If you’ve been summoned for Broward County jury duty, you report to the 17th Judicial Circuit courthouse in Fort Lauderdale under a one-day/one-trial system: your obligation ends at the close of that day unless you’re seated on a trial. Florida law makes showing up mandatory, and ignoring the summons can bring a fine of up to $100 plus a contempt-of-court finding.1The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.23 – Penalties
Who Has to Serve
Florida pulls jury pools from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles database, so anyone with a Florida driver license or state ID is in the pool. To actually qualify, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen, and a legal resident of Broward County.2The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.01 – Qualifications of Jurors
Some people are disqualified outright. You can’t serve if you’re currently facing criminal charges, or if you have a felony conviction and your civil rights haven’t been restored. Sitting judges, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, Cabinet officers, and clerks of court are also barred.3The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.013 – Persons Disqualified or Excused From Jury Service
Postponing or Being Excused
Your summons carries a Juror Identification Number and a report date. Respond online through the Broward Clerk of Court’s jury services portal by logging in with the ID and your date of birth to complete a qualification questionnaire. That same questionnaire handles postponement and excusal requests.4Broward County Clerk of Courts. Jury Services
Every juror is entitled to one postponement, which pushes service to another date within six months. Submit the request to Jury Administration before your report date.5Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Jury Duty in Broward County
Florida statute lists specific groups who can ask to be excused from a particular summons:
- People 70 or older, who can request a one-time excusal or a permanent excusal in writing that covers all future summonses.
- Expectant mothers, on request.
- A parent who is not employed full-time and has custody of a child under six.
- A person responsible for someone who cannot care for themselves because of mental illness, intellectual disability, or other incapacity.
- Full-time federal, state, or local law enforcement officers and investigative personnel, unless they choose to serve.
- Full-time students aged 18 to 21 at a high school, state university, Florida College System institution, private postsecondary school, or career center.
- A woman who gave birth within the six months before the report date.
Claiming an excusal means sending supporting documentation to Jury Administration. Medical excusals generally need a signed statement from a licensed physician. A judge can also excuse practicing attorneys, practicing physicians, or anyone who is physically infirm.3The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.013 – Persons Disqualified or Excused From Jury Service
Outside those categories, you can still ask to be excused for hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity. The statute leaves those terms undefined, so the court decides case by case. If you’ve already served on a Broward County jury during the current calendar year, you don’t have to serve again.5Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Jury Duty in Broward County
Where to Report and What to Bring
Jurors report to the Broward County Judicial Complex at 201 SE 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Free reserved parking is in the adjacent garage, with a covered walkway from the third floor into the courthouse. Full-size vans, RVs, and other high-clearance vehicles can’t fit in the garage. Give yourself an extra half hour for parking.4Broward County Clerk of Courts. Jury Services
Everyone entering the complex goes through metal-detector screening, and any carried items go through an X-ray machine. Pocket knives, scissors, mace, and other hazardous items are prohibited and won’t be held for you, so leave them at home or in the car. Bring your summons and your parking ticket for validation. Business casual is the suggested dress code. Cell phones are usually fine in the jury assembly room; once you’re inside a courtroom, the presiding judge sets the rules.
How Long You’ll Be There
Under the one-day/one-trial system, you show up on your report date and stay available for possible selection. If you aren’t picked by the end of the day, you’re done. If you are seated on a trial, or you’re mid-selection when the day ends, you continue until the trial concludes or the judge releases you.5Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Jury Duty in Broward County The average Broward County jury trial runs about three days.
If your name is called from the pool, you’ll go through voir dire, where attorneys for both sides ask questions to identify bias, personal connections to the case, or anything else that could keep a juror from being fair. Expect open-ended questions about your background and views. Attorneys can strike you for cause when they can articulate a specific reason to the judge, and there’s no cap on those. Each side also has a limited number of peremptory strikes, which don’t require a reason but can’t be used to exclude jurors based on race or gender.6United States Courts. Participate in the Judicial Process – Rule of Law
Pay and Your Job
Court pay is modest. If you’re unemployed or your employer isn’t continuing your wages, the clerk pays $15 per day for the first three days. Jurors whose employers keep paying regular wages receive nothing from the court for those first three days. Starting on day four, every juror gets $30 per day regardless of employment status.7The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.24 – Compensation of Jurors
Broward County goes further than most Florida counties. A local ordinance requires employers to pay full-time employees their regular wages during jury service for up to five working days. Full-time under the ordinance means regularly scheduled for at least 35 hours per week. To qualify, hand your supervisor a copy of the summons at least five working days before service starts. Your employer can deduct the statutory jury fee from your regular pay but cannot withhold wages entirely, and the protection applies even when your usual shift falls outside jury hours.
State law separately makes it illegal for any employer to fire you because of the nature or length of your jury service. An employer who even threatens termination over jury duty can be held in contempt of court. A juror who is actually dismissed can sue for compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.8The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.271 – Jury Service
If You Don’t Show Up
A jury summons is a court order. Fail to appear without a valid excuse and the court can impose a fine of up to $100, plus a contempt-of-court finding that can bring additional penalties, including a mandatory court appearance.1The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.23 – Penalties Broward County often sends a follow-up notice before pursuing penalties, but counting on that is a gamble. If your date genuinely doesn’t work, use the one-time postponement or file an excusal request rather than ignore the summons.