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

Vermont calls jurors from the county where they live, picking names at random by computer from lists that include registered voters and licensed drivers. If you're a U.S. citizen, 18 or older, live in the county, can read, write, understand and speak English, are able to serve, and haven't served a prison term in Vermont for a felony, you're qualified. Juries are used only in the Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Superior Court.

The headline numbers: jurors can ask for $30 a day ($15 for a day of four hours or less), but only if their employer isn't already paying them. Your employer doesn't have to pay you, but it can't fire or penalize you, and an employer who does faces a fine of up to $200. A juror who doesn't appear and has no satisfactory excuse can be assessed a civil penalty of up to $200. Unusually, Vermont has no automatic exemptions at all, not even for age.

The rules are in chapter 25 of Title 4 of the Vermont Statutes (4 V.S.A. §§ 952-963), with pay in 32 V.S.A. § 1511 and job protection in 21 V.S.A. § 499. Everything below is current as of November 2026.

Vermont jury duty at a glance

Who can serve

Section 962(a) of Title 4 sets the qualifications:

(a) A person shall be qualified for jury service if the person: (1) is a citizen of the United States who has attained the age of majority; (2) resides within the geographical jurisdiction of the court in which called to serve; (3) is able to read, write, understand, and speak the English language; (4) is capable, by reason of mental or physical condition, to render satisfactory jury service; and (5) has not served a term of imprisonment in this State after conviction of a felony.

A few points in plain terms:

• Age. The age of majority in Vermont is 18 (1 V.S.A. § 173).
• Your own county. You serve only in the county where you live.
• Felonies. The bar is narrow. A felony conviction alone doesn't disqualify you; serving a prison term in Vermont after one does.
• Prior service. The Judiciary also lists, as a qualification, not having served jury duty in a state court in the previous two years (Jury Services).

Where names come from. The Court Administrator may gather names, addresses and birth dates from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Labor, the Department of Taxes, the Department of Health and the Department for Children and Families, and voter names from the Secretary of State, and passes them to each court clerk without revealing the source (4 V.S.A. § 953). The jury lists must reflect the people of the area by age, sex, occupation, economic status and geography (§ 952). Each clerk files a new master list every two years, before July 1 (§ 954).

Answer the questionnaire within 14 days. You can fill it out online through the juror portal or mail it to the Jury Administration Office. The court reviews your answers and tells you if you're disqualified; if you're qualified, your summons gives your date.

Exemptions and excuses

Vermont excuses no one by category. Section 962(b) says so directly:

(b) No person shall be automatically excused from jury service; however, the presiding judge may excuse a person for all or part of the two-year period upon individual request showing undue hardship on the prospective juror or the employer.

That means no blanket exemption for doctors, police, lawyers, older people, parents or anyone else. Every excuse is an individual request decided by the judge. The Judiciary's jury page puts the age question plainly: "There is not an exemption based on age, but you may request to be excused if you have a hardship that would make it difficult to serve."

Reasons the court will consider. The Judiciary lists these grounds for asking to postpone or be excused:

• a mental or physical condition that would make it hard to serve (and the court will excuse anyone whose condition would keep them from serving);
• financial reasons;
• undue hardship to you or your employer;
• scheduled out-of-state travel or another serious conflict; and
• caring for another person.

How to ask. Send a detailed letter to the Jury Administration Office explaining your situation, as soon as you can, with supporting documents such as a note from a health care provider, travel reservations, or a student ID or class schedule. Without documentation, the request may be denied. You can make the request through the online questionnaire's dashboard (Request Schedule Change or Request Excuse, then Upload), in the "additional comments" section on page 4 of the paper questionnaire, by email to jury@vtcourts.gov, or by fax to 802-651-1959 (Jury Services). Chittenden's civil court notes that medical excuses get first priority and need a physician's note.

Accommodations. If you have special needs, tell the court clerk. Chittenden's civil court says hearing assistance devices can be made available.

Postponing jury duty

Postponement uses the same process as an excuse: a written request to the Jury Administration Office, with documentation, through the online dashboard ("Request Schedule Change"), the paper questionnaire, email or fax. The judge's power under § 962(b) covers "all or part of the two-year period," so a judge can excuse you from part of your term and leave the rest in place.

Courts also try to plan around you. Chittenden's civil court asks jurors to bring their calendars for the next three months, including planned vacations, to the jury draw, and says it always works with jurors around appointments, vacations and business hardship (Chittenden civil info sheet).

Questions go to the Jury Administration Office, 32 Cherry Street, Suite 350, Burlington, VT 05401-7305; phone 802-865-5879.

Juror pay

Pay is set in Title 32, the tax and finance title. Section 1511 reads:

There shall be allowed to grand and petit jurors in the Superior Court the following fees and expenses: (1) for attendance, $30.00 a day, on request, unless the jurors were otherwise compensated by their employer; (2) for each talesman, $30.00 a day, on request, unless the talesmen were otherwise compensated by their employer; and (3) upon request and upon a showing of hardship, reimbursement for expenses necessarily incurred for travel from home to court, and return, at the rate of reimbursement allowed State employees for travel under the terms of the prevailing collective bargaining agreement.

What that means:

• $30 a day, or $15 for a short day. Under the Judiciary's Administrative Directive 19, eligible jurors are paid $15 for up to four hours or $30 for more than four hours of service in a day (Jury Services).
• You must ask. The court gives you a form to request payment.
• No double pay. If your employer keeps paying you during jury duty, you can't also collect the juror fee.
• Mileage only for hardship. Travel costs are reimbursed only if you request it and show hardship, at the state employee rate. Parking rules vary by court; Chittenden's criminal court, for example, recently told jurors they must check in at the designated garage's kiosk to be reimbursed.
• Only days in court. Per diem is paid only for days you appear in court (§ 1512).
• Kept overnight. If the court keeps a jury together, the State pays for board and lodging (§ 1514).
• Grand jurors are paid at the same rate, and there's no separate long-trial rate.

Your job is protected

Section 499 of Title 21 protects jurors at work:

(a)(1) An employer shall not discharge an employee because of the employee’s service as a juror, or penalize the employee or deprive the employee of any right, privilege, or benefit in a manner that discriminates between the employee and other employees not serving as jurors.

And it treats your time on a jury as time on the job:

(2) All employees shall be considered in the service of their employer during all times while serving as jurors in accordance with this section for purposes of determining seniority, fringe benefits, credit toward vacations, and other rights, privileges, and benefits of employment.

Three things follow:

1. No firing or penalty. Your employer can't fire you, penalize you, or take away rights or benefits because you served.
2. Seniority and benefits keep running. Jury days count toward seniority, fringe benefits and vacation credit as if you were at work.
3. Your employer needn't pay you. The Judiciary says your employer must give you time off but isn't required to compensate you. Check your employer's jury duty policy; if it pays you, you won't get the $30 fee.

An employer who violates the section "shall be fined not more than $200.00" (21 V.S.A. § 499(c)). The same protections cover employees summoned as witnesses. The statute doesn't set out a separate lawsuit for lost wages; if your employer retaliates, contact the Jury Administration Office or a lawyer.

What happens if you don't show up

Section 958 of Title 4 sets the penalty:

A juror who does not appear after being summoned, and does not submit an excuse satisfactory to the court in which the juror was summoned to appear, shall be assessed a civil penalty by the presiding judge of not more than $200.00. The prospective juror may be excused from paying the assessment for good cause shown or in the interests of justice.

It's a civil penalty, not a crime, and the judge can waive it for good cause. Ignoring the questionnaire is handled differently. If you don't return it within 14 days, the clerk may summon you to come in and fill it out. If you then don't appear, the judge orders you to show cause, and failing that you can be held in contempt. Lying on the questionnaire to get out of, or onto, a jury can bring a fine of up to $50 (4 V.S.A. § 961).

If an emergency comes up, call the court right away; in Chittenden's civil court, the number is 802-863-3467.

Your first day

The Jury Services page and each court's reporting page give the practical details:

• Check the night before. After 5:00 p.m. the day before your date, call the jury phone line on the front of your summons or check the court's reporting instructions online. The recorded message tells you whether you're needed.
• Bring your summons. You'll scan it when you arrive to register your attendance.
• Expect security. Everyone passes through a metal detector or screening. Weapons of any kind, including knives and personal protection sprays, aren't allowed.
• The jury draw. In many courts, the whole panel meets at a "jury draw" for a day or two to be assigned to trials. Chittenden's civil court holds one about every three months; staff give an orientation, the judge speaks, and the rest of the day is spent drawing juries. Plan to stay until at least 4:30 p.m.
• The typical day. A jury day normally runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., though trials sometimes run later. Lunch is usually an hour; you can go out or eat in the jury room.
• Bring something to read. Cases often settle at the last minute, sometimes after jurors arrive, so there's waiting.
• Phones off in court. All electronic devices must be turned off while court is in session. No childcare is available.
• During trial. Be on time, don't research the case or the lawyers online, don't post about it, and tell the court officer if anyone contacts you about it.
• Orientation video. The Judiciary has an 18-minute video on jury service in Vermont, linked from its Jury Services page.

Grand jury service

Grand juries are rare in Vermont, but each Superior Court can call one. As the judges direct, the clerk summons 18 "judicious persons" from the county to serve as grand jurors (4 V.S.A. § 959). Grand jurors get the same $30 a day under 32 V.S.A. § 1511, and if a grand jury is kept together during an investigation, the State pays board and lodging.

Jury duty scams

The Judiciary warns of callers who say they're with the Sheriff's Office, claim you missed jury duty, demand a fine and threaten a warrant. Its Jury Services page says:

Do not provide your social security number, credit card number, or mother’s maiden name over the phone. The court will never call to ask you for this information.

If you get a call like that, hang up and contact law enforcement (Jury Services; see also the federal courts' juror scam warning).

Recent and pending changes

No bill with "jury" or "juror" in its title was introduced in the 2025-2026 session, and no act of that session amended the jury, juror-pay or juror-protection statutes. So as of November 2026 Vermont still has no age exemption and pays $30 a day. A new Legislature convenes in January 2027.

Frequently asked questions

How much does jury duty pay in Vermont?

Vermont pays jurors $30 a day, or $15 for a day of four hours or less, but only if you request it and only if your employer isn't paying you for that time. Travel costs are reimbursed only if you ask and show hardship. Your employer doesn't have to pay your wages.

Can my employer fire me for jury duty in Vermont?

No. An employer can't fire you, penalize you, or take away rights or benefits because you served, and your jury days count toward seniority, benefits and vacation credit. An employer who breaks the law can be fined up to $200. Your employer doesn't have to pay you while you serve.

How do I get out of jury duty in Vermont?

No one is excused automatically in Vermont, whatever their job or age. You can ask the presiding judge to excuse or postpone you for undue hardship, such as a medical condition, caregiving, financial strain, travel or a serious conflict. Send a detailed request with documents to the Jury Administration Office, online, by mail, email or fax, as soon as you can.

What happens if I miss jury duty in Vermont?

If you don't appear and don't give the court a satisfactory excuse, the judge can assess a civil penalty of up to $200, which can be waived for good cause. Failing to return the questionnaire can lead to an order to appear and, ultimately, contempt of court. If something comes up, call the court before your reporting time.

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

Your name can't be placed on a venire more than once in any two-year period. Within that term you can be called for jury selection up to three times and to sit on a trial up to three times. Once you've served, the court won't summon you again for at least two years; if it does, tell the court.

Is there an age limit for jury duty in Vermont?

You must be 18. There's no upper age limit and no exemption based on age, although you can ask to be excused for a hardship, including a health condition. A 2024 bill to let people 70 and older opt out did not pass.

Where these rules live

• 4 V.S.A. § 962 — Qualifications; no automatic excuses
• 4 V.S.A. § 953 — Sources of names; two-year rule
• 4 V.S.A. § 963 — Term of service
• 4 V.S.A. § 958 — Failure to appear
• 4 V.S.A. § 961 — Questionnaire; misrepresentation
• 4 V.S.A. § 959 — Grand jurors
• 32 V.S.A. § 1511 — Juror pay and travel
• 21 V.S.A. § 499 — Employer protection
• Jury Services (Vermont Judiciary)
• V.R.C.P. 47 — Jurors, in Vermont's civil rules on this site
• Law schools in Vermont