Jury Duty Excuse Letter in Minnesota
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 Minnesota law says
| Who can be excused from jury duty | A person 70 or older who asks to be excused is automatically excused without proof. You are not qualified if you served as a state or federal juror in the past four years (two years if the county is short of jurors), and sitting Minnesota state judges are disqualified. Otherwise, a person may be excused only if a judge finds they cannot perform juror duties, or the jury commissioner excuses them because service would be a continuing hardship; deferral to a later date is encouraged instead. Legislators and staff get a deferral during session, and filed candidates may defer until after their election. Requests go to the county jury commissioner. Rule 810: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/court_rules/gp/id/810/ Source: Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 808, 810 |
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| Penalty for skipping jury duty | A person who fails to appear for jury service as summoned will be ordered to appear and show cause. Without good cause, the juror is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. |
| Jury duty pay and your job | An employer may not fire, threaten or coerce an employee because of a jury summons or jury service, must release the employee from the regular work schedule (including shift work) to attend, and may not require an alternative shift on any day the juror must report (the employee may volunteer to). An employer who violates this is guilty of criminal contempt, punishable by up to $700 and/or six months. A fired employee may sue within 30 days for lost wages (up to six weeks) and reinstatement, plus attorney's fees. Juror pay and mileage are set by the Minnesota Supreme Court, not by statute. Source: Minn. Stat. §§593.50, 593.48 |
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 · Minnesota tenant rights
Last verified against official sources: October 23, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
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.