Jury Duty in South Carolina

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

Short answer: In South Carolina, no one is exempt from jury service except people 65 or older, who may be excused after confirming their date of birth and age by telephone with the clerk of court or chief magistrate. S.C. Code §§ 14-7-840, 14-7-845, 14-7-850, 14-7-860

Who can be excused from jury duty	In South Carolina, no one is exempt from jury service except people 65 or older, who may be excused after confirming their date of birth and age by telephone with the clerk of court or chief magistrate. The presiding judge must excuse, on an affidavit filed with the clerk, a juror who has legal custody of a child under seven or who is the primary caretaker of a person 65 or older or a severely disabled person, and may excuse or move to another term a person whose business, commercial or agricultural enterprise would have to close without them. A judge may also excuse a juror for good and sufficient cause, filed with the clerk. Students and school employees may have service postponed to a date outside the school term, and a person may not serve more than once each calendar year or be drawn more often than once every three years. Source: S.C. Code §§ 14-7-840, 14-7-845, 14-7-850, 14-7-860
Penalty for skipping jury duty	A duly summoned juror who neglects to attend without sufficient excuse must pay a civil penalty of up to $100, imposed by the court and paid into the county treasury. Violating the juror-excusal statute (§ 14-7-860) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Source: S.C. Code §§ 14-7-1390, 14-7-860(E)
Jury duty pay and your job	An employer who dismisses or demotes an employee for serving on a jury (or for complying with a valid subpoena to testify) can be sued in circuit court for damages. Damages for a dismissal are limited to one year's salary or 52 weeks of wages (based on a 40-hour week at the employee's pay when the summons was received); damages for a demotion are limited to one year of the pay difference. The statute does not require employers to pay wages during jury service. Juror pay is set county by county (for example $10 a day in Abbeville County and $7 a day in Charleston County), plus mileage of five cents per mile each way unless the county's entry says otherwise. Juror pay: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t14c007.php Source: S.C. Code §§ 41-1-70, 14-7-1370

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FAQ

Who is exempt from jury duty in South Carolina?

In South Carolina, no one is exempt from jury service except people 65 or older, who may be excused after confirming their date of birth and age by telephone with the clerk of court or chief magistrate. The presiding judge must excuse, on an affidavit filed with the clerk, a juror who has legal custody of a child under seven or who is the primary caretaker of a person 65 or older or a severely disabled person, and may excuse or move to another term a person whose business, commercial or agricultural enterprise would have to close without them. A judge may also excuse a juror for good and sufficient cause, filed with the clerk. Students and school employees may have service postponed to a date outside the school term, and a person may not serve more than once each calendar year or be drawn more often than once every three years.

What happens if you miss jury duty in South Carolina?

A duly summoned juror who neglects to attend without sufficient excuse must pay a civil penalty of up to $100, imposed by the court and paid into the county treasury. Violating the juror-excusal statute (§ 14-7-860) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, or both.

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

An employer who dismisses or demotes an employee for serving on a jury (or for complying with a valid subpoena to testify) can be sued in circuit court for damages. Damages for a dismissal are limited to one year's salary or 52 weeks of wages (based on a 40-hour week at the employee's pay when the summons was received); damages for a demotion are limited to one year of the pay difference. The statute does not require employers to pay wages during jury service. Juror pay is set county by county (for example $10 a day in Abbeville County and $7 a day in Charleston County), plus mileage of five cents per mile each way unless the county's entry says otherwise.

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.