If you’ve been summoned for Broward County jury duty, you report to the courthouse in Fort Lauderdale for a single day under a one-day/one-trial system, and your service ends that evening unless you’re seated on a trial. Florida law treats the summons as a court order, so the first thing to do is respond through the Clerk of Court’s online jury portal using the Juror Identification Number printed on your summons.
Responding to Your Summons
Your summons lists a report date and a Juror ID. Log in to the Broward Clerk of Courts jury services portal with that ID and your date of birth to complete the qualification questionnaire.1Broward County Clerk of Courts. Jury Services The questionnaire confirms you’re eligible and is also where you submit a postponement or excusal request.
You get one postponement, which pushes your service to a new date within six months. Send any postponement or excusal request to Jury Administration before your report date, and read the summons closely for the specific deadlines and instructions it carries.2Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Jury Duty in Broward County
To qualify at all, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen, and a legal resident of Broward County. Anyone currently facing criminal charges or carrying a felony conviction without restored civil rights is disqualified from serving.3The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.01 – Qualifications of Jurors4The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.013 – Persons Disqualified or Excused From Jury Service
Who Can Be Excused
Florida statute lists specific people who can ask to be excused from a summons:
- Anyone 70 or older, who may request a one-time excusal or a permanent written excusal from all future summonses.
- Expectant mothers.
- A parent not employed full-time with custody of a child under six.
- A person responsible for someone who cannot care for themselves because of mental illness, intellectual disability, or other incapacity.
- Full-time federal, state, or local law enforcement officers and investigative personnel, unless they choose to serve.
- Full-time students aged 18 to 21 enrolled at a high school, state university, Florida College System institution, private postsecondary school, or career center.
- A woman who gave birth within six months before the reporting date.
Each request needs supporting documentation sent to Jury Administration; medical excusals generally require a signed statement from a licensed physician. A judge may also excuse practicing attorneys, practicing physicians, or anyone physically infirm.4The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.013 – Persons Disqualified or Excused From Jury Service
Outside those categories, you can still ask for an excusal based on hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity. The statute doesn’t define those terms, so the court decides case by case. And if you’ve already served on a Broward County jury during the current calendar year, you don’t have to serve again.2Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Jury Duty in Broward County
How Long Service Actually Lasts
Under one-day/one-trial, you show up on your report date and stay available for selection. If no jury takes you by the end of the day, you’re done and you don’t return. If you’re seated on a trial or still in selection when the day ends, you continue until the trial finishes or the judge releases you.2Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Jury Duty in Broward County
Average jury trials in Broward County run about three days. Longer trials happen, but they’re uncommon.
Where to Report and What to Bring
Jurors report to the Broward County Judicial Complex at 201 SE 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Free reserved juror parking is in the adjacent garage; enter from the west side of the garage along the drawbridge on SE 3rd Avenue, then use the third-floor pedestrian walkway for covered access into the courthouse. High-clearance vehicles like full-size vans or RVs don’t fit in the garage. Give yourself an extra 30 minutes for parking.1Broward County Clerk of Courts. Jury Services
Everyone passes through metal detectors and X-ray screening at the entrance. Pocket knives, scissors, mace, and other hazardous items are prohibited, and security will not hold or return anything that isn’t allowed in. Leave those items at home or in your car, and bring your summons along with your parking ticket for validation.1Broward County Clerk of Courts. Jury Services
Dress is business casual. Plan on a full day. Cell phones are generally allowed in the jury assembly room, but once you enter a courtroom the presiding judge sets the rules on electronic devices.
Pay and Job Protection
Court pay is modest. If you’re not employed, or your employer doesn’t continue your regular wages during service, the clerk of court pays $15 per day for the first three days. Jurors whose employers keep paying their regular salary get nothing from the court for those initial three days. Starting on day four, every juror receives $30 per day regardless of employment status.5The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.24 – Compensation of Jurors
Broward County has a local ordinance, unusual among Florida counties, that requires employers to pay full-time employees their regular wages during jury service for up to five working days. “Full-time” means regularly scheduled for at least 35 hours per week. To qualify, give a copy of your summons to your supervisor at least five working days before your service begins. Your employer can subtract the statutory jury fee from your pay but cannot withhold wages entirely, and the protection applies even if your normal work hours fall outside the hours you spend at court.
Florida law separately makes it illegal for any employer to fire you because of the nature or length of your jury service. An employer who even threatens to fire you over jury duty can be held in contempt of court. If you are dismissed, you can sue for compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.6The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.271 – Jury Service
What Happens If You Don’t Show Up
A summons is a court order. Failing to appear without a valid excuse can bring a fine of up to $100, and the no-show can be treated as contempt of court, which carries additional penalties and mandatory court appearances.7The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Code 40.23 – Penalties
Broward County typically sends a follow-up notice before pursuing penalties, but counting on that second notice is a gamble. If you can’t make your date, use the postponement or request an excusal rather than ignoring the summons.