Jury Duty Excuse Letter in Vermont
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 Vermont law says
| Who can be excused from jury duty | Vermont does not automatically excuse anyone from jury service, and there is no age-based exemption in the statute. The presiding judge may excuse a person for all or part of the two-year jury period on an individual request showing undue hardship on the prospective juror or the employer. A person must be an adult U.S. citizen living in the court's area, able to read, write, understand and speak English, mentally and physically capable of service, and must not have served a prison term in Vermont for a felony; a petit juror cannot be called for selection more than three times in two years. Source: 4 V.S.A. §§ 962, 963 |
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| Penalty for skipping jury duty | A Vermont juror who does not appear after being summoned, and does not give the court a satisfactory excuse, can be assessed a civil penalty of up to $200 by the presiding judge, which may be waived for good cause. A person who ignores an order to come in and fill out the jury questionnaire can be held in contempt, and willfully lying on the questionnaire to avoid or get jury service can bring a fine of up to $50. Source: 4 V.S.A. §§ 958, 961 |
| Jury duty pay and your job | A Vermont employer may not fire an employee because of jury service, or penalize the employee or take away rights or benefits in a way that treats jurors differently from other employees. Employees serving as jurors are treated as still in the employer's service for seniority, fringe benefits, vacation credit and other employment rights. An employer who violates the law may be fined up to $200. The statute reviewed does not require the employer to pay wages during jury service. Source: 21 V.S.A. § 499 |
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 · Vermont 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.