Jury Duty Excuse Letter in Oregon
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 Oregon law says
| Who can be excused from jury duty | According to the Oregon Judicial Department, a person 70 or older may ask to be excused and can choose whether to serve. Courts may also excuse people for undue hardship or extreme inconvenience to themselves, their family, employer or the public; for breastfeeding a child; for being the sole caregiver of a child or other dependent during court hours without affordable alternatives; or for medical hardship. A person who served as a juror in Oregon state or federal court within the last 24 months is not eligible, and active Oregon National Guard and Air National Guard members are not required to serve. Requests are made through the court's juror eResponse portal after completing the qualification form (or by contacting the local jury office); only the court decides, and postponement is only to a later date. |
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| Penalty for skipping jury duty | Jury service in Oregon is mandatory. The Oregon Judicial Department warns that a person who does not respond may be penalized and that, in rare cases, a judge may be asked to hold the person in contempt of court or issue an arrest warrant. No fine amount is stated on the court's page. |
| Jury duty pay and your job | Per the Oregon Judicial Department, an employer may not fire, threaten or intimidate an employee for jury service or force the employee not to serve, and may not force the employee to use leave (unpaid leave must be allowed if the employee chooses it); the employee may sue or file a complaint with the Bureau of Labor and Industries. No Oregon law requires employers to pay wages during jury service. Employers with 10 or more employees may not stop health, disability or life coverage the employee elected to continue, and a juror whose employer pays wages for jury days must waive jury pay unless the employment agreement allows keeping it. Jurors are paid $10 a day for the first two days and $25 a day from the third day, plus 20 cents per mile when driving or the cost of public transit tickets. |
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 · Oregon 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.