The Texas jury duty dress code is business casual: slacks or khakis with a collared shirt, or a modest blouse with a skirt or dress at knee length or longer, plus closed-toe shoes. No statewide rule exists, so the instructions on your summons or your county district clerk’s website control. Show up in shorts, a tank top, flip-flops, a hat, or anything with offensive graphics and you can be turned away at the courtroom door, and if that counts as a failure to appear, the fine runs from $100 to $500.
What Counts as Acceptable
You don’t need a suit. The Texas Court of Appeals for the Second District says collared shirts, slacks, and “nice jeans” without holes or fraying are generally acceptable, which gives you a fair sense of the floor most Texas courts set.1Texas Judicial Branch. Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas – Dress Code for Courtroom Proceedings Aim to look like you belong in a professional office.
Counties layer their own language on top of that baseline. Bell County’s jury instructions call specifically for business casual attire.2Bell County, Texas. Jury Rights and Responsibilities Comal County frames it around maintaining “dignity, integrity, decorum, and professional atmosphere.”3Comal County, TX. Courtroom Attire and Conduct If your summons doesn’t spell anything out, look up your county district clerk before your report date. Five minutes online can save you a wasted trip.
What Will Get You Turned Away
The banned list is strikingly consistent across Texas counties. Shorts, tank tops, halter tops, tube tops, and swimwear are rejected everywhere. Flip-flops and beach sandals don’t pass. T-shirts and muscle shirts often land on the prohibited list too.4McLennan County. Dress Code The Second District Court of Appeals adds ball caps to its list of banned items.1Texas Judicial Branch. Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas – Dress Code for Courtroom Proceedings
Graphic imagery, profanity, and messages promoting violence, drug use, or illegal activity are out. McLennan County bars anything with “an emblem or wording that promotes illegal or inappropriate activity.”4McLennan County. Dress Code Political slogans are a gray area worth avoiding on their own terms. Even where a county doesn’t explicitly ban them, anything that hints at a bias gives attorneys a reason to strike you during selection.
Hats are generally banned for everyone in the courtroom. Religious head coverings and items worn for medical reasons are the recognized exceptions and you won’t be asked to remove them. A plain baseball cap, though, will get you stopped at the door.
The Penalty for Showing Up in the Wrong Clothes
The direct consequence is usually being turned away. Courts reserve the right to bar anyone in inappropriate clothing from the courtroom.1Texas Judicial Branch. Court of Appeals Second Appellate District of Texas – Dress Code for Courtroom Proceedings McLennan County warns that being barred for a dress code violation “may result in an arrest warrant for failure to appear.”4McLennan County. Dress Code The chain matters. A dress code violation doesn’t itself carry a fine, but if it keeps you out of the courtroom, the court can treat you as a no-show.
Under Texas Government Code Section 62.111, a juror who fails to attend court without a reasonable excuse faces a fine of $100 to $500.5State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62-111 – Penalty for Failure to Appear The same penalty applies if you file a false claim of exemption from service. Beyond that statutory fine, Texas courts hold general contempt power that allows a judge to impose a fine of up to $500, confinement in the county jail for up to six months, or both. In practice, a first-time issue almost always ends with the judge sending you home to change and rescheduling your service. The legal authority for something more serious still exists, and judges have broad discretion.
Dress for the Cold and the Metal Detector
Courtroom air conditioning in Texas runs cold, especially in summer. Jury assembly rooms often feel much colder than the parking lot you just walked through. A light cardigan, sweater, or blazer layers over anything you’d already wear and doesn’t clash with the dress code. Jury service can stretch across full days of testimony, and being cold for eight hours makes it hard to pay attention.
Every Texas courthouse also runs visitors through a metal detector. Bexar County’s protocol is representative: empty your pockets into a bin, walk through one at a time, and if the alarm sounds, a deputy rescreens you with a hand wand.6Bexar County, TX – Official Website. Court Security of Precinct 1 Heavy jewelry, metal belt buckles, and shoes with steel shanks can all trigger the alarm. Keeping accessories simple speeds up the line on your first morning.