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Jury Duty in Texas

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

Short answer: A qualified Texas juror may claim an exemption if the person is 75 or older; has legal custody of a child under 12 and service would leave the child without adequate supervision; is a high school or college student; Tex. Gov't Code §§ 62.106, 62.107, 62.0143

Who can be excused from jury dutyA qualified Texas juror may claim an exemption if the person is 75 or older; has legal custody of a child under 12 and service would leave the child without adequate supervision; is a high school or college student; works for the legislative branch; is the primary caretaker of a person who cannot care for themselves; is on active military duty and deployed out of the county; or, in larger counties, served as a petit juror recently (24 months in counties of 200,000+, three years in counties of 250,000+). You claim an exemption by filing a signed statement with the court clerk before your report date, and people 75 or older may ask for a permanent exemption. A first postponement of up to six months is granted on request to the clerk.
Source: Tex. Gov't Code §§ 62.106, 62.107, 62.0143
Penalty for skipping jury dutyA Texas juror who was properly notified and fails to attend without a reasonable excuse, or files a false exemption claim, faces a fine of $100 to $500. Separately, a person who does not comply with a jury summons, or knowingly gives false information to be exempted or excused, is subject to contempt punishable by a fine of $100 to $1,000.
Source: Tex. Gov't Code §§ 62.111, 62.0141
Jury duty pay and your jobA Texas employer may not fire, threaten to fire, intimidate or coerce a permanent employee because the employee serves as a juror or grand juror, and the employee may return to the same job by giving notice as soon as practical after service. A violating employer can owe reinstatement plus damages of one to five years' pay and attorney's fees (suit within two years), commits a Class B misdemeanor, and can be held in contempt. Jurors receive county-set expense reimbursement of at least $20 for the first day and at least $58 for each later day. The statutes reviewed do not require private employers to pay wages during jury service.
Texas currently publishes two versions of § 122.001 (amended by S.B. 370 and H.B. 504 in 2019); both bar firing a juror. Juror pay: https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/GV/htm/GV.61.htm
Source: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §§ 122.001, 122.002, 122.0021, 122.0022; Tex. Gov't Code § 61.001(a)

More Texas criminal law

FAQ

Who is exempt from jury duty in Texas?
A qualified Texas juror may claim an exemption if the person is 75 or older; has legal custody of a child under 12 and service would leave the child without adequate supervision; is a high school or college student; works for the legislative branch; is the primary caretaker of a person who cannot care for themselves; is on active military duty and deployed out of the county; or, in larger counties, served as a petit juror recently (24 months in counties of 200,000+, three years in counties of 250,000+). You claim an exemption by filing a signed statement with the court clerk before your report date, and people 75 or older may ask for a permanent exemption. A first postponement of up to six months is granted on request to the clerk.
What happens if you miss jury duty in Texas?
A Texas juror who was properly notified and fails to attend without a reasonable excuse, or files a false exemption claim, faces a fine of $100 to $500. Separately, a person who does not comply with a jury summons, or knowingly gives false information to be exempted or excused, is subject to contempt punishable by a fine of $100 to $1,000.
Does your employer have to let you serve on a jury in Texas?
A Texas employer may not fire, threaten to fire, intimidate or coerce a permanent employee because the employee serves as a juror or grand juror, and the employee may return to the same job by giving notice as soon as practical after service. A violating employer can owe reinstatement plus damages of one to five years' pay and attorney's fees (suit within two years), commits a Class B misdemeanor, and can be held in contempt. Jurors receive county-set expense reimbursement of at least $20 for the first day and at least $58 for each later day. The statutes reviewed do not require private employers to pay wages during jury service.

Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.

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