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Jury Duty in Connecticut

Who can be excused from jury duty in Connecticut, what happens if you skip it, juror pay, and whether your employer must let you serve.

Short answer: Jurors must be 18 or older. A person 75 or older may choose not to serve and may ask the Jury Administrator to be left off the summons list. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 51-217, 51-217a

Who can be excused from jury dutyJurors must be 18 or older. A person 75 or older may choose not to serve and may ask the Jury Administrator to be left off the summons list. Also disqualified: people convicted of a felony within the past three years, with a pending felony case or in Correction custody; people unable to speak and understand English; people with a physical or mental disability that prevents satisfactory service (a letter from a licensed health care provider is required); certain top state officials and judges; and legislators while the General Assembly is in session. A person who served (and was not excused) in the past three jury years is excused unless they ask to serve, and the Jury Administrator or the court may excuse a juror for extreme hardship.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 51-217, 51-217a
Penalty for skipping jury dutyA summoned juror who fails to appear is subject to a civil penalty in an amount set by the Chief Court Administrator, though the court may excuse the juror from paying it. The same applies to people summoned as substitute jurors (talesmen) who fail to appear without sufficient cause. The Attorney General enforces these penalties.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-237
Jury duty pay and your jobAn employer may not fire, threaten or coerce an employee for receiving a jury summons, responding to it or serving; an employer who does is guilty of criminal contempt, punishable by a fine of not more than $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both. A fired employee may sue within 90 days for lost wages (up to ten weeks) and reinstatement, plus attorney's fees. Employers must pay a full-time employee's regular wages for the first five days of jury service (unless a court excuses the employer for extreme financial hardship), and eight hours of jury duty counts as a full workday. From the sixth day on, the state pays jurors $50 per day; during the first five days, part-time and unemployed jurors are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses including 20 cents a mile, at $20 to $50 per day.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 51-247, 51-247a, 51-247c

More Connecticut criminal law

FAQ

Who is exempt from jury duty in Connecticut?
Jurors must be 18 or older. A person 75 or older may choose not to serve and may ask the Jury Administrator to be left off the summons list. Also disqualified: people convicted of a felony within the past three years, with a pending felony case or in Correction custody; people unable to speak and understand English; people with a physical or mental disability that prevents satisfactory service (a letter from a licensed health care provider is required); certain top state officials and judges; and legislators while the General Assembly is in session. A person who served (and was not excused) in the past three jury years is excused unless they ask to serve, and the Jury Administrator or the court may excuse a juror for extreme hardship.
What happens if you miss jury duty in Connecticut?
A summoned juror who fails to appear is subject to a civil penalty in an amount set by the Chief Court Administrator, though the court may excuse the juror from paying it. The same applies to people summoned as substitute jurors (talesmen) who fail to appear without sufficient cause. The Attorney General enforces these penalties.
Does your employer have to let you serve on a jury in Connecticut?
An employer may not fire, threaten or coerce an employee for receiving a jury summons, responding to it or serving; an employer who does is guilty of criminal contempt, punishable by a fine of not more than $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both. A fired employee may sue within 90 days for lost wages (up to ten weeks) and reinstatement, plus attorney's fees. Employers must pay a full-time employee's regular wages for the first five days of jury service (unless a court excuses the employer for extreme financial hardship), and eight hours of jury duty counts as a full workday. From the sixth day on, the state pays jurors $50 per day; during the first five days, part-time and unemployed jurors are reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses including 20 cents a mile, at $20 to $50 per day.

Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.

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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.