Jury Duty in Pennsylvania

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

Short answer: Pennsylvania exempts or excuses: people in active service of the U.S. or Pennsylvania armed forces; people who served on any jury within the previous three years (one year if the service was under three days); 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 4503(a), 4502(a)

Who can be excused from jury duty	Pennsylvania exempts or excuses: people in active service of the U.S. or Pennsylvania armed forces; people who served on any jury within the previous three years (one year if the service was under three days); people 75 or older who ask to be excused; breastfeeding women who ask to be excused; spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents and grandchildren of criminal homicide victims; people who served 18 months on a statewide investigating grand jury and choose not to serve; and magisterial district judges and federal judges. Anyone showing the court undue hardship or extreme inconvenience may be excused permanently or for a set period. People incapable of efficient service because of mental or physical infirmity are disqualified. Requests go to the court or county jury office named on the summons. Source: 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 4503(a), 4502(a)
Penalty for skipping jury duty	A summoned prospective juror who fails to appear and is not exempt or excused may be punished for contempt of court by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment of up to ten days, or both. Source: 42 Pa.C.S. § 4584
Jury duty pay and your job	An employer may not take away an employee's job, seniority or benefits, or threaten or coerce the employee, because the employee receives a jury summons, responds to it, serves as a juror, or attends court for prospective jury service. A violation is a summary offense, and the employee may sue for lost wages and benefits (not more than actually lost) and reinstatement, plus a reasonable attorney's fee if successful. Employers need not pay wages for time lost to jury service, and the protection does not cover retail or service employers with fewer than 15 people or manufacturers with fewer than 40 (such employees may ask the court to be excused). Jurors are paid $9 a day for the first three days in a calendar year and $25 a day after that, plus 17 cents per mile round trip (no travel allowance in the First Judicial District). Source: 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 4563, 4561(a)

More Pennsylvania criminal law

FAQ

Who is exempt from jury duty in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania exempts or excuses: people in active service of the U.S. or Pennsylvania armed forces; people who served on any jury within the previous three years (one year if the service was under three days); people 75 or older who ask to be excused; breastfeeding women who ask to be excused; spouses, children, siblings, parents, grandparents and grandchildren of criminal homicide victims; people who served 18 months on a statewide investigating grand jury and choose not to serve; and magisterial district judges and federal judges. Anyone showing the court undue hardship or extreme inconvenience may be excused permanently or for a set period. People incapable of efficient service because of mental or physical infirmity are disqualified. Requests go to the court or county jury office named on the summons.

What happens if you miss jury duty in Pennsylvania?

A summoned prospective juror who fails to appear and is not exempt or excused may be punished for contempt of court by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment of up to ten days, or both.

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

An employer may not take away an employee's job, seniority or benefits, or threaten or coerce the employee, because the employee receives a jury summons, responds to it, serves as a juror, or attends court for prospective jury service. A violation is a summary offense, and the employee may sue for lost wages and benefits (not more than actually lost) and reinstatement, plus a reasonable attorney's fee if successful. Employers need not pay wages for time lost to jury service, and the protection does not cover retail or service employers with fewer than 15 people or manufacturers with fewer than 40 (such employees may ask the court to be excused). Jurors are paid $9 a day for the first three days in a calendar year and $25 a day after that, plus 17 cents per mile round trip (no travel allowance in the First Judicial District).

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.