For Philadelphia jury duty, check in the night before by calling the Jury Commission’s automated line or logging into the online Juror Portal after 5:00 PM on the business day before your service date. Both use the Juror Index Number or Participant Number printed on your summons. The system will tell you one of two things: report as scheduled, or you’re excused.
When and How to Check
The phone number and Juror Portal address are printed on the summons itself. Have the summons in front of you, because you’ll need the Juror Index Number or Participant Number to get in. The system opens after 5:00 PM on the business day immediately before your service date, so if you’re scheduled for a Monday, check on Friday evening.
The check takes about a minute. If the automated line or the portal isn’t working, you can reach the Jury Commission directly at (215) 683-7170 or jury@courts.phila.gov.1City of Philadelphia. Report for Jury Duty
What the System Will Tell You
You’ll get one of two answers.
Report as scheduled. Show up at the location and time printed on your summons the next morning.
You’re excused. Under Philadelphia’s one-day-or-one-trial policy, that ordinarily ends your obligation for this summons, and you don’t need to check again.1City of Philadelphia. Report for Jury Duty
Cases settle and get continued regularly, which is why the court doesn’t confirm the head count until the evening before. Checking is what tells you which side of that shuffle you landed on.
If You’re Told to Report
Civil jurors generally report to City Hall; criminal jurors report to the Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice. Your summons says which building and what time. Bring the tear-off stub from the summons and a valid photo ID for check-in and security.
Phones are fine in common areas like the Jury Assembly Room, but inside courtrooms all electronic devices must be powered off and out of sight. A device that isn’t powered off can be confiscated and turned over to the District Attorney’s Office for search, and using a phone to record or photograph proceedings can lead to contempt charges and criminal prosecution.2First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Cell Phone and Electronic Devices Policy Leave weapons and anything that could be treated as a weapon at home.
If You Can’t Serve on Your Date
The night-before check isn’t the place to reschedule. If you already know you can’t make the date, handle it beforehand through the Juror Portal at fjdjurorq.phila.gov or by mail using the form included with your summons. A postponement moves your service to a later date; it doesn’t cancel it.
Some people can be excused outright rather than postponed. Pennsylvania law allows excusal for demonstrated undue hardship or extreme inconvenience, for people 75 or older, and for active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces.3First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Juror Participation Initiative Report You’re disqualified from serving if you can’t read, write, speak, and understand English, if a mental or physical condition prevents you from serving effectively, or if you have an unreversed felony conviction (most vehicle code offenses excluded).4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 42, Chapter 45 – Juries and Jurors
If you need a disability-related accommodation, submit a request to the First Judicial District’s ADA Coordinator at least three business days before your service date. The form is available from the courts, and you can call (215) 686-2547 for help.5First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Request for Reasonable Accommodation Form
What Happens If You Skip the Check and Don’t Show
A jury summons is a court order. Failing to appear without a valid excuse can bring contempt of court charges carrying a fine of up to $500, up to ten days in jail, or both.6Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 42 4584 – Penalties Rescheduling through the Juror Portal or calling the Jury Commission before the date is always the better move than a no-show. And the night-before check is what keeps the flip side from happening too: making the trip downtown on a morning the court had already released you.