What to do with a jury summons
Read it, respond by the deadline, and follow the court's instructions. Real courts mostly contact you by mail and never ask for sensitive information by phone or email.
You'll need
- The summons
- Your calendar
Do it like this
- Read the whole summons. It says which court, when, and how to respond. Most summonses come from state courts, which set their own rules.
- For a federal summons, complete the juror qualification questionnaire online through the district court's eJuror system (U.S. Courts).
- If you have a hardship, ask for a deferral or excuse the way the summons explains. Many courts allow temporary deferrals (U.S. Courts).
- Tell your employer right away and give them a copy.
Watch out. Calls or emails threatening jail for missing jury duty and asking for personal data are scams. Don't share anything; contact the court's clerk directly (U.S. Courts).
If it doesn't work
- Got a suspicious call? Federal courts don't ask for sensitive information by phone or email (U.S. Courts).
- Missed the deadline? Call the clerk's office listed on the summons as soon as you can.
- Worried about your job? Federal law forbids firing a permanent employee because of federal jury service (U.S. Courts).
Good to know
Who can serve
Federal jurors must be at least 18 and meet other requirements (U.S. Courts).
Pay
Federal jurors get $50 a day plus some travel reimbursement (U.S. Courts). State pay varies.
Your paycheck
Federal law doesn't require employers to keep paying you during jury service, so check your company's policy (U.S. Courts).
Sources
- U.S. Courts Jury service
- U.S. Courts Juror scams
- U.S. Courts Juror qualifications, exemptions and excuses
- U.S. Courts Juror pay
Lesson L8.1 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed. See a mistake?
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