Jury duty in Arizona pays $12 a day in state court, with superior court jurors who lose income eligible for $40 to $300 per day through the Fair Jury Improvement Fund. Federal jurors in Arizona earn $50 a day. On top of the daily fee, every juror is reimbursed for the round trip between home and the courthouse at $0.67 per mile.
The $12 Daily Fee in State Court
Every juror who serves in an Arizona state court, whether in justice court or superior court, receives $12 per day. The fee starts on the first day the court requires you to appear and continues for each additional day of service.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 21-221 – Fees and Mileage
One catch: if you report as instructed but are released without being seated on a jury, you don’t get the $12 for that day. You still receive mileage.2Maricopa County Superior Court. Juror Compensation
For justice court jurors, $12 is the ceiling on daily pay. Superior court jurors can qualify for meaningfully more.
Fair Jury Improvement Fund: $40 to $300 Per Day
Arizona’s Fair Jury Improvement Fund, created under A.R.S. § 21-222, exists to close the gap between the $12 fee and what a juror actually loses in wages. Petit jurors in superior court whose employers don’t pay their full wages during service can apply for earnings replacement between $40 and $300 per day, starting on day one.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 21-222 – Fair Jury Improvement Fund The $40 minimum includes the base $12 juror fee, so the fund effectively adds at least $28 on top of what every juror already receives.4Arizona Judicial Branch. Arizona Code of Judicial Administration 5-109 – Trials and Juror Payments
Unemployed jurors also qualify for the $40 daily minimum. Income from pensions, retirement, disability, spousal maintenance, or unemployment compensation cannot reduce the payment.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 21-222 – Fair Jury Improvement Fund
Justice court jurors and grand jurors are not eligible for the fund. If your employer pays your full salary during service, you also won’t qualify, because there’s no earnings gap to fill.
Filing a Claim
To receive more than the base $12, file a juror claim form with the jury commissioner. On the form you report your regular earnings, how much your employer will pay during service, and the replacement amount you’re requesting. Before the court pays out, it needs verification from your employer confirming the earnings information you provided, such as a recent pay stub.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 21-222 – Fair Jury Improvement Fund
Self-employed jurors, contractors, and people paid on commission should expect to provide documentation of what they would have earned on the days they served. The jury commissioner has discretion to request whatever records are needed to verify income with reasonable certainty. Claims must be submitted within 30 days after service ends.4Arizona Judicial Branch. Arizona Code of Judicial Administration 5-109 – Trials and Juror Payments
Mileage Reimbursement
Arizona reimburses every juror for round-trip travel between home and the courthouse at $0.67 per mile, matching the rate paid to state employees under A.R.S. § 38-623.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 21-221 – Fees and Mileage The payment is the same whether you drive your own car, rent one, or catch a ride with someone. If the court recesses and you go home and come back, that round trip counts too.
Jurors who show up but aren’t selected still get mileage for the day. That’s sometimes the only money you walk away with if you’re released on day one.2Maricopa County Superior Court. Juror Compensation
Federal Jury Duty Pay
Jurors summoned to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona (in Phoenix or Tucson) are paid on a different scale. Federal jurors earn a flat $50 per day for each day of attendance, regardless of income or employment status.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1871 – Fees
Federal jurors also receive a travel allowance at a rate set by the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Jurors who need to stay overnight can receive a subsistence allowance covering hotel and meals without itemizing.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1871 – FeesHotel Reimbursement/Subsistence Rate
Federal court will not reimburse valet parking when self-parking is available. Keep any parking receipts you want reimbursed.7United States District Court District of Arizona. Hotel Reimbursement/Subsistence Rate
Will Your Employer Pay Your Wages?
Arizona law does not require your employer to pay your regular wages while you serve on a jury. Many people assume otherwise, so it’s worth confirming with your HR department well before your service date. Larger employers often pay wages during jury service as a benefit, but doing so is voluntary.8Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 21-236 – Employment Rights; Automatic Postponement; Violation; Classification
What the law does protect is your job. Your employer cannot fire, penalize, or pressure you because of jury duty, and cannot force you to use vacation days, sick time, or other paid leave to cover the absence. Violations are a class 3 misdemeanor.8Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 21-236 – Employment Rights; Automatic Postponement; Violation; Classification
Federal government employees in pay status receive “court leave” and keep their full salary during jury service. In exchange, they cannot collect the juror attendance fee from the court.
When the Money Arrives
Jury payments are generally processed after your service ends. The court typically mails a check to the address you provided to the jury commissioner, though some counties use debit cards or other methods. Keep your mailing address current with the jury commissioner’s office to avoid delays.
For Fair Jury Improvement Fund payments, the jury commissioner submits reimbursement requests to the Administrative Office of the Courts within 60 days of the last day of service, and the timeline from there depends on the court’s processing schedule.4Arizona Judicial Branch. Arizona Code of Judicial Administration 5-109 – Trials and Juror Payments Expect at least a few weeks before payment arrives.
Taxes on Jury Pay
The IRS treats jury duty pay as taxable income. Report whatever daily compensation you receive on your federal income tax return, regardless of the amount.9Internal Revenue Service. Is the Payment I Received for Jury Duty Taxable?
If your employer paid your full salary during service but required you to hand over your jury pay in return, you can deduct the amount you turned over. Report the full jury pay as income, then claim the amount you gave back on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 24a. That offsets the double-counting so you only pay tax on money you actually kept.10Internal Revenue Service. Publication 525 – Taxable and Nontaxable Income
Mileage reimbursements paid separately from your daily fee are generally not taxable, since they’re meant to cover actual travel costs rather than compensate you for your time. If a court combines everything into one lump payment, a tax professional can help you allocate the amounts.