There are three legitimate ways to get out of jury duty in Texas: claim a statutory exemption if one fits your situation, ask the judge for a hardship excuse, or postpone your service to a later date. Exemptions are yours by right once you claim them. Excuses depend on the judge. Postponement is usually the easiest option when the real problem is timing.
Exemptions You Can Claim by Right
Start here, because if you qualify for an exemption you don’t have to convince anyone. You do have to affirmatively claim it on your juror questionnaire; the court will not apply it for you. Texas recognizes these exemptions:1State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.106
- You are 75 or older.
- You have legal custody of a child under 12 and serving would leave that child without adequate supervision.
- You are enrolled in and attending a public or private secondary school, college, or university.
- You are the primary caretaker of a person who cannot care for themselves.
- You are an officer or employee of the Texas Senate, House of Representatives, or an agency in the legislative branch.
- You are on active duty in the U.S. military and deployed outside your home station and county.
- You live in a county with at least 200,000 people and served as a juror within the past 24 months, or in a county with at least 250,000 people and served within the past three years.
The recent-service exemption is county-size dependent. If you’re in a smaller Texas county, that particular exemption isn’t available to you, though a separate disqualification still applies if you served six days as a juror in the last three months (county court) or last six months (district court).
Requesting a Hardship Excuse from the Judge
If no exemption fits but serving would create a real problem, you can ask the judge to excuse you. This is where most requests land, and it’s also the least predictable path because the judge has broad discretion.
Reasons judges commonly accept include a serious medical condition that would make sitting through a trial unreasonable, significant financial hardship (particularly for self-employed people or hourly workers without paid leave), and caregiving situations that don’t technically meet the exemption criteria but still make service impractical. A mental health condition, a scheduled surgery, or a work obligation that genuinely cannot be moved are all fair to raise.
Come with documentation. For a medical excuse, submit a letter from a licensed medical professional explaining the condition and why it prevents you from serving. A one-line note that says “patient cannot serve” will not carry the day. For financial hardship, be prepared to explain how missing work for the length of a trial would cause real economic harm, not ordinary inconvenience. Judges see many excuse requests and vague ones don’t fare well.
Postponing Your Service
If the issue isn’t jury duty itself but the date, ask to reschedule. Texas courts can move your service to a later date, and many counties allow you to defer once for any reason. This is often the cleanest answer when you have a work conflict, a vacation booked, or a temporary medical issue that will resolve in a few weeks.
Most counties handle deferrals through the same online portal, phone line, or email you’d use to respond to the summons. You’ll usually pick a new date at least six weeks out. If you can’t serve on the rescheduled date either, contact the court again and explain the ongoing problem. Postponement doesn’t get you out permanently, but it buys time and shows the court you’re acting in good faith.
Who Is Automatically Disqualified
Disqualification isn’t a choice, but it’s worth checking before you build an excuse. If any of the following apply, you cannot serve, and you should indicate it on your questionnaire:2State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.102
- You are under 18.
- You are not a U.S. citizen.
- You do not live in Texas or in the county that summoned you.
- You are not qualified to vote in the county.
- You are not of sound mind and good moral character.
- You cannot read and write.
- You’ve already served as a juror for six days in the last three months in county court or last six months in district court.
- You have been convicted of misdemeanor theft or any felony, or you are currently under indictment for either.
How to Respond to Your Summons
Your summons will include a juror questionnaire with checkboxes for disqualifications and exemptions. Fill it out completely and honestly. Most Texas counties now accept responses through an online portal, and you can also submit by mail or in person at the clerk’s office.
Watch the deadline printed on the summons. Late responses may not be considered, and a missed deadline looks a lot like ignoring the summons. If you’re claiming a medical excuse, attach documentation explaining how the condition affects your ability to serve. After you submit, wait for the court to respond. You may receive a notice excusing you, a rescheduled date, or instructions to appear in person so the judge can ask follow-up questions.
What Happens If You Ignore It
Throwing the summons in the trash is not a strategy. Failing to comply with a jury summons, or lying in a request for exemption or excuse, can be punished as contempt with a fine between $100 and $1,000.3State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.0141 A separate provision fines a properly summoned juror who fails to appear without reasonable excuse, or who files a false claim of exemption, between $100 and $500.4State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.111
Many courts send a follow-up letter before pursuing contempt, but that’s a courtesy, not a rule. Courts can issue a warrant if someone repeatedly ignores a summons. Responding, even with a request to be excused or rescheduled, is always the safer move. Judges accommodate people who communicate; they don’t accommodate people who disappear.
Your Job and Your Pay During Service
Texas law prohibits your employer from firing you, threatening to fire you, or retaliating against you because you serve on a jury or attend court in connection with jury service.5State of Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 122.001 If your employer violates this protection, you have the right to reinstatement without loss of seniority by notifying your employer as soon as practical after you’re released.
Texas does not require employers to pay you during jury service. Courts pay jurors a minimum of $6 for the first day and at least $40 for each additional day, though many counties pay more. The gap between your normal wages and that jury pay is what a judge weighs when you claim financial hardship.
If Your Summons Is from Federal Court
Different rules apply to federal jury duty. Federal courts require you to have lived in the judicial district for at least a year, and the felony disqualification only applies if your civil rights have not been restored.6United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses Each federal district sets its own excuse and deferral policies. Most grant permanent excuses to people over 70, those who served on a federal jury within the past two years, and volunteer firefighters or rescue squad members. Temporary excuses use an “undue hardship or extreme inconvenience” standard, and the judge’s decision cannot be appealed. Contact the specific federal court on your summons for its local procedure.