Jury duty pay in Connecticut depends on how you’re employed and how long you serve. For the first five days, full-time employees receive their regular wages from their employer, while part-time and unemployed jurors receive $20 to $50 per day from the state. Starting on the sixth day, the state pays every juror a flat $50 per day, regardless of employment status.1Justia. Connecticut Code 51-247 – Compensation of Jurors
The First Five Days: Full-Time vs. Everyone Else
Connecticut law draws a sharp line based on your work situation. If you hold a position that normally requires 30 or more hours per week and isn’t temporary or casual, your employer must pay your regular wages for the first five days of jury service.1Justia. Connecticut Code 51-247 – Compensation of Jurors You earn what you would have earned on a normal workday, not a flat stipend.
If you work fewer than 30 hours per week, hold a temporary or casual position, or are unemployed, you don’t get employer-paid wages. Instead, the state reimburses you for out-of-pocket expenses tied to your service, at a rate of $20 to $50 per day. Food costs are excluded.1Justia. Connecticut Code 51-247 – Compensation of Jurors
One detail catches full-time employees off guard: if jury duty falls on a scheduled day off, your employer doesn’t owe you wages for that day. You’d fall back on the state reimbursement instead.1Justia. Connecticut Code 51-247 – Compensation of Jurors
Pay Starting on the Sixth Day
From day six forward, the state takes over payment for every juror at a flat rate of $50 per day. Full-time, part-time, unemployed — everyone gets the same amount.1Justia. Connecticut Code 51-247 – Compensation of Jurors Jurors on state pay at this stage aren’t entitled to any additional expense reimbursement.
Most Connecticut jury service wraps up within a few days. For trials that stretch into weeks, though, dropping from full wages to $50 per day can hit hard, especially for higher earners. The statute contains no mechanism for the state to make up the difference between your normal pay and $50.
Mileage and Expenses
Part-time and unemployed jurors receiving the $20 to $50 daily reimbursement during the first five days can include mileage in their out-of-pocket expenses. The statutory rate is $0.20 per mile, measured by the shortest route between your home and the courthouse.2Connecticut General Assembly. Chapter 884 – Jurors Mileage folds into the overall $50 daily cap; it isn’t paid on top.
Full-time employed jurors receiving their regular wages don’t receive separate mileage payments during the first five days. After day five, the flat $50 replaces any additional reimbursement, mileage included.1Justia. Connecticut Code 51-247 – Compensation of Jurors
What Self-Employed Jurors Receive
The statute defines a “full-time employed juror” as an employee holding a position of 30 or more hours per week.1Justia. Connecticut Code 51-247 – Compensation of Jurors If you’re self-employed, you have no employer obligated to pay your wages. That puts you in the same bucket as part-time and unemployed jurors: $20 to $50 per day from the state during the first five days, and $50 per day starting on day six. You cannot deduct lost business income on your tax return as a result of jury service.
If Your Employer Won’t Pay or Retaliates
Connecticut law makes it illegal for your employer to fire you, threaten you, or otherwise retaliate because you were summoned, responded, or served.3Justia. Connecticut Code 51-247a – Employer Not to Discharge Employee or Require Additional Hours Work for Jury Service Your employer also can’t force you to work extra hours to make up for time in court. Eight hours of jury duty in a day counts as a full legal workday.
Violations carry criminal contempt charges: a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both.4FindLaw. Connecticut General Statutes Title 51 Courts 51-247a On top of that, you have 90 days from the date of discharge to file a civil suit seeking reinstatement, up to ten weeks of lost wages, and attorney’s fees.
If an employer simply refuses to pay wages during the first five days, you can sue in Superior Court for damages. The court can award treble damages — three times your actual loss — along with attorney’s fees if the failure was willful.4FindLaw. Connecticut General Statutes Title 51 Courts 51-247a The statute expressly says financial hardship on the employer is not a defense.
Vacation and Sick Leave
The statute doesn’t explicitly say whether employers may charge jury duty time against your vacation or sick leave balance. Some employers try, and it’s worth checking your handbook or asking HR before service begins. A leave policy that effectively penalizes you for serving could raise questions under the broader anti-retaliation provision, but the statute doesn’t spell out a clear prohibition.
Taxes on Jury Pay
Jury duty pay is taxable income. Whether it comes from the state or the court, you report it on your federal return on Schedule 1, Line 8h of Form 1040.5IRS. 2025 Schedule 1 (Form 1040)
If your employer pays your full wages during jury duty and requires you to hand over the court-issued jury check, you still report that jury pay as income. You can then deduct the amount you turned over to your employer on Schedule 1, Line 24a, which zeroes it out so the same money isn’t taxed twice.5IRS. 2025 Schedule 1 (Form 1040) Reimbursements for expenses like parking and transportation are generally not taxable.