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

Texas counties summon jurors at random from a list the Secretary of State builds from registered voters and people who hold a Texas driver's license or ID card. If you are an adult citizen of the county, can read and write, and have no felony or theft conviction, you are probably qualified.

Since September 1, 2023, counties must pay jurors at least $20 for the first day and $58 for each day after that. Your employer doesn't have to pay you, but it can't fire, threaten or punish you for serving; an employer that does can owe you one to five years' pay. Ignoring a summons can bring a contempt fine of $100 to $1,000. People 75 or older can claim an exemption, and can make it permanent.

The rules are in chapters 61 and 62 of the Texas Government Code and chapter 122 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Each county runs its own jury system, so your summons and your county's jury website are the place for local instructions. Everything below is current as of November 2026.

Texas jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

Government Code § 62.102 lists the qualifications. To serve on a Texas trial jury you must:

• be at least 18;
• be a U.S. citizen;
• live in Texas and in the county that summoned you;
• be qualified to vote in that county (you don't have to be registered; failing to register doesn't disqualify you, under § 62.1031);
• be of sound mind and good moral character;
• be able to read and write;
• have no conviction for a felony or misdemeanor theft, and not be under indictment or other legal accusation for either; and
• not have served as a juror for six days in the past three months in county court, or in the past six months in district court.

Criminal records. A felony or misdemeanor theft conviction disqualifies you permanently, with three exceptions: you completed deferred adjudication and received a dismissal and discharge, your community supervision was ended early, or you were pardoned or had your civil rights restored (§ 62.115(b)).

Hearing loss doesn't disqualify you unless the judge finds it makes you unfit for a particular case. Deaf and hard-of-hearing jurors must be reasonably accommodated, and an interpreter may stay with you through deliberations at the county's expense (§ 62.1041).

Be careful what you claim. If you say you aren't a citizen or don't live in the county, the clerk must report that to the voter registrar and the Secretary of State, and it can affect your voter registration (§§ 62.0142, 62.113, 62.114).

Exemptions and excuses

Texas separates exemptions, which you may claim as of right, from excuses, which a judge grants.

Exemptions. Government Code § 62.106(a) opens:

(a) A person qualified to serve as a petit juror may establish an exemption from jury service if the person: (1) is 75 years of age or older;

The rest of the list covers a person who:

• has legal custody of a child younger than 12 and would have to leave the child without adequate supervision;
• is a high school student (public or private);
• is enrolled in and actually attending college or another institution of higher education;
• is an officer or employee of the Texas Senate, House or a legislative agency;
• lives in a county of at least 200,000 people and served as a juror there in the past 24 months (unless the county's jury plan sets a longer cycle);
• is the primary caretaker of someone who can't care for themselves;
• lives in a county of at least 250,000 people and served as a juror there in the past three years (unless the jury wheel has been rebuilt since); or
• is on active military duty and deployed away from their home station and county.

Exemptions are optional. You can skip them and serve. To claim one, follow the summons: you can file a signed statement of your exemption with the clerk before your report date without coming to court, and many counties also take it online (§ 62.107).

Permanent exemption at 75. If you are 75 or older, you can ask to be taken off the jury list for good by filing a signed statement with the district clerk, or by adding that request to the exemption statement you send the court. You can change your mind and rescind it at any time (§ 62.108).

Medical and language exemptions. A district judge, or the district clerk if the county's plan allows it, can exempt you permanently or for a set period if a physical or mental impairment, or an inability to understand or communicate in English, makes serving impossible or very difficult. You file an affidavit, with a physician's statement for a medical exemption (§ 62.109).

Religious holy days. If you would have to appear on a holy day your faith observes, the court must release you or move you to another day (§ 62.112).

Excuses from the judge. Beyond the exemptions, a court may hear any reasonable sworn excuse and release you entirely or until another day (§ 62.110). There is one limit worth knowing: a judge can't excuse you for an economic reason unless every party in the case is present and agrees. In practice that means business and financial hardships are usually raised in the courtroom, not on the summons.

Postponing jury service

You have a right to one postponement. Under Government Code § 62.0143, the clerk must grant it if:

1. you ask before your report date, in person, in writing or by phone;
2. you haven't had a postponement in that county during the past year; and
3. you and the clerk pick a new date no more than six months away.

A second postponement is allowed only for an extreme emergency you couldn't have foreseen, such as a death in the family, a sudden serious illness, or a natural disaster. Some counties, including certain very large ones, follow more flexible rules that allow later postponements for any legitimate reason (§§ 62.0144, 62.0147). Many counties let you postpone online or by phone; Tarrant County, for example, lets you pick a new date through its online system or phone line.

Juror pay

The Legislature set a floor for juror pay, and each county's commissioners court chooses its rate at or above it. Government Code § 61.001(a):

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a person who reports for jury service in response to the process of a court is entitled to receive as reimbursement for travel and other expenses an amount: (1) not less than $20 for the first day or fraction of the first day the person is in attendance in court in response to the process and discharges the person's duty for that day; and (2) not less than $58 for each day or fraction of each day the person is in attendance in court in response to the process after the first day and discharges the person's duty for that day.

A few details:

• Counties may pay more. The commissioners court may set different rates for grand and trial jurors, or by type of court (§ 61.001(b)). The state reimburses counties $14 of the first-day amount and $52 a day after that (§ 61.0015).
• A judge can raise it in one case. With the parties' agreement, the presiding judge can increase the daily amount for a particular trial; the parties split the extra cost (§ 61.001(d)).
• Municipal courts are different. Jurors in a city's municipal court aren't covered by the state minimum; the city decides whether to pay (§ 61.001(c)).
• Cash your check. A juror check that isn't cashed within 90 days is void, and the money stays with the county (§ 61.001(f)).
• You can donate your pay. Every juror must be offered the chance to give all or part of the pay to the state crime victims' fund, the county child welfare board, a family violence shelter or other approved programs (§ 61.003).
• Other expenses. There is no statewide mileage rate. The Texas Judicial Branch says counties may offer free public transportation, mileage or transportation reimbursement, free parking, child care or free meals; your court will tell you what's available.

Tarrant County, for example, pays $20 for the first day and $58 for each later day and issues the check when you are dismissed.

Your job is protected

Chapter 122 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code protects jurors' jobs. Two versions of § 122.001 were enacted in 2019 and both appear in the code. The broader one, § 122.001(a), says:

(a) An employer may not discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any permanent employee because the employee serves as a juror, or for the employee's attendance or scheduled attendance in connection with the service, in any court in the United States.

The other version bars a private employer from terminating a permanent employee for serving as a juror or grand juror. Under either one:

• You get your job back, if you give the employer actual notice that you intend to return as soon as practical after you are released from service (§ 122.001(b)).
• Damages are steep. An employee hurt by a violation is entitled to reinstatement and damages of at least one year's and up to five years' compensation, at the pay rate when you were summoned, plus reasonable attorney's fees (§ 122.002).
• The deadline to sue is the second anniversary of the date you served (§ 122.002(c)).
• It's also a crime. Violating § 122.001 is a Class B misdemeanor (§ 122.0021), and a court can hold an employer in contempt for firing, threatening or penalizing an employee for jury duty (§ 122.0022).
• The employer's defense is narrow: it must prove its circumstances changed during your service so that rehiring you was impossible or unreasonable, and that the firing wasn't because of your service (§ 122.003).

Pay is another matter. Texas law doesn't require employers to pay you while you serve. Many do anyway, so check your handbook. Every written summons must include information about employers' duties under chapter 122 (Gov't Code § 62.0131), which makes it a handy thing to show your boss.

What happens if you don't show up

Texas has two penalties, and both are fines. Government Code § 62.0141:

In addition to any criminal penalty prescribed by law, a person summoned for jury service who does not comply with the summons as required by law or who knowingly provides false information in a request for an exemption or to be excused from jury service is subject to a contempt action punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000.

Separately, a juror who was lawfully notified and fails to attend without a reasonable excuse, or files a false claim of exemption, faces a fine of $100 to $500 (§ 62.111). Every written summons must warn you about the contempt penalty (§ 62.0131).

Paying a fine doesn't get you out of serving. Tarrant County's jury office notes that a fine, and sometimes jail time, can be imposed, but the jury service is still rescheduled for a later date. It also says it sends a failure-to-appear notice before taking any action, so the fix for a missed date is to call the jury office right away.

Your first day

Every county runs its own process, so read your summons first. Some typical steps:

• Respond online if you can. Many counties let you answer the questionnaire, claim exemptions and ask for a postponement online or by phone (§ 62.0111). In Tarrant County you must register online at least two business days ahead, and reporting instructions usually arrive by email a day or two before your date.
• Know where you're going. Check the courthouse address and juror parking before the day. Free parking for jurors is common; avoid meters, since you don't know how long you'll stay.
• Dress for court. Judges may bar shorts, sleeveless shirts, sandals and hats. Dress comfortably and bring a sweater; courthouses can be cold.
• Bring money and something to read. You may pay for parking or lunch up front, and there will be waiting.
• Expect security screening. Pocketknives, knitting needles and weapons aren't allowed.
• Phones off. You'll likely be asked to turn off your phone in the jury room and courtroom.
• Proof for your employer. Ask the jury office for proof of service. In Tarrant County, the top of your juror check verifies your service for work.

Most people summoned are never seated on a jury. The selection process often takes a day or less; if you are chosen, the judge and lawyers can usually estimate how long the trial will run. Your answers on the juror questionnaire are confidential and are shared only with the judge, court staff and the lawyers in your case, with limited sharing for voter registration (§ 62.0132).

Grand jury service

Grand juries decide whether criminal charges go to trial. Grand jurors must meet nearly the same qualifications as trial jurors. They also can't be closely related to another grand juror, can't have served on a grand jury in the past year, and can't be a complainant in a matter the grand jury will hear (Code Crim. Proc. art. 19A.101). The court may exempt people 75 or older, caregivers of children under 18 who would be left without supervision, high school and college students, and anyone else with a reasonable excuse (art. 19A.105). Grand jurors are paid under the same § 61.001 minimums, and a county may set a different rate for them.

Jury duty scams

Scammers call claiming to be deputies or constables, say you missed jury duty, and demand payment by prepaid card to clear a warrant. Texas courts don't work that way. Tarrant County's jury office says it would never call you to pay a fine for missing jury service, that no warning call comes before a warrant, and that courts don't let anyone pay a fine instead of serving. Don't give the caller personal information; report it to your local police. The Texas Judicial Branch also warns about scam text messages posing as courts, and the federal courts keep a juror scam warning.

Recent and pending changes

• H.B. 3474 (2023), effective September 1, 2023. Raised the minimum juror pay from $6 to $20 for the first day and from $40 to $58 for later days, and raised the state's reimbursement to counties.
• H.B. 2015 (2023), effective September 1, 2023. Raised the age exemption from 70 to 75.
• H.B. 2637 (2025), effective September 1, 2025. Changed the age exemption to 75 or older (it had read over 75), renumbered the qualifications in § 62.102, and revised how exemptions are claimed and how disqualified jurors are reported. It applies to people summoned on or after that date.
• H.B. 4749 (2025), effective September 1, 2025. Lets residents of a neighboring county in the same judicial district serve in counties with fewer than 1,000 people.
• H.B. 16 (2025, second called session), effective December 4, 2025. Made further changes to the age-75 and medical exemption procedures, including sending notice of a permanent age exemption to the district clerk rather than the Secretary of State.

We found no jury bills pending as of November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does jury duty pay in Texas?

Counties must pay at least $20 for the first day and at least $58 for each later day, under Government Code § 61.001. Each county sets its own rate, so some may pay more, and a judge can raise the rate for a specific trial with the parties' consent. There is no statewide mileage payment, but many counties offer free parking or other help.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in Texas?

No. Texas law bars employers from firing, threatening, intimidating or coercing a permanent employee for serving on a jury. An employee who is wronged can win reinstatement, damages of one to five years' pay and attorney's fees, but must sue within two years of serving. Your employer doesn't have to pay you for the time you spend at court.

How do I get out of jury duty in Texas?

Check the exemptions in Government Code § 62.106. You can claim one if you are 75 or older, have custody of a child under 12 who would be left unsupervised, are a student, are a primary caretaker, recently served in a large county, or are deployed on active military duty. Otherwise, ask the judge for an excuse under oath, or request your one automatic postponement of up to six months.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Texas?

A person who ignores a summons can be held in contempt and fined $100 to $1,000, and a juror who fails to attend without a reasonable excuse can be fined $100 to $500. A fine doesn't replace service; you'll still be rescheduled. If you missed your date, contact the jury office quickly.

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

There's no fixed limit on summonses, but recent service can exempt you. In counties of at least 200,000 people you can claim an exemption if you served in the past 24 months, and in counties of at least 250,000 if you served in the past three years. Anyone who served six days in the past three months in county court, or six months in district court, is disqualified for now.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Texas?

There's no maximum age, but anyone 75 or older may claim an exemption. You can also ask the district clerk to exempt you permanently on that ground, and you can withdraw that request later if you want to serve again. Before September 1, 2023, the age was 70.

Where these rules live

• Gov't Code § 62.102 — qualifications
• Gov't Code § 62.106 — exemptions
• Gov't Code § 62.108 — permanent exemption at 75
• Gov't Code § 62.110 — judicial excuses
• Gov't Code § 62.0143 — postponement
• Gov't Code § 61.001 — juror pay
• Gov't Code § 62.0141 — failure to answer a summons
• Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code ch. 122 — juror's right to reemployment
• Code Crim. Proc. ch. 19A — grand juries
• Texas Judicial Branch: Jury Service in Texas

For the rules that govern Texas civil trials themselves, see the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Other Texas guides: divorce in Texas and Texas law schools. To compare states, visit the jury duty hub.