You can be excused from federal jury duty for a medical condition, serious financial hardship, caregiving responsibilities you can’t shift, age 70 or older, recent prior federal jury service, or another situation the court finds would cause undue hardship or extreme inconvenience. To request a jury duty excuse, respond to your summons before the deadline printed on it, check the appropriate box on the qualification questionnaire, and attach documentation that matches the reason you’re giving.1United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses
Grounds Federal Courts Will Accept
The Jury Selection and Service Act lets courts excuse jurors who would face “undue hardship or extreme inconvenience” if required to serve. Judges and clerks apply that standard case by case, so the strength of your request depends on how clearly your situation fits one of the recognized categories and how well you document it.1United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses
Medical Conditions
Chronic illness, physical disabilities that make sitting through long proceedings impractical, and mental health conditions that would impair your participation all qualify. The condition has to actually prevent you from serving, not just make it uncomfortable. A mild mobility issue is something courts routinely accommodate; a condition requiring frequent treatment that conflicts with daily court attendance is a different matter. You’ll need a signed letter from your physician describing the condition, explaining why it prevents service, and saying whether the limitation is permanent or temporary.
Financial Hardship
Federal jurors are paid $50 per day.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1871 – Fees For a self-employed person, a sole proprietor, or the only income earner in a household, a multi-day trial can create real financial strain. Courts recognize this, especially for small business owners who have no one to cover operations in their absence. The bar is substantial loss, not inconvenience. Expect to supply pay stubs, an employer letter, or self-employment records showing the income you’d lose and the lack of a substitute.
Caregiving Responsibilities
If you’re the primary caregiver for a young child, an elderly family member, or a person with a disability, and you can’t arrange alternative care during the trial period, you can ask to be excused. Nursing mothers don’t have a separate federal statutory excuse, but most courts handle breastfeeding requests under the general hardship framework and often grant deferrals of up to a year. You’ll need records of your dependent’s care needs and an explanation of why alternative care isn’t available.
Age 70 or Older
Most federal district courts allow people aged 70 and older to request a permanent excuse from the jury pool.1United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses It isn’t automatic. You still have to respond to the summons and ask, but the request is routinely granted, and your date of birth on the questionnaire is usually enough.
Recent Federal Jury Service
If you’ve served on a federal jury within the past two years, most districts will excuse you permanently from the current summons.1United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses Volunteer firefighters and rescue squad members are commonly offered a permanent excuse as well.
Students
Full-time enrollment is not an automatic exemption. Courts will usually work with students to shift service to a break between terms rather than force a conflict with exams. If you’re a student, ask for a deferral to a specific later date instead of a full excuse. Approval is much easier.
Excuse or Deferral: Ask for the Right One
An excuse releases you from service entirely, either permanently or for the current term. A deferral postpones you to a later date. Courts strongly prefer deferrals for temporary problems: a scheduled vacation, a busy stretch at work, a college semester, recovery from surgery with a clear end point, non-refundable travel booked before the summons arrived. Save the full-excuse request for situations where serving at any point would be impractical or impossible. Asking for a deferral when a deferral is what fits your situation reads as good faith and gets approved more often than an overreach for a complete release.
Who Doesn’t Need to Ask at All
Some people are either disqualified from federal jury service or automatically exempt, which means the hardship excuse process doesn’t apply to them.
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1865, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a resident of the judicial district for at least one year, and able to read, write, speak, and understand English well enough to complete the qualification form and follow trial proceedings. A pending charge for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, or a prior conviction for such a crime without restored civil rights, disqualifies you. A physical or mental condition that makes you incapable of satisfactory jury service is a statutory disqualification you simply note on your questionnaire; you don’t have to request it as a hardship.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service
Three groups are automatically exempt under 28 U.S.C. § 1863(b)(6): active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces, members of state or local fire or police departments, and public officers in the executive, legislative, or judicial branches actively performing official duties. If you fall into one of these categories, check the exemption box on the questionnaire.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1863 – Plan for Random Jury Selection
How to Submit the Request
Your summons tells you exactly how to respond. Most federal courts now run an online eJuror portal where you can complete the questionnaire and upload documents. You can also mail the completed form and supporting materials to the Clerk of Court at the address printed on the summons, and some courts accept fax.
Write a clear, specific explanation in the space provided. Vague descriptions like “medical reasons” with no doctor’s letter get denied. Match the paperwork to the claim:
- Medical: a signed physician’s letter stating the condition, explaining why it prevents service, and indicating whether the limitation is permanent or temporary (with an estimated date you could serve if temporary).
- Financial: pay stubs, an employer letter, or self-employment records showing substantial lost income with no substitute available.
- Caregiving: records of the dependent’s care needs and a statement explaining why no alternative is available during the service period.
- Pre-planned travel: copies of non-refundable reservations purchased before the summons arrived. This usually produces a deferral, not an excuse.
- Age: your date of birth, usually already on the questionnaire.
Respond as soon as possible after you get the summons rather than waiting until the week before your report date. Missing the printed deadline can get you marked non-responsive even if your underlying excuse is strong. After submitting, check the court’s website or call the automated juror line to confirm receipt. The court will notify you of its decision by mail or email.
What Happens If You Ignore the Summons
Do not put the summons in a drawer. A federal court can order you to appear and explain why you failed to respond, and under 28 U.S.C. § 1866 the penalties for failing to show good cause are a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, community service, or any combination of those.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels State penalties vary but follow the same pattern of fines, contempt findings, and, in cases of repeated no-shows, a bench warrant. Most courts send a reminder before escalating, but counting on being overlooked is a bad bet when responding (even to ask to be excused) is simple.
Your Job and Your Pay While You Serve
If your excuse is denied and you have to serve, federal law protects your job. An employer cannot fire, threaten, intimidate, or coerce you because of federal jury service, whether you’ve already attended, are scheduled to attend, or might be called. A violation exposes the employer to liability for lost wages and benefits, a reinstatement order, a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation per employee, and possible community service. If you’ve been retaliated against, you can apply to the federal district court directly, and the court will appoint counsel if it finds probable merit.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1875 – Protection of Jurors Employment Many states offer similar protections for state court service, and some require employers to pay wages during service.
Federal law does not require your employer to keep paying your salary during jury service, though many employers do.7United States Courts. Juror Pay The court pays $50 per day, plus a mileage-based travel allowance. If a trial runs longer than ten days, the judge can raise the daily fee by up to $10 for each additional day.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1871 – Fees