In California, a felony conviction no longer bars you from jury service for life. Since January 1, 2020, you can serve on a jury after a felony as long as you have finished your sentence and are no longer under any form of court-ordered supervision. Three situations still disqualify you: current incarceration, active felony supervision, and a requirement to register as a sex offender based on a felony.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 203
The change came through Senate Bill 310, which amended Section 203 of the Code of Civil Procedure.2Superior Court of California, County of Del Norte. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 203 – Senate Bill 310 Before that, any felony conviction was a permanent bar. Now, a past felony alone is not a reason to strike you from a jury pool. If a summons arrives and your sentence is fully behind you, you are expected to respond and serve.
Who Still Cannot Serve
Section 203 keeps three categories of people off California juries:
- Anyone currently incarcerated in a prison or jail.
- Anyone on active felony supervision, including parole, post-release community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision.
- Anyone required to register as a sex offender under Penal Code Section 290 based on a felony conviction.
The first two bars are temporary. Once you are released from custody or discharged from supervision, they lift on their own and you become eligible. The sex-offender registration bar is different. It lasts as long as the registration requirement itself, which can extend well past the end of a sentence.
What Counts as Felony Supervision
The four supervision categories are worth knowing because each has its own end date. Parole is state-level supervision after a prison term, run by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Post-release community supervision, created by the 2011 realignment, covers people released from prison for non-violent, non-serious, non-sexual felonies and is handled by the county probation department. Felony probation is a community sentence served in lieu of prison, also supervised at the county level. Mandated supervision is a split-sentence arrangement where a judge orders county supervision to follow a jail term for certain felonies. Any one of them keeps you off a jury until it ends.
If you are not sure whether your supervision has officially ended, ask your probation or parole officer and get documentation of the discharge date before you respond to a summons.
Federal Jury Duty Is a Separate Question
A summons from a federal court is governed by federal law, not by SB 310. Under 28 U.S.C. Section 1865, anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison is disqualified from federal jury service unless their civil rights have been restored.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service
For most California convictions, that restoration happens automatically. Voting rights come back as a matter of law once you are no longer imprisoned or on parole,4Justia Law. California Constitution Article II Section 4 and SB 310 restores jury eligibility on the same basic timeline. Together, that generally meets the federal standard.
Out-of-state and federal convictions are harder. The federal statute looks at whether your rights were restored in the jurisdiction that convicted you, not the state you live in now.5United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses If your conviction came from a state that does not automatically restore rights, you may need a formal restoration order or a pardon. For a federal conviction, restoration typically requires a presidential pardon or a court order setting the conviction aside.6United States District Court, District of Nebraska. What If I Have a Prior Conviction for a Felony and Do Not Know if My Right to Serve on a Jury Has Been Restored
Answering the Summons
The juror questionnaire that arrives with your summons is signed under penalty of perjury. It asks directly about felony convictions and current supervision, usually with a question along the lines of whether you have been convicted of a felony and are currently on parole, post-release community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision.
If your sentence and any supervision are finished, the accurate answer is no, and you are eligible. If you are still under supervision, the accurate answer is yes, and the court will excuse you for now. If you don’t know where your supervision stands, ask before you sign anything.
What Happens If You Skip It or Lie
Ignoring the summons brings escalating fines: up to $250 for a first violation, $750 for a second, and $1,500 for a third. A judge can also hold you in contempt, which allows a fine, jail time, or both.
Lying on the questionnaire is much worse. Because you sign under penalty of perjury, false answers can support a perjury charge. Perjury in California is a felony punishable by two, three, or four years in state prison.7California Legislative Information. California Penal Code Section 126 If you are unsure about your eligibility, call the jury commissioner’s office listed on the summons rather than guessing on the form.