof of service to your juror fee check. Elsewhere, ask the jury office before you leave.

Disability accommodations. Call the jury office as soon as you get your summons. Allegheny's number is 412-350-5336 (TTY 412-350-4259); Philadelphia's is 215-683-7170.

Grand jury service

Pennsylvania's Judicial Code provides for county, multicounty and statewide investigating grand juries. Each starts with 23 members and 7 to 15 alternates, and serves an 18-month term that can be extended up to 24 months (§§ 4545–4546). Grand jurors are paid at the same daily rates, except multicounty grand jurors, whose expenses are paid under a separate section. In Allegheny County, people summoned for an investigating grand jury can't defer and should plan to be there all day.

Jury duty scams

Scammers call or email claiming you missed jury duty and must pay a fine or face arrest. Pennsylvania's courts say to hang up. Their advisory notes that "most contact between a court and a prospective juror is through the mail," and real court staff won't ask for a Social Security number, credit card or bank information by phone. Allegheny County adds that its officials don't solicit jurors or seek information by telephone. If you get such a call, don't give any information; call your county's jury office and your local police. See the Pennsylvania courts' scam warning.

Recent and pending changes

Enacted, 2024–2026: none found. The exemption section was last amended by Act 54 of 2015, which added the 75-and-older, judges and breastfeeding exemptions. The pay section was last amended in 2002, and that amendment only added a definition in subsection (c).

Pending, not law (as of November 2026, each still in the Judiciary Committee of its chamber):

• House Bill 1484 would replace the $9 and $25 rates with $40 a day for every day of service and let counties pay by check, debit card or bank transfer. Referred May 21, 2025.
• Senate Bill 260 would add an excuse for caregivers who aren't employed outside the home and care for a child under seven or a person with a permanent disability, if they have no other care available or can't afford it. Referred February 20, 2025.
• House Bill 128 would add an excuse for emergency service personnel who request it. Referred January 16, 2025.
• House Bill 2777 would lower the age excuse from 75 to 70. Referred September 18, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does jury duty pay in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania pays $9 a day for the first three days you report in a calendar year and $25 a day after that. You also get 17 cents a mile, round trip, everywhere except Philadelphia. The rates are set by 42 Pa.C.S. § 4561 and are the same in every county.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in Pennsylvania?

No, unless it's a retail or service business with fewer than 15 workers or a manufacturer with fewer than 40. Covered employers can't fire, demote, threaten or take benefits from you for serving, but they don't have to pay you. If you're punished, you have six months to sue for lost wages and reinstatement, and the court awards attorney's fees if you win.

How do I get out of jury duty in Pennsylvania?

Only the eight grounds in 42 Pa.C.S. § 4503 count: active military service, jury service in the last three years (one year if it lasted under three days), undue hardship, being a close relative of a homicide victim, past statewide grand jury service, being 75 or older and asking, being a judge, or breastfeeding and asking. Explain your reason in the remarks section of the questionnaire and attach proof. If you just need a different date, ask your county for a postponement.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Pennsylvania?

The court can hold you in contempt and fine you up to $500, jail you for up to 10 days, or both. In practice, most courts first ask you to reschedule. Call your county's jury office as soon as you realize you missed it.

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

You can be summoned again, but you can claim an exemption for three years after serving, or for one year if your service lasted fewer than three days. Philadelphia treats a juror told by phone not to report as having served for at least 12 months.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Pennsylvania?

There's no upper age limit, but anyone 75 or older can ask to be excused, and the court must grant it. Allegheny County lets people 70 and older request a permanent excusal by local policy. A bill to lower the statewide age to 70, House Bill 2777, is pending.

Where these rules live

• 42 Pa.C.S. Chapter 45 — Juries and Jurors (full chapter)
• 42 Pa.C.S. § 4502 — Qualifications of jurors
• 42 Pa.C.S. § 4503 — Exemptions from jury duty
• 42 Pa.C.S. § 4561 — Compensation and travel allowance
• 42 Pa.C.S. § 4563 — Protection of employment
• 42 Pa.C.S. § 4584 — Failure of juror to appear
• 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522 — Six-month deadline to sue
• Philadelphia Courts: Jury Service
• Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas: Juror Services
• Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure