If you don’t go to jury duty in Texas, you can be fined between $100 and $1,000, and a judge can hold you in contempt of court with up to six months in jail or issue a bench warrant for your arrest. That worst-case path is reserved for people who ignore the court repeatedly. One missed date, followed by a call to the clerk’s office, almost always ends with a reschedule and no penalty.
The Fines You Can Face
Texas has two separate fine provisions, and a court could apply both.
The broader one is a contempt-style fine for failing to comply with a jury summons or lying to get out of one. It runs from $100 to $1,000.1State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.0141 – Failure to Comply With Summons It applies the moment you fail to follow the summons instructions, whether or not you were ever placed on a jury panel.
The second is narrower. Once you’ve been lawfully notified to report and you skip without a reasonable excuse, or you file a false exemption claim, the fine is $100 to $500.2State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.111 – Penalty for Defaulting Jurors The lower cap reflects that this one targets the no-show itself, while the broader statute covers any form of noncompliance.
Contempt, Jail, and Bench Warrants
Fines are not the ceiling. If a judge decides your absence is willful or you keep ignoring follow-up notices, you can be held in contempt of court. In a district or county court, contempt carries a fine of up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both. In a municipal or justice court, the maximum is a $100 fine and three days in jail.3State of Texas. Texas Government Code 21.002 – Contempt of Court
A judge can also issue a bench warrant, which lets law enforcement physically bring you to the courthouse. This almost never happens over a single missed summons when the person cooperates afterward. It becomes a real risk when someone ignores everything: the original summons, the follow-up letter, and any show-cause order that follows. Repeat no-shows who never respond are the ones who end up with warrants.
What to Do If You Already Missed Your Date
Call the court clerk’s office that issued the summons. That one step resolves most cases. Have your name, juror ID number, and scheduled date ready. Courts deal with no-shows constantly, and the vast majority of people who call and explain get rescheduled without any penalty.
Many Texas courts also offer online rescheduling or automated phone systems for exactly this purpose.4City of Houston. City of Houston Municipal Courts Department – Jury Information: Reset Jury Service If the court has already issued a show-cause order, you’ll need to appear before a judge and explain. Bring documentation: a doctor’s note, proof of travel, work records, anything that shows the absence wasn’t deliberate.
The pattern that leads to serious consequences is silence. One missed date followed by a phone call almost never results in penalties. One missed date followed by months of ignoring the court’s letters is how people end up with fines, warrants, and a contempt finding on their record.
If You Had a Legitimate Reason
Some people miss jury duty because they genuinely couldn’t serve or shouldn’t have been summoned. Texas law recognizes three different categories, and the right one matters when you contact the court.
Exemptions are things you choose to claim. You can opt out if you’re 75 or older, have custody of a child under 12 who would be left without adequate supervision, are an enrolled secondary school or college student, work for the Texas legislature, are the primary caretaker of someone who can’t care for themselves, are active-duty military deployed out of your county, or served recently as a juror in the same county (within 24 months in counties of 200,000 or more, or three years in counties of 250,000 or more).5State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.106 – Exemption From Jury Service These are voluntary; you can serve even if you qualify.
Disqualifications are different. They mean you’re legally ineligible. You’re disqualified if you’re under 18, not a U.S. citizen, not a resident of Texas and the county, not qualified to vote in that county, cannot read and write, have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor theft, or are currently under indictment for a felony or misdemeanor theft.6State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.102 – General Qualifications for Jury Service Even then, respond to the summons and tell the court why you’re ineligible. Throwing the summons away because you think you’re disqualified does not protect you from a contempt fine.
A judge can also excuse you for any reasonable sworn excuse: a physical or mental condition, inability to communicate in English, or a serious scheduling conflict.7State of Texas. Texas Government Code 62.110 – Judicial Excuse of Juror One limit: a judge generally cannot excuse you on purely economic grounds unless every party in the case agrees. “I can’t afford to miss work” is the most common excuse, and the one courts have the least authority to grant on their own.
Federal Jury Duty Is a Separate System
If your summons came from a federal district court rather than a Texas state or county court, the penalties are different. Federal law allows a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, community service, or any combination of those for failing to show good cause after missing a federal summons.8GovInfo. 28 USC 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels Federal jail exposure caps at three days, well below the six-month ceiling for Texas state contempt above the municipal level.
Your Employer Cannot Punish You for Serving
If the real reason you’re thinking about skipping is job pressure, Texas law prohibits employers from firing, threatening, intimidating, or retaliating against any permanent employee for serving on a jury.9State of Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 122.001 – Protection of Jurors Employment This protection applies to jury service in any U.S. court, not just Texas state courts.
If an employer violates this, a court can order reinstatement and award damages equal to one to five years of the employee’s compensation, plus attorney’s fees.10State of Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 122.002 – Damages, Reinstatement, Attorney Fees You have two years from the date of your jury service to bring that claim. Most Texas employers know this; if yours threatens you, the legal leverage sits with you, not them.