Jury Duty in North Dakota

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

Short answer: North Dakota has no automatic exemptions: no qualified prospective juror is exempt from jury service, and there is no age-based exemption in the statute. N.D.C.C. §§ 27-09.1-08, 27-09.1-10, 27-09.1-11, 27-09.1-15

Who can be excused from jury duty	North Dakota has no automatic exemptions: no qualified prospective juror is exempt from jury service, and there is no age-based exemption in the statute. The court, on the juror's request or its own initiative, may excuse a person for undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity, for as long as the court deems necessary, after which the person must reappear for service. A person is disqualified if not a U.S. citizen and resident of the state and county, under 18, unable to communicate in English, unable because of physical or mental disability to serve (a physician's certificate may be required), or has lost the right to vote because of imprisonment or a disqualifying conviction. In any two-year period a person may not be required to serve or attend as a petit juror more than ten court days (except to finish a case) or serve on more than one grand jury. Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 27-09.1-08, 27-09.1-10, 27-09.1-11, 27-09.1-15
Penalty for skipping jury duty	North Dakota's specific penalty section for failing to perform jury service (§ 27-09.1-16) was repealed in 1993. Contempt of court includes intentional disobedience, resistance, or obstruction of the authority, process, or order of a court; after a nonsummary contempt proceeding the court may impose a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in county jail, or both, per contempt (summary procedure: up to $500 and 30 days). Separately, willfully misrepresenting a material fact on a juror qualification form to avoid or secure service is a class B misdemeanor, and a person who fails to return the form may be directed to appear before the clerk to fill it out. Jury chapter: https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t27c09-1.pdf Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 27-09.1-16 (repealed), 27-10-01.1(1)(c), 27-10-01.4(2), 27-09.1-07
Jury duty pay and your job	An employer may not fire, lay off, penalize, threaten, or coerce an employee because the employee receives a jury summons, responds to it, serves as a juror, or attends court for jury service. An employer who violates this is guilty of a class B misdemeanor; a fired employee may sue within 90 days for lost wages (up to six weeks) and reinstatement, plus a reasonable attorney's fee if the employee wins. The statute does not require employers to pay wages during jury service. Jurors in district court are paid $100 per day ($50 for a first day of four hours or less) plus mileage at the state-employee rate, paid by the state. Source: N.D.C.C. §§ 27-09.1-17, 27-09.1-14

More North Dakota criminal law

FAQ

Who is exempt from jury duty in North Dakota?

North Dakota has no automatic exemptions: no qualified prospective juror is exempt from jury service, and there is no age-based exemption in the statute. The court, on the juror's request or its own initiative, may excuse a person for undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity, for as long as the court deems necessary, after which the person must reappear for service. A person is disqualified if not a U.S. citizen and resident of the state and county, under 18, unable to communicate in English, unable because of physical or mental disability to serve (a physician's certificate may be required), or has lost the right to vote because of imprisonment or a disqualifying conviction. In any two-year period a person may not be required to serve or attend as a petit juror more than ten court days (except to finish a case) or serve on more than one grand jury.

What happens if you miss jury duty in North Dakota?

North Dakota's specific penalty section for failing to perform jury service (§ 27-09.1-16) was repealed in 1993. Contempt of court includes intentional disobedience, resistance, or obstruction of the authority, process, or order of a court; after a nonsummary contempt proceeding the court may impose a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in county jail, or both, per contempt (summary procedure: up to $500 and 30 days). Separately, willfully misrepresenting a material fact on a juror qualification form to avoid or secure service is a class B misdemeanor, and a person who fails to return the form may be directed to appear before the clerk to fill it out.

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

An employer may not fire, lay off, penalize, threaten, or coerce an employee because the employee receives a jury summons, responds to it, serves as a juror, or attends court for jury service. An employer who violates this is guilty of a class B misdemeanor; a fired employee may sue within 90 days for lost wages (up to six weeks) and reinstatement, plus a reasonable attorney's fee if the employee wins. The statute does not require employers to pay wages during jury service. Jurors in district court are paid $100 per day ($50 for a first day of four hours or less) plus mileage at the state-employee rate, paid by the state.

Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.

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