Jury Duty in Massachusetts

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

Short answer: Massachusetts has no job- or status-based exemptions; you are disqualified only for one of 10 statutory reasons. They include: not a U.S. citizen or Massachusetts resident; under 18; M.G.L. c. 234A, §4 (as stated by the Office of Jury Commissioner)

Who can be excused from jury duty	Massachusetts has no job- or status-based exemptions; you are disqualified only for one of 10 statutory reasons. They include: not a U.S. citizen or Massachusetts resident; under 18; 70 or older and choosing not to serve (you can ask online or on the Juror Confirmation Card to be permanently removed from the list); unable to speak and understand English; a mental or physical disability with a doctor's note; being the sole caregiver of a permanently disabled person in your household, with a doctor's letter (not available if you work outside the home); a felony conviction in the last 7 years, a pending felony charge, or being in custody; or having served as a state or federal juror in the last 3 years. Other hardships are raised with a judge on the day you report, or in rare cases in writing to the Office of Jury Commissioner at least 30 days before your date. this is from the official Massachusetts court page, not the statute itself. Hardship excuse: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/asking-to-be-excused-from-jury-duty Source: M.G.L. c. 234A, §4 (as stated by the Office of Jury Commissioner)
Penalty for skipping jury duty	If you ignore a jury summons or miss your date, you become a delinquent juror. The Office of Jury Commissioner first sends a Failure to Appear notice, then a Notice of Delinquency; if you still do not respond, you receive notice of a show-cause hearing on an application for a criminal complaint. If you skip that hearing, a criminal complaint issues and you are summoned for arraignment, and if you miss the arraignment the court may issue a warrant for your arrest. this is from the official Massachusetts court page, not the statute itself. The fine amount in the statute was not read. Source: Office of Jury Commissioner, delinquency process
Jury duty pay and your job	Employers must pay full-time, part-time, temporary and casual employees their regular wages for work missed during the first 3 days of jury service; after that the state pays jurors $50 per day, and an employer that keeps paying may require the juror to turn over the state payment. A court may excuse an employer from paying if it would cause extreme financial hardship, and self-employed or out-of-state-employed jurors can ask a judge for up to $50 per day for the first 3 days. An employer may not fire an employee for jury service, give mandatory assignments that interfere with it, force the employee to reschedule or use vacation or personal days, or harass or deny benefits because of it. this is from the official Massachusetts court page, not the statute itself. See also https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-employment-obligations-during-jury-duty and https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-employment-leave-for-jury-duty Source: M.G.L. c. 234A, §49; Office of Jury Commissioner juror pay and employment pages

More Massachusetts criminal law

FAQ

Who is exempt from jury duty in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has no job- or status-based exemptions; you are disqualified only for one of 10 statutory reasons. They include: not a U.S. citizen or Massachusetts resident; under 18; 70 or older and choosing not to serve (you can ask online or on the Juror Confirmation Card to be permanently removed from the list); unable to speak and understand English; a mental or physical disability with a doctor's note; being the sole caregiver of a permanently disabled person in your household, with a doctor's letter (not available if you work outside the home); a felony conviction in the last 7 years, a pending felony charge, or being in custody; or having served as a state or federal juror in the last 3 years. Other hardships are raised with a judge on the day you report, or in rare cases in writing to the Office of Jury Commissioner at least 30 days before your date.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Massachusetts?

If you ignore a jury summons or miss your date, you become a delinquent juror. The Office of Jury Commissioner first sends a Failure to Appear notice, then a Notice of Delinquency; if you still do not respond, you receive notice of a show-cause hearing on an application for a criminal complaint. If you skip that hearing, a criminal complaint issues and you are summoned for arraignment, and if you miss the arraignment the court may issue a warrant for your arrest.

Does your employer have to let you serve on a jury in Massachusetts?

Employers must pay full-time, part-time, temporary and casual employees their regular wages for work missed during the first 3 days of jury service; after that the state pays jurors $50 per day, and an employer that keeps paying may require the juror to turn over the state payment. A court may excuse an employer from paying if it would cause extreme financial hardship, and self-employed or out-of-state-employed jurors can ask a judge for up to $50 per day for the first 3 days. An employer may not fire an employee for jury service, give mandatory assignments that interfere with it, force the employee to reschedule or use vacation or personal days, or harass or deny benefits because of it.

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.