Jury summons in your mailbox?
Here’s what to do next, step by step.
How to respond, how to ask for a new date, what to tell your employer, what jurors are paid, and where your state’s official jury page is. Plain English, with sources.
Tools
Letters, pay, and official links
Postponement and excuse letter builder
Answer a few questions and get a clear, polite letter asking the court to postpone your service or excuse you, ready to print or paste.
Open →Letter to your employer
Tell your employer about your summons in writing, with your dates, a copy of the summons, and a question about pay during service.
Open →Juror pay calculator
Estimate federal juror pay ($50 a day, up to $60 after day 10 at the judge’s discretion) or enter your state’s daily rate, and compare it with your lost wages.
Open →State jury service directory
Links to the official jury service page for all 50 states and D.C., checked by us, with notes on where counties run their own jury offices.
Open →Federal juror pay. Trial jurors can get up to $60 a day after 10 days if the judge orders it.
U.S. CourtsCivil penalty per violation, per employee, for an employer who fires or intimidates a worker over federal jury service.
28 U.S.C. § 1875How federal courts mostly contact jurors. They never ask for sensitive information by phone or email.
U.S. Courts, juror scamsThe short version
Four things to do this week
- Check which court sent it. “United States District Court” means federal rules. Anything else means your state’s rules. Find your state’s official jury page.
- Answer the questionnaire by the deadline, honestly, through the court’s own portal or form.
- Ask for a new date now if the one on the summons won’t work. Don’t wait until the morning you’re due. Use the postponement letter builder.
- Tell your employer in writing. Your job is protected, but pay depends on your employer and state. Try the employer letter and the pay calculator.
Guides
Answers to the questions people actually ask
Got a jury summons? What to do, step by step
Check it's real, figure out which court sent it, answer the questionnaire, deal with work, and know how to ask for a new date.
Read →How to postpone jury duty
When you can ask for a new date, how courts usually handle deferral requests, and how to write one that's easy to approve.
Read →Who is exempt from jury duty?
Qualifications, exemptions, and excuses in federal court, and how state rules differ. Why age, occupation, and recent service matter.
Read →Missed your jury summons? What to do now
What can happen if you miss jury duty, the federal penalties in 28 U.S.C. § 1866(g), and why calling the court quickly matters.
Read →Jury duty scams: how to spot and report them
Scammers threaten fines or arrest for 'missed jury duty' and ask for payment or personal data. How real courts contact you, and where to report fakes.
Read →Federal vs. state jury duty: what's the difference?
How to tell which court summoned you, and how pay, exemptions, length of service, and employer rules differ between federal and state jury duty.
Read →Jury duty and your job: your rights and your employer's
Can you be fired for jury duty? What 28 U.S.C. § 1875 says for federal jurors, how state protections work, and whether you'll be paid.
Read →The juror qualification questionnaire, explained
What the jury questionnaire asks, why courts need it, how to answer it honestly, and what happens after you submit it.
Read →What happens at jury selection (voir dire)
From the jury assembly room to the courtroom: how voir dire works, what challenges are, and why being sent home isn't a judgment on you.
Read →We are not a court
Jury Duty Help is an independent guide. We can’t excuse you, postpone you, or look up your summons. Only the court that summoned you can do that. What we can do is explain the process in plain English, point you to the official source for your state, and help you write the letters you need. Read our editorial standards to see how we check each rule.
Featured partners
Services for jurors and employers
Free template · PDF
Jury Duty Employer Letter Template
Fill-in-the-blank letters for telling your employer about jury duty and for asking the court to postpone, plus a prep checklist.
- Letter to your employer (notice of jury service)
- Letter to the court asking for a postponement
- What to bring and what to ask the clerk
Free. We email you the download link, plus an occasional plain-English guide. Unsubscribe any time. We never sell your email. Privacy
Frequently asked questions
Can I postpone jury duty?
Usually yes. Most state and federal courts allow at least one postponement (often called a deferral) if you ask before your service date, using the method on your summons or the court's juror website. See our postponement guide and letter builder.
Can my employer fire me for going to jury duty?
Federal law protects permanent employees who serve on federal juries (28 U.S.C. § 1875), and most states have similar protections for state jury service. Whether your employer must pay you while you serve depends on your state and your employer's policy.
How much does jury duty pay?
Federal jurors receive $50 a day, set by 28 U.S.C. § 1871, and a judge may raise it to up to $60 after 10 days on a trial. State court pay varies widely by state and sometimes by county. Our juror pay calculator estimates federal pay or takes your state's daily rate and compares it with your lost wages.
Will the court call me and ask for money?
No. Courts do not call, text or email jurors demanding payment or gift cards for a missed summons. The federal courts warn that these calls are scams. Hang up and call the court using the number on its official website.