If you’ve been summoned for Pinellas County jury duty, plan on one day at the Clearwater or St. Petersburg courthouse under Florida’s one-day or one-trial system: report as scheduled, and unless you’re seated on a trial, your obligation is finished for at least a year. Florida law sets who has to serve, who can be excused, what you’ll be paid, and what happens if you skip it.
Who Has to Serve
To be eligible for jury service in Pinellas County, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen, a legal resident of Florida and Pinellas County, and hold a valid Florida driver’s license or state ID.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 40.01 – Qualifications of Jurors The Clerk’s office builds jury pools from state identification records, so a Florida license or ID with a Pinellas address puts you in the pool.2The Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Jury FAQs
Some people are disqualified regardless of preference: anyone currently under prosecution, anyone with a felony conviction whose civil rights haven’t been restored, and certain elected officials and judges. Full-time law enforcement and investigative personnel are excused automatically but may volunteer.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 40.013 – Persons Disqualified or Excused From Jury Service
Getting Excused or Rescheduled
Florida gives you two separate options if serving on the assigned date would be a problem: an excusal, which removes you from that summons entirely, or a postponement, which shifts your date up to six months later.4Justia. Florida Code 40.23 – Summoning Jurors The distinction matters. A postponement doesn’t erase your obligation; it moves it.
Who Can Be Excused
Florida statute lists specific categories where you can request an excusal:
- Parents not employed full-time with custody of a child under six, and expectant mothers.
- Anyone responsible for a person who cannot care for themselves due to mental illness, intellectual disability, or other incapacity.
- Full-time students aged 18 to 21 enrolled in high school, a state university, a Florida College System institution, a private postsecondary school, or a career center.
- Anyone who reported for jury service anywhere in Pinellas County within the past year, exempt for one year from the last day of that service.
- Residents 70 or older, who can request a one-time excusal or a permanent one in writing, and can later ask to be put back on the list.
- Anyone who can show a judge hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necessity.
Medical conditions fall under general hardship, or, for permanent incapacity, under a separate provision requiring a written statement from a licensed physician.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 40.013 – Persons Disqualified or Excused From Jury Service
Requesting a Postponement
If none of the excusal categories fit but the date is bad, ask for a postponement of up to six months. The request can be written or oral, and you can name your preferred new date. The court will try to honor that preference when it reschedules you.4Justia. Florida Code 40.23 – Summoning Jurors
How to Respond to Your Summons
The quickest way to request an excusal or postponement is the Pinellas County Clerk’s eResponse portal at juryservice.mypinellasclerk.gov. You’ll need the juror identification number printed on your summons to log in, complete the questionnaire, and submit your request.5Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Welcome to eResponse
By mail, send your completed summons and any supporting documents to the Jury Services Department, P.O. Box 18046, Clearwater, FL 33762-1046. You can also call (727) 464-6423 or email jury@mypinellasclerk.gov.6Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Jury Services
Submit your request well before your scheduled date. If it’s denied, you still have to appear. A pending request that hasn’t been resolved does not relieve you of that obligation.
What Reporting Day Looks Like
Before you drive in, check whether you still need to appear. Settlements and plea deals sometimes eliminate the need for a jury between the mailing of your summons and your reporting date. Updates are posted by 5:00 p.m. the evening before. If no message appears, report as directed.6Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Jury Services
Where to Report and When
Pinellas County jury trials are held in Clearwater and St. Petersburg, and your summons will tell you which one.7Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Addresses and Directions Hours vary:
- Downtown Clearwater Courthouse: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A juror parking permit comes with your summons and should be displayed on the dashboard.
- St. Petersburg Branch: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with doors opening at 8:00 a.m. on jury trial days.
Plan on the full day. Jury service does not end at a set hour, and there’s no way to know in advance whether you’ll be released early or seated on a trial.6Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Jury Services
Security and What to Wear
Every courthouse entrance uses a magnetometer, similar to airport screening. Firearms, knives of any size, chemical sprays, glass containers, metal nail files, and cutting instruments are prohibited inside court facilities.6Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Jury Services
Dress is business casual: slacks, khakis, skirts, or button-down shirts. Shorts, tank tops, T-shirts, ripped clothing, flip-flops, and hats are not allowed. Courtrooms run cold, so bring a sweater or jacket. Reading material, a laptop (Wi-Fi is available at all locations), and any medications you need during the day are fine to bring.6Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Jury Services
The One-Day or One-Trial Rule
If you report and aren’t selected for a jury panel, you’ve fulfilled your obligation for at least one year. If a judge excuses you from a particular case during selection, you may be sent to another courtroom or dismissed for the day. Showing up counts as service even if you never sit in a jury box.6Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court. Jury Services
What You’ll Be Paid
For the first three days of service, pay depends on your employment situation. Jurors who are not regularly employed, or who are employed but not receiving wages during service, get $15 per day. Jurors who continue to receive their normal wages from an employer get nothing from the court during those first three days. Starting on day four, every juror receives $30 per day regardless of employment status.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 40.24 – Compensation and Reimbursement Policy
Florida law also states that jurors are not entitled to reimbursement for travel or other out-of-pocket expenses. There is no mileage payment.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 40.24 – Compensation and Reimbursement Policy
Your Job Is Protected
Your employer cannot fire you or threaten to fire you because of jury service, no matter how long the trial lasts. Even a threat of termination can be treated as contempt of court. If an employer does fire you over jury duty, you can bring a civil lawsuit and recover compensatory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorney fees.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 40.271 – Jury Service
Florida does not require private employers to pay your regular salary while you serve. In Pinellas County, whether you keep your paycheck during service depends entirely on your employer’s policy.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 40.24 – Compensation and Reimbursement Policy
What Happens if You Don’t Show Up
Ignoring a jury summons carries real consequences. If you’re summoned and fail to appear without a sufficient excuse, the court can impose a fine of up to $100, and your absence can be treated as contempt, opening the door to further sanctions at the judge’s discretion.4Justia. Florida Code 40.23 – Summoning Jurors
In practice, a first-time no-show usually gets a follow-up notice rather than immediate punishment. Repeated failures, or ignoring that follow-up, are where things escalate. If the timing genuinely doesn’t work, a postponement request on the eResponse portal takes only a few minutes and avoids the problem entirely.