Jury duty pay in Indiana runs from $15 to $90 per day depending on the court and how long the trial lasts. In circuit, superior, county, and probate courts, you earn $30 per day during jury selection, $80 per day once seated through the fifth day of trial, and $90 per day from the sixth day forward. City and town courts pay a flat $15 per day. Mileage is reimbursed on top of that, and your county may add a supplement.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-37-10-1 – Jury Fees
Daily Pay Rates in State Court
The state statute sets a tiered scale that pays more the longer you serve. In circuit, superior, county, and probate courts:
- $30 per day while you’re in actual attendance before the jury is impaneled, including the day you report for selection.
- $80 per day for trial days one through five, once you’re seated.
- $90 per day from day six until the jury is discharged.
Grand jurors are paid on the same scale.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-37-10-1 – Jury Fees
City and town courts work differently. Jurors there receive a flat $15 per day for the entire period of attendance, with no step-up for longer trials.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-37-10-1 – Jury Fees
A detail worth knowing: you still get paid for the day even if you’re never chosen. The statute treats any prospective juror who shows up on the day specified in the summons as being “in actual attendance,” panel or no panel.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-37-10-1 – Jury Fees
County Supplemental Pay
A county’s fiscal body can adopt an ordinance paying a supplemental fee on top of the state rates. Not every county does this, so your actual take-home may be higher than the figures above depending on where you serve. The local court clerk’s office can tell you whether your county offers a supplement and how much it is.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-37-10-1 – Jury Fees
Mileage Reimbursement
Indiana reimburses jurors for travel to and from the courthouse at the same rate the state pays its own employees for business travel, currently $0.49 per mile.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-37-10-1 – Jury Fees2Indiana Department of Administration. Travel Reimbursement Rates
The reimbursement covers every mile “necessarily traveled,” which the court interprets as the most direct route from your home to the courthouse. Both prospective and seated jurors receive mileage. Some courthouses verify the distance with mapping software or by confirming your address at check-in. Parking fees and taxi fares are generally not reimbursed in state court, so budget for parking if your courthouse sits in a downtown lot.
Federal Jury Duty Pay
If you’re summoned to a federal court in Indiana, your pay comes from the federal system and follows different rules. Federal jurors receive $50 per day for attendance at trial or hearing. When a trial runs longer than ten days, the presiding judge can raise the daily rate by up to $10, bringing the ceiling to $60 per day.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1871 – Fees
Federal courts reimburse mileage at $0.56 per mile rather than the state employee rate. Jurors required to stay overnight may also receive a subsistence allowance for meals and lodging. Payment typically arrives by check within two weeks of service.4United States District Court Northern District of Indiana. Juror Payment
When the Check Arrives
Each county clerk’s office handles payment, and timing varies. Most counties mail checks, though some have shifted to direct deposit or prepaid debit cards. Expect payment within two to four weeks of completing service in many areas. A courthouse that only handles single-day appearances may pay the same day.
If a month passes with no payment, call the court clerk’s office. Delays are almost always administrative.
Taxes on Jury Pay
Jury duty pay is taxable income at the federal level. You report it on Schedule 1 of Form 1040, line 8h.5Internal Revenue Service. Publication 525 – Taxable and Nontaxable Income Indiana treats it like any other income for state tax purposes.
Most jurors won’t owe much. Even a full week at $80 per day only comes to $400. Courts may issue a 1099 if your jury pay for the year reaches $600, though few jurors hit that threshold.
One wrinkle covers a common arrangement: if your employer keeps paying your regular salary while you serve but asks you to hand over the jury check, report the full jury pay as income and then claim the amount you turned over as an adjustment on Form 1040. That keeps the same money from being taxed twice.6Internal Revenue Service. Jury Duty Pay Given to Employer
Does Your Employer Have to Pay You?
No. Indiana doesn’t require employers to pay your regular wages during jury service. Some do voluntarily, and larger companies often include paid jury leave in their benefits packages. When they do, they may ask you to sign over your jury duty check, which is legal.
What your employer cannot do is retaliate. State law prohibits firing, demoting, docking pay as punishment, cutting hours, or taking any other adverse action because you served. The protection kicks in when you notify your employer within a reasonable time after receiving the summons and before you appear.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-28-5-24.3 – Adverse Employment Action as the Result of Jury Service
Your employer also cannot force you to use vacation, sick, or annual leave to cover the time you spend on jury duty. If you’ve earned those benefits, they stay intact. The statute does not, however, require employers to create leave benefits they don’t already offer.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-28-5-24.3 – Adverse Employment Action as the Result of Jury Service