You can reschedule jury duty in most courts by submitting a postponement request before your service date, either through the court’s online portal, by mail using the form on your summons, or by phone with the clerk of court. You provide a reason, suggest an alternative date, and wait for confirmation. Act as soon as you know there’s a conflict, and keep planning to appear on the original date until the court tells you otherwise.
One quick boundary before the mechanics: rescheduling (also called postponement or deferral) means you’re willing to serve but need a different date. If you’re asking to be released from this summons entirely for hardship, that’s an excusal, and if you don’t meet the legal requirements to serve at all, that’s a disqualification. Both still require you to respond to the summons rather than ignore it.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Most court systems won’t let you save a partly finished request, so pull these together first:
- Your juror identification number, printed on the summons near the barcode.
- Your full legal name and address, matching the summons exactly. Discrepancies slow processing.
- A one- or two-sentence explanation of the conflict. Courts don’t need detail.
- One or two preferred alternative dates. Check your court’s window — some allow up to twelve months out, others cap it at six or less.
- Supporting documents if your situation calls for them: a doctor’s note, a travel itinerary, or a letter from your employer. Your summons will spell out what’s expected.
How to Submit the Request
Courts typically offer three channels. Which ones are available depends on where you were summoned.
Online Portal
Many courts run an electronic system called eJuror or something similar, where you enter your juror ID, pick a reason, and select a new date from a calendar. In federal courts, eJuror is the preferred method and is reached through the district court’s website.1United States Courts. Summoned for Federal Jury Service? Online submissions usually generate a confirmation right away, which is one less thing to track.
Most paper summonses include a tear-off or attached section for postponement requests. Fill it out clearly, attach any documents, and mail everything to the clerk of court’s office at the address on the summons. Allow plenty of time for delivery. A request that arrives after your service date doesn’t help you.
Phone
Some courts take requests by phone. Have your juror ID and preferred new dates in front of you before you dial. The number for the clerk of court or jury commissioner is on the summons. Phone works best when your service date is close and mail won’t get there in time.
Reasons Courts Accept
You don’t need a dramatic excuse. Courts routinely reschedule people for pre-booked travel, a work deadline or business trip that can’t be moved, a wedding or family event planned before the summons arrived, school exams, and childcare obligations that are hard to rearrange on short notice.
Medical conflicts qualify too. Scheduled surgery, ongoing treatment, or a condition that makes sitting through a courtroom day difficult are all standard grounds. For a temporary medical issue, expect the court to reschedule you rather than excuse you outright.
Financial hardship is a harder sell for a simple postponement. Losing a few days of income usually isn’t enough on its own. If jury service would genuinely prevent you from covering basic living expenses, some courts will consider an excusal instead, and you’ll likely need documentation such as tax returns or pay stubs. Federal jurors are paid $50 per day, rising to $60 per day after ten days of service.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1871 – Fees State court pay varies and is often lower.
When to Submit and How Many Times You Can Do It
There is no single national deadline. Some courts want requests at least a week ahead; others just say “as soon as possible.” Submit the day you realize you have a conflict. Waiting shrinks your list of available alternate dates and lowers your odds of approval.
Most courts allow at least one postponement with minimal scrutiny, and some allow two. After that, you should expect a “must serve” summons with no further deferrals. A few federal districts explicitly cap postponements at two within a year of the original date. Don’t spend your postponement on a mild inconvenience if something more serious might come up later.
Keep Planning to Appear Until You Get Confirmation
This is where people get hurt. After you submit a request, the court reviews it and either approves or denies it. Some courts tell you either way. Others only contact you if there’s a problem. You are required to appear on your original date unless you receive explicit confirmation that your service has been rescheduled. Silence is not approval.
To check status:
- Log back into eJuror or the court’s portal with your juror ID. Many courts post updated reporting instructions there.
- Call the federal Automated Juror Information System, which reads back your current status and reporting instructions after you enter your participant number.
- Call the clerk of court’s office directly if the automated options aren’t clear. A person can confirm whether your request was processed.
If your request is approved, you’ll receive a new summons for the rescheduled date. If it’s denied, appear on the original date. Treat a denial as final; arguing with the clerk won’t change it, and not showing up will make things much worse.
If Your Employer Is the Problem
Pressure from a boss is one of the most common reasons people want to reschedule, and it’s worth knowing your ground. Federal law makes it illegal for any employer to fire, threaten, or punish a permanent employee for serving on a federal jury or being scheduled to serve. Violators can be ordered to pay lost wages, reinstate the employee, and face a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 US Code 1875 – Protection of Jurors Employment A reinstated employee is treated as having been on leave, keeping seniority and benefits eligibility.
Nearly every state has a parallel law for state jury service, and many make employer retaliation a criminal offense. Some states also require employers to keep paying wages during service. “My boss said no” is not a reason the court accepts for failing to appear, so if there’s a real work conflict, put it in your postponement request rather than skipping the summons.
What Happens If You Just Don’t Show Up
Ignoring a jury summons is not a strategy. In federal court, a judge can order you to appear and explain your absence. Without good cause, you face a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, community service, or any combination. The same penalties apply to lying on a juror qualification form to avoid serving.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels
State penalties vary but follow the same pattern: fines, possible contempt charges, and in some jurisdictions the authority to have you arrested and brought before a judge. Most courts start with a second summons or a warning letter, but that leniency disappears fast if the follow-up is also ignored, and a pattern of noncompliance makes the eventual consequences worse.
If you genuinely missed your service date because of an emergency, call the clerk of court right away. Courts are far more forgiving when you reach out first than when they have to track you down.