Jury Duty Excuse Letter in Florida
A short letter asking the court to excuse you from jury duty or postpone it. Follow the instructions on your summons first, because courts handle these requests differently, and keep following the summons until the court answers.
What Florida law says
| Who can be excused from jury duty | Florida excuses several groups on request: people 70 or older (who may also ask in writing to be permanently excused), expectant mothers, a parent not working full time who has custody of a child under 6, women who gave birth within 6 months before the reporting date, caregivers of someone who cannot care for themselves, and full-time students aged 18 to 21. A person who reported for jury duty in their county within the past year is exempt for 1 year. Full-time law enforcement officers are excused unless they choose to serve, and a judge may excuse practicing lawyers, physicians, physically infirm people, or anyone showing hardship, extreme inconvenience or public necessity. Service may also be postponed for up to 6 months on written or oral request. |
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| Penalty for skipping jury duty | A person who is properly summoned for jury duty and fails to attend without a sufficient excuse must pay a fine of up to $100, set by the court that sent the summons. The failure may also be treated as contempt of court. Source: Fla. Stat. § 40.23(3) |
| Jury duty pay and your job | Florida employers may not fire an employee because of the nature or length of jury service, and threatening to fire someone for being summoned may be treated as contempt of court. A fired employee can sue for compensatory and punitive damages plus reasonable attorney fees. Jurors who keep getting their regular wages are not paid by the court for the first 3 days; jurors who are not regularly employed or not paid by their employer get $15 a day for the first 3 days, and every juror gets $30 a day from the fourth day on. There is no extra pay for travel or other expenses. |
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[today's date]
[your name]
[your mailing address]
[your phone or email]
To: [court or jury office name and address, from your summons]
Re: Jury summons. Juror number: [juror number from your summons]. Reporting date: [date you are told to report].
Dear [jury commissioner, clerk or judge named on your summons]:
I received a jury summons for the date above. I am asking to be [excused from / postponed from] jury service because [your reason, in one or two plain sentences].
I have attached [documents supporting your request, such as a doctor's note, or none].
If my service can be postponed, I can serve on these dates: [dates you are available].
Please tell me in writing whether my request is approved. I understand that I must follow the summons until I hear from the court.
Sincerely,
[your name]
Jury Duty Excuse Letter for other states · Florida tenant rights
Last verified against official sources: October 22, 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.