How to Fill Out the Harris County Jury Duty Exemption Form

To claim an exemption from jury duty in Harris County, submit the Harris County jury duty exemption form through the District Clerk’s online pre-registration portal or by mail to the Jury Assembly Room at 1201 Congress St., Houston, TX 77002. The online route is faster and takes only a few minutes if you have your summons in hand. Medical exemptions use a separate form that a physician has to sign.

Who Can Claim an Exemption

Texas Government Code § 62.106 lists nine categories of people who may claim an exemption from jury service. Exemptions are optional, so you don’t have to claim one even if you qualify. The categories that come up most often for Harris County residents are:

You are over 75 years old.
You have legal custody of a child under 12, and serving would leave the child without adequate supervision.
You are a student enrolled in a public or private secondary school.
You are enrolled in and actually attending an institution of higher education.
You work for the Texas Senate, House of Representatives, or an agency in the legislative branch of state government.
You are the primary caretaker of someone who cannot care for themselves. This does not apply if you are caring for the person only in your capacity as a health care worker.
You are on active duty with the U.S. military, deployed away from your home station and outside Harris County.
You already served as a petit juror in Harris County during the current jury wheel period, which began December 1, 2022. Federal and municipal court service does not count.¹²

Pick the category that fits your situation before you log in — the online form will ask you to select one. If none of them describe you, you’ll need to appear on your scheduled date and explain your circumstances to the court in person.²

Filling Out a Medical Exemption

A medical exemption uses a separate form. Download the Harris County Medical Exemption Form from the District Clerk’s website, fill in your information, and have a licensed physician sign it. The form asks the physician to confirm that a physical or mental impairment makes it impossible or very difficult for you to appear and serve.³

A vague note from your doctor won’t work. The form specifically requires the physician to explain why the condition prevents service, not just name a diagnosis. Make sure that part is filled in before you submit.

Submitting the Form Online

The fastest option is the Harris County District Clerk’s online pre-registration portal. Every summoned juror has to pre-register, and the exemption claim happens inside that same process. To log in, you’ll need:

Your HC Number from the summons, or your Texas driver’s license number
Your last name⁴

Work through the screens until you reach the exemption options, then select the category that applies. The listed choices mirror the statutory categories above.

You cannot claim an exemption or report a disqualification by telephone. The online portal and mail are the only two accepted methods.⁴ If you get stuck during pre-registration, the Jury Management Division at (713) 755-6392 can help you with the system, but the actual exemption still has to be submitted online or on paper.

Submitting the Form by Mail

If you’d rather mail your response, send the completed hard copy of your summons to:

Jury Assembly Room
1201 Congress St.
Houston, TX 77002⁴

For a medical exemption, include the signed Medical Exemption Form in the envelope. Give yourself enough lead time. If you mail the form a day or two before your appearance date and it arrives late, you’re still expected to show up. When the court date is close, use the online portal instead.

If You Don’t Qualify, Defer Instead

A scheduling conflict isn’t an exemption, but Harris County lets you reschedule your service for up to six months through the same online pre-registration system. A first-time reschedule doesn’t require an explanation.⁵ After you finish pre-registering, the portal gives you the option to pick a new date.⁴

Deferring doesn’t eliminate the obligation. You’ll get a new summons for the rescheduled date and will have to either serve or claim a valid exemption then.

What Happens If You Don’t Respond

Ignoring a jury summons exposes you to a contempt action. Under Texas Government Code § 62.0141, failing to answer a jury summons carries a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000.⁶ The same penalty applies if you knowingly give false information in an exemption request, so don’t check a box that doesn’t apply to you.

If you sent in a request and never received confirmation, don’t assume it was accepted. Appear on your scheduled date. A few hours in the jury assembly room is a smaller problem than a fine and a contempt finding.

1
State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62 – Jurors
2
Harris County District Clerk. Juror General Information
3
Harris County District Clerk. Harris County Jury Duty Exemption Form
4
Harris County District Clerk. Jury Service in Harris County
5
Harris County District Clerk. On the Importance of Jury Service
6
State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62-0141 – Failure to Answer Jury Summons