Jury Duty Excuse Letter in Iowa
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 Iowa law says
| Who can be excused from jury duty | An Iowa court must excuse a person who gives written proof that he or she is solely responsible for the daily care of a household member with a permanent disability whose health would be put at substantial risk, or who is the mother of a breastfed child and responsible for the child's daily care; this automatic excuse does not apply if the person regularly works outside the home. The court may also put off a person's jury service because of hardship, inconvenience or public necessity, and the person may be required to serve later. The statute does not set an age-based excuse; jurors must be at least 18. |
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| Penalty for skipping jury duty | If you fail to appear for jury duty in Iowa when told to report, without a sufficient reason, the court may order you to come in and explain why you should not be punished, and you may be punished for contempt of court. The statute does not set a fine amount. |
| Jury duty pay and your job | Iowa employers may not fire, threaten or pressure an employee because the employee gets a jury notice, responds to it, serves or attends court for jury selection; an employer who does commits contempt. A fired employee may sue within 60 days for lost wages and reinstatement, but damages are capped at 6 weeks of lost wages, plus reasonable attorney fees if the employee wins. Jurors are paid $30 per day plus mileage and parking costs. |
Fill it in
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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 · Iowa 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.