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

Rhode Island runs jury service statewide from one office, the Superior Court's Office of the Jury Commissioner. It draws names from voter rolls, driver's license and state ID records, state income tax filers, and people receiving unemployment benefits. If you're a U.S. citizen, at least 18, and a Rhode Island resident on one of those lists, you can be called.

The headline numbers: jurors get $25 a day. Your employer doesn't have to pay you unless a contract or union agreement says so, but it can't cost you your job, a raise, a promotion or seniority benefits because you served. A juror who skips service without a good excuse can be held in contempt and fined at least $20. Once you serve, you can't be required to serve again for three years.

The rules are in Chapters 9-9 and 9-10 of the Rhode Island General Laws, with pay in § 9-29-5. Everything below is current as of November 2026.

Rhode Island jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

Section 9-9-1.1 lists the qualifications. You must be:

• a U.S. citizen;
• a Rhode Island resident who is registered to vote in the county where you live, holds a Rhode Island driver's license or state ID card, files a state income tax return, or receives unemployment compensation;
• at least 18;
• able to understand and participate in court proceedings; and
• physically and mentally capable of doing a juror's job in a reasonable manner.

(§ 9-9-1.1)

Disability isn't a bar. A person with a disability who meets these requirements, with reasonable accommodations if needed, "shall be deemed a qualified juror" (§ 9-9-1.1(d)). The courts pay for a sign language interpreter or a reader so that deaf, hard-of-hearing or visually impaired jurors can serve (§ 9-9-1.2).

Who is disqualified. Two groups can't serve at all. Section 9-9-1.1(b) bars anyone lawfully adjudicated non compos mentis and anyone who "is serving a sentence of confinement at a correctional facility as a consequence of a felony conviction." Since June 27, 2023, a past felony conviction no longer keeps you off a jury once you're out of prison; the old rule barred you until you finished your whole sentence, including probation and parole (P.L. 2023, ch. 367).

Where names come from. Each year the Division of Motor Vehicles, the Division of Taxation and the Department of Labor and Training send the Jury Commissioner their lists, which join the voter rolls (§ 9-9-1). The names are drawn at random by computer (§ 9-9-14.1). No one may be kept off a jury because of race, color, previous condition of servitude, disability or gender (§ 9-9-2).

The postcard comes first. Many Rhode Islanders first get a postcard asking them to fill out a juror questionnaire online through Rhode Island Jury Service eResponse. The court is clear that the postcard and questionnaire are not a summons; if you're summoned, a notice comes by mail with a date and time to report (Jury Service).

Exemptions and excuses

Rhode Island has a short list of people exempt by statute and a broader power to excuse.

Exempt by statute. Section 9-9-3 begins:

The following persons shall be exempted from serving as jurors, unless such persons shall waive their exemption, namely:

The list covers Rhode Island's members of Congress; the state's general officers; members and officers of the General Assembly during their terms; the Jury Commissioner and assistants; state and federal judges and their clerks; practicing lawyers; correctional officers; deputy sheriffs; probation and parole officers; members of any paid state or local police force; members of any paid city or town fire department; and active-duty members of the armed services (§ 9-9-3). Anyone on the list may waive the exemption and serve.

Excuses. Everyone else may ask to be excused. Section 9-10-9 says:

A justice of the superior court or the family court, or the jury commissioner, may excuse a person from jury duty or may continue the date of the service upon a showing of mental or physical disability, illness, or the serious illness of some member of his or her immediate family, economic or domestic hardship, or other good cause; provided, that he or she may be required to serve his or her term or the remainder thereof, as the case may be, on an emergency panel of jurors, if such a panel is deemed necessary by the jury commissioner or the presiding justice of the superior or family court.

The statute names no specific groups for caregivers, students or breastfeeding mothers; requests like those fall under illness, domestic hardship or "other good cause." The court's own advice is to ask only for good reason: people called "should not ask to be excused except for urgent reasons" (Jury Service).

No age exemption. Rhode Island has no upper age limit and no automatic exemption for older people. Bills to exempt people 70 or older were filed in 2025 and 2026 but had not passed as of November 2026 (see the changes section below). In its March 2026 testimony against the idea, the Judiciary told lawmakers that the Jury Commissioner already "routinely exempts individuals from jury service" for hardship, health, medical or personal reasons (Judiciary testimony on S 2052). An older juror with a health problem can ask for an excuse on that basis.

How to ask. Once you're summoned, the eResponse home page gives you options to apply to defer, apply to be excused, or apply to be disqualified. Your status shows as pending until the Office of the Jury Commissioner approves or denies the request (eResponse instructions). You can also call the office: (401) 222-5879 for Providence and Bristol Counties, (401) 822-6865 for Kent, Newport and Washington Counties. If you disagree with the Jury Commissioner's decision about your name, you can appeal to the Superior Court within a year of the drawing (§ 9-9-24).

Postponing jury duty

The same statute that allows excuses lets a judge or the Jury Commissioner "continue the date of the service" for disability, illness, a family member's serious illness, economic or domestic hardship, or other good cause (§ 9-10-9). To ask:

• Online. Choose the option to apply to defer your jury service in eResponse. A calendar appears so you can pick a new date, and your status reads "Deferral Pending" until the office decides. If it's approved, the new date appears under "Deferred to."
• By phone. Call the Jury Commissioner's office for your county.
• Watch your email. The office sends updates, changes and cancellations by email, text or phone, so keep your contact details current.

(eResponse instructions)

Summonses go out about three weeks ahead in Providence County and about two weeks ahead elsewhere, so ask soon after yours arrives (Jury Trial Protocols).

Juror pay

Section 9-29-5(a) sets the fee:

All grand and petit jurors shall be paid for each day’s attendance on the superior court twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day commencing July 1, 2022, and thereafter.

What that means:

• $25 a day, statewide. The rate rose to $25 on July 1, 2022, under laws passed in 2021. It is the same for trial and grand jurors.
• Only days you attend. The Superior Court's guide says jurors aren't paid for Saturdays, Sundays, court holidays, or other days when they're excused (Guide to Jury Service).
• Getting there. There's no mileage payment. On request, the Jury Commissioner gives serving jurors a voucher for free RIPTA bus service and the Pawtucket-Providence commuter ferry shuttle, or tokens for free passage over the Claiborne Pell Bridge (§ 9-9-29). Jurors in Providence County also get free parking and a shuttle to the courthouse.
• Donating your fee. You can sign a form to donate your fee to the state; the money goes to the Rhode Island Veterans Home (§ 9-29-5(b)).

(§ 9-29-5)

Your job is protected

Section 9-9-28 protects jurors at work:

No employer doing business within the state of Rhode Island or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the state of Rhode Island shall cause any of its employees to suffer the loss of the employee’s position, wage increases, promotions, longevity benefit, or any other emolument due to the employer-employee relationship because the employee has been called to serve jury duty;

Three things follow:

1. More than your job is protected. The law covers raises, promotions, seniority (longevity) benefits and other benefits of employment, not only firing.
2. Your employer needn't pay you. The same section says no employer must pay you for the time you're on jury duty "in the absence of a contract or collective bargaining agreement to the contrary." Check your employment contract, union agreement or company policy.
3. Violations are a crime, and more. A violation "shall be punishable as a misdemeanor," on top of the civil rights the statute gives you. The statute doesn't set a deadline or a damages formula; if your employer retaliates, talk to a lawyer promptly.

(§ 9-9-28)

At the end of your service you turn in your badge and get a work voucher, which serves as proof for your employer (Jury Trial Protocols).

What happens if you don't show up

Section 9-10-10 sets the penalty:

Every person duly notified to attend any court as juror, who does not attend as required or give satisfactory excuse to the court for not attending, or shall absent himself/herself therefrom without leave of the court, shall be brought before the court and, upon being adjudged in contempt, shall be fined not less than twenty dollars ($20.00).

The statute sets a minimum fine but no maximum. Fines are collected by a warrant directed to a deputy sheriff (§ 9-10-11). The penalty also covers leaving without the court's permission once you've arrived.

In practice, the first step is a phone call or letter, not an arrest. Rhode Island's Attorney General has explained that if a juror who was properly summoned fails to appear, the Jury Commissioner will try to reach the person and reschedule the service (Attorney General). If you can't come, call the Jury Commissioner's office before your date; the guide asks jurors to call at 8:30 a.m. with their name, juror number and reason.

Your first day

The Superior Court's guide and its Jury Trial Protocols describe the routine:

• Check before you go. Your eResponse status shows where and when to report, and any changes or cancellations appear there before your date. In bad weather, check the judiciary website and local news.
• Where to report. In Providence, report to the jury lounge on the fourth floor of the Licht Judicial Complex. A shuttle runs from a Providence location to the Benefit Street entrance from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. In Kent and Washington Counties the jury lounge is on the first floor; in Newport County, the third floor.
• When. The guide says to check in at the jury lounge by 9:30 a.m. or as your summons directs. In Providence, jurors watch a juror video at 9:00 a.m. before a judicial officer welcomes them. Court hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• What to bring. Photo identification and your summons; you'll get a badge and a booklet. Bring something to read, since jurors wait until they're needed.
• Breaks and lunch. The jury lounge has a microwave, refrigerator and vending machines, and you may leave the building during breaks.
• During trial. Don't research the case or post about it on social media.
• How long. In Providence and Kent Counties, jurors generally serve two days or one trial; in Washington and Newport Counties, one day or one trial. If you're picked for a longer trial, you stay until it ends.
• Proof for your employer. You get a work voucher when you're excused.

(Guide to Jury Service; Jury Trial Protocols)

Grand jury service

Grand jurors are drawn from the same lists and paid the same $25 a day. Unlike trial jurors, who serve no more than two weeks a year unless a trial runs longer, a grand juror serves for as long as the court requires during the term, until the next grand jury is impaneled (§ 9-10-8). The grand jury hears only the State's side and decides whether to bring a formal charge, called an indictment (Guide to Jury Service).

Jury duty scams

Scammers call claiming to be sheriffs, say there's a warrant for your arrest because you missed jury duty, and demand payment on a prepaid card or in person. Rhode Island's Attorney General and Division of Sheriffs have warned:

Neither the Jury Commissioner nor the Rhode Island Sheriff's Department makes telephone calls to prospective jurors threatening arrest or demanding that a fine be paid or a bond posted.

The Jury Commissioner summons jurors by mail with ample written notice. If you get such a call, don't pay, write down what you can, hang up, and call the police or the Jury Commissioner's office (Attorney General warning; see also the federal courts' juror scam warning).

Recent and pending changes

No law changing jury service was found taking effect in 2024 through 2026, and § 9-9-3 still contains no age-based exemption as of November 2026. Juror pay has been $25 a day since July 1, 2022.

Frequently asked questions

How much does jury duty pay in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island pays trial and grand jurors $25 for each day they attend, statewide. There's no mileage payment, but jurors can get free bus and Pell Bridge passage, and Providence County jurors get free parking and a shuttle. Your employer doesn't have to pay your wages unless a contract or union agreement requires it.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in Rhode Island?

No. An employer can't make you lose your job, raises, promotions, longevity benefits or other benefits because you were called for jury duty. A violation is a misdemeanor, and you keep your civil remedies. Your employer doesn't have to pay you for the days you serve, absent a contract saying otherwise.

How do I get out of jury duty in Rhode Island?

Some people are exempt by statute, including lawyers, judges, police, paid firefighters and active-duty military. Anyone else can ask the Jury Commissioner or a judge to excuse them for illness, disability, a family member's serious illness, economic or domestic hardship, or other good cause. Apply through eResponse after you're summoned, or call the Jury Commissioner's office. The court asks people to request an excuse only for urgent reasons.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Rhode Island?

A juror who doesn't attend without a satisfactory excuse can be brought before the court, held in contempt, and fined at least $20. Usually the Jury Commissioner first contacts you to reschedule. If you can't make your date, call the office ahead of time.

How often can you be called for jury duty in Rhode Island?

Once you've served, you aren't qualified to serve again for three years. Trial jurors also can't be required to serve more than two weeks in a year unless they're on a trial that runs longer.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Rhode Island?

You must be at least 18, and there's no upper limit or age exemption. Bills to exempt people 70 and older were filed in 2025 and 2026 but didn't pass. An older juror with a health problem or hardship can still ask to be excused on that basis.

Where these rules live

• R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-1.1 — Qualifications of jurors
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-3 — Persons exempt from service
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-28 — Employment protection
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-29 — Free public transportation for jurors
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-10-7 — Three years between services
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-10-9 — Grounds for excuse
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-10-10 — Penalty for failure to attend
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-5 — Jurors' fees
• Guide to Jury Service (Rhode Island Superior Court)
• R.I. Super. Ct. Civ. R. 47 — Jurors, on this site
• Law schools in Rhode Island