If you’ve been called for jury duty in Hawaii, you need to respond to the summons, show up on your scheduled date at the courthouse for your judicial circuit, and plan for a day that may stretch into a multi-day trial if you’re seated. The state pays $30 for each day you attend plus mileage or bus fare, your employer cannot fire you for serving but isn’t required to pay your wages, and skipping the summons without a valid excuse can lead to a fine of up to $100 or up to three days in jail.
Who Has to Serve
Hawaii Revised Statutes § 612-4 sets four basic qualifications. You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a resident of the judicial circuit where the court sits, and able to read, speak, and understand English.1Justia. Hawaii Code 612-4 – Grounds of Qualification and Disqualification Hawaii has four judicial circuits — the First on Oahu, Second on Maui, Third on the Big Island, and Fifth on Kauai — and you only serve in the one where you live.
Three things disqualify you outright under the same statute:
- A felony conviction in any state or federal court, if you haven’t been finally discharged or pardoned.
- A disability that makes you incapable of performing jury service. The court may ask for a certificate from a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse.
- Failing to meet any of the four basic qualifications above.
Exemptions and Hardship Excuses
Several categories of people can claim an exemption under § 612-6, but none of these come off automatically. You have to request the exemption. The list covers:
- Elected officials while the legislature is in session, and federal, state, or county judges.
- Actively practicing physicians and dentists.
- Armed forces or militia members on active service and deployed out of state. Being in the military alone isn’t enough.
- Active members of a police or fire department.
- Active members of an emergency medical services agency.
- Anyone who served on a jury in a Hawaii state court or the U.S. District Court for Hawaii within the past year.
- Anyone living more than 70 miles from the courthouse.
- People 80 or older.
- Women breastfeeding or expressing breast milk, for up to two years after the child’s birth.
All of these are set out in § 612-6.2Justia. Hawaii Code 612-6 – Exempt When
If you don’t fit any of those categories but serving would genuinely hurt you, § 612-7 lets the court excuse you for cause. The statute sets a fairly high bar: a “slight or trivial cause” isn’t enough.3Justia. Hawaii Code 612-7 – Excused When, For Cause Severe financial difficulty, a caregiving responsibility you can’t delegate, or a medical issue that falls short of a full disqualification are the kinds of reasons judges will consider.
When your conflict is just about timing — a planned vacation, a work deadline — ask for a deferral instead. The court mails you a new summons for a later date.4Hawaii State Judiciary. Jury Duty Login It’s usually the simplest option.
Hawaii’s courts also run an online system called eJuror. Once you have a summons in hand, you can log in with your court jurisdiction and participant number to check your reporting instructions, which are updated after 5:00 p.m. on the business day before your scheduled date.5Hawaii State Judiciary. Jury Service Check it the evening before you report.
What to Expect on Reporting Day
You report to the courthouse named in your summons and check in with the jury pool office. The selection process itself usually takes one day, though complex cases can run longer.6Hawaii State Judiciary. Jury Service Frequently Asked Questions
Once you’re sent into a courtroom, the judge and attorneys begin voir dire, questioning prospective jurors to surface any biases. Expect questions about your background, your work, and any experience that might connect you to the case. Attorneys then use two kinds of challenges to shape the final panel. A challenge for cause asks the judge to dismiss a juror for actual bias or a disqualifying connection, like being related to a party; there’s no limit on these, but the judge has to approve each one. A peremptory challenge lets a lawyer remove a juror without stating a reason, though each side gets only a limited number and none of them can be used to discriminate based on race or sex.
If you’re seated, you stay through the trial and deliberations. Most trials in Hawaii last three to four days, though some run longer depending on complexity.6Hawaii State Judiciary. Jury Service Frequently Asked Questions
Pay, Mileage, and Parking
Hawaii pays $30 for each day you attend, whether you’re seated on a jury or sent home after voir dire. You also receive the higher of 33 cents per mile for travel to and from the courthouse or the cost of an adult bus fare.7Justia. Hawaii Code 612-8 – Pay of Jurors; Mileage Fee; Bus Fare; Parking Violations Exemption
Parking arrangements depend on the courthouse. On Oahu, the court validates parking at nearby garages. On the neighbor islands, parking is typically available in municipal lots or marked courthouse stalls, and you display a jury duty sign from your summons on your dashboard. Jurors who park at metered stalls near the First Circuit Court are told not to feed the meters; if you get a citation for an expired meter, turn it in to the clerk.6Hawaii State Judiciary. Jury Service Frequently Asked Questions
The daily attendance fee counts as taxable income on your federal return. Mileage or bus fare reimbursement doesn’t. If your total attendance fees top $600 in a calendar year, the court issues a 1099.8U.S District Court. Will I Be Paid for My Jury Service? For a single trial, you won’t come close.
Your Job While You Serve
Hawaii law does not require your employer to pay your regular wages during jury duty.6Hawaii State Judiciary. Jury Service Frequently Asked Questions Some employers pay anyway, but it’s a benefit, not a legal requirement. What is required: your employer cannot fire, threaten, or retaliate against you for receiving a summons or serving.9Justia. Hawaii Code 612-25 – Protection of Jurors Employment
An employer who violates that protection commits a petty misdemeanor. You can also sue civilly, but you have to file within 90 days of being fired. If you win, the court can order reinstatement and up to six weeks of lost wages, plus a reasonable attorney’s fee.9Justia. Hawaii Code 612-25 – Protection of Jurors Employment That 90-day window is strict. If your employer retaliates, call the jury pool office and an attorney quickly.
If You’re a Salaried Exempt Employee
Federal labor law adds a layer for salaried exempt employees. Under 29 C.F.R. § 541.602(b)(3), an employer cannot deduct from your salary for partial-week absences caused by jury duty. If you work any part of the week, you must be paid your full salary for that week. The employer can, however, offset the $30-per-day jury fee against your salary for that week.10eCFR. 29 CFR 541.602 If you miss an entire workweek and perform no work at all, no salary is required for that week.
What Happens if You Ignore the Summons
Hawaii treats a jury summons as a court order. A prospective juror who willfully or without reasonable excuse fails to attend after being summoned can be arrested. State law authorizes a fine of up to $100 or imprisonment for up to three days. The court doesn’t have to warn you first. If you have a real conflict, contact the jury pool office before your reporting date and ask for a deferral or excuse. Don’t just skip.
Federal Jury Duty Is Separate
A summons from the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii is a different track with its own rules. Federal qualifications overlap with the state’s but add requirements: you must have lived in the federal judicial district for at least one year, you cannot currently face felony charges carrying more than a year of imprisonment, and you must never have been convicted of a felony unless your civil rights were legally restored.11United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses
Federal jurors receive $50 per day, higher than the state’s $30.12United States Courts. Fees of Jurors and Commissioners Federal employment protections are stronger too: under 28 U.S.C. § 1875, an employer who fires or coerces an employee over federal jury service faces a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, possible community service, and liability for the employee’s lost wages and reinstatement.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1875 – Protection of Jurors Employment Check the issuing court on your summons so you know which set of rules governs your service.