Jury duty in Texas works like this: you get a summons in the mail, respond by the date on it, show up at the courthouse on your reporting day, and either get picked for a trial or go home. Most people are done in a day. If you are seated on a jury, state law pays at least $20 for the first day and at least $58 for each day after that, and your employer is not allowed to fire you for going.
Who Has to Serve and Who Can Get Out
Texas Government Code Section 62.102 sets nine qualifications for jury service. You have to be at least 18, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the county that summoned you, eligible to vote there, of sound mind and good moral character, and able to read and write. A felony conviction or a misdemeanor theft conviction disqualifies you, and so does being under indictment for either. You are also disqualified if you have already served six days as a juror within the past three months in county court or the past six months in district court.1State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.102 – General Qualifications for Jury Service
Qualifying does not mean you have to go. Texas law lists several exemptions you can claim voluntarily, and claiming one is optional — you can still serve if you want to.
- You are 75 or older.
- You have legal custody of a child under 12 and serving would leave the child without adequate supervision.
- You are enrolled in a secondary school, college, or university.
- You are the primary caretaker for someone who cannot care for themselves.
- You work for the Texas Senate, House of Representatives, or another legislative branch agency.
- You are on active military duty and deployed away from your home station and out of your county of residence.
- In counties with a population of at least 200,000, you served as a juror within the past 24 months; in counties of 250,000 or more, service within the past three years may also qualify.
A judge can also excuse you for a physical or mental impairment or an inability to understand English, even if none of the listed exemptions fits your situation.2State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.106 – Exemption From Jury Service
What to Do When the Summons Arrives
A jury summons is a court order, not a request. Read it as soon as it arrives. It will tell you your reporting date, the courthouse address, and how the court wants you to respond. Many Texas courts accept responses online, by phone, or by mail, and the summons usually includes a juror questionnaire you need to complete and return.
Requesting a Postponement
If the date does not work, Texas Government Code Section 62.0142 lets you reschedule to a later date. The instructions for requesting a postponement, and how far out you can push the new date, will be on the summons or the court’s website.3State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.0142 – Postponement of Jury Service
Skipping Is Contempt of Court
Ignoring a summons is contempt of court. A person who fails to appear without a valid excuse faces a fine between $100 and $500, and courts do enforce it.4Texas Office of Court Administration. Jury Service in Texas A postponement is almost always available and much better than a no-show.
Reporting Day
Arrive at the courthouse listed on the summons on your reporting date. Bring the summons and a valid photo ID. You will go through security screening and then check in, usually at a central jury assembly room, where most courts play a short orientation video about the process and your rights.
Dress is business casual. Courts generally frown on shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops, though enforcement varies. Expect to spend several hours waiting, so bring something to read or a phone charger. Water and restrooms are available, and you will get breaks throughout the day.
Jury Selection (Voir Dire)
When a case is ready for trial, a group of potential jurors moves from the assembly room into a courtroom for voir dire. The judge and attorneys ask questions to figure out whether you can be fair and impartial on that particular case. Questions cover your background, life experiences, opinions on the legal issues in play, and any personal connections to the parties or witnesses.
Attorneys can ask the judge to remove you “for cause” if there is a concrete reason you cannot be impartial, and there is no cap on those removals as long as the judge agrees the reason is valid. Each side also gets a fixed number of peremptory challenges — removals that require no reason — with the count depending on the type of case.5State of Texas. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 35.15 Peremptory challenges cannot be used to exclude jurors based on race, gender, or ethnicity.
Jury size depends on the case. Felony trials in district court use 12-person juries. Misdemeanor cases, and civil matters in county court and lower courts, use six-person juries.6State of Texas. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 33.01 – Jury Size
If You Are Seated
If you make it through voir dire and get seated, your job is to listen to the evidence, watch the witnesses, and follow the judge’s instructions on the law. During the trial you cannot research the case online, visit locations connected to it, or discuss it with anyone outside the jury, including family. Once both sides rest and the judge gives final instructions, the jury deliberates and reaches a verdict. A straightforward misdemeanor may wrap up in a day; a complex civil case or a serious felony can take a week or more.
What You Get Paid
Texas law sets minimum pay for jurors: at least $20 for the first day of service, and at least $58 for each additional day if you are selected for a trial jury.7State of Texas. Texas Government Code 61.001 Those are floors. Individual counties can pay more, and some do. Jurors who report but do not get selected still receive the first-day payment. Payment usually arrives by check within a few weeks.
Jury pay is taxable income. You report it on Schedule 1 of your federal return (Form 1040), line 8h. If your employer kept paying your regular salary while you served but required you to hand over the jury fee, you can deduct the amount you turned over as an adjustment to income on Schedule 1, line 24a, so you are not taxed on both the salary and the fee.8Internal Revenue Service. Publication 525 – Taxable and Nontaxable Income
Your Job Is Protected
Firing an employee for serving on a jury is illegal under Texas and federal law. The Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code prohibits any employer from firing, threatening, intimidating, or coercing a permanent employee because of jury service. If you are terminated in violation of the statute, you have the right to return to the same position you held before the summons, as long as you notify your employer of your intent to return as soon as practical after your service ends.9State of Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 122.001 – Protection of Jurors Employment
Federal law adds a second layer for anyone serving on a federal jury. An employer who retaliates against a federal juror faces civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation and can be ordered to pay lost wages and reinstate the employee with full seniority and benefits.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 1875 – Protection of Jurors Employment
Salaried employees classified as exempt under federal overtime rules get some extra protection. Your employer cannot dock your pay for partial-week absences caused by jury duty, though it can offset the jury fees you received against your salary for that week. If you miss an entire workweek and do no work, the employer is not required to pay you for it.11U.S. Department of Labor. FLSA Overtime Security Advisor
If the Summons Is From Federal Court
The rules above cover Texas state courts. If your summons comes from a U.S. District Court, the process is similar but the details shift. You must be 18 or older, a U.S. citizen, a resident of the judicial district for at least one year, and able to read, write, and speak English adequately. A pending felony charge or an unrestored felony conviction disqualifies you.12United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses Federal jurors earn $50 per day, and federal trials tend to run longer than state cases.13United States Courts. Fees of Jurors and Commissioners Fiscal Year 2026 The same employment protections apply, and the same IRS rules govern the pay.