States
Jury duty in Alabama: pay, employer rules and excuses
Independent site, not a court. Answer your summons and ask for an excuse only through the court that summoned you.
Work out what an Alabama juror is owed, check whether your employer must keep paying you, and test an excuse against Alabama law before your report date.
What jury duty in Alabama will pay you
You receive for 3 days
$600
| Court fee | not specified |
| Employer, by law | $600 for 3 days |
| A normal 3 days of work | $600 |
| Income lost | $0 |
| Age rule | 80 and over, may ask to be excused |
Alabama: The statute leaves the daily expense allowance and mileage to an Alabama Supreme Court order or rule; the amount could not be confirmed on a reachable official page. Before tax. Full-time employees keep their usual pay while on jury duty; employers cannot make them use vacation, sick or unpaid leave.
All jury rules in AlabamaAlabama treats jury duty as a paid workday for full-time employees: under Ala. Code §§ 12-16-8 and 12-16-8.1 they keep their usual compensation, and an employer cannot force them to burn vacation, sick or unpaid leave. The court's own daily expense allowance and mileage are left by Ala. Code § 12-19-210 to an order or rule of the Alabama Supreme Court, and we could not confirm the amounts on a reachable official page, so the summons is the place to check. Show the summons to your immediate supervisor on the next workday. People 80 or older may ask in writing to be permanently exempt (§ 12-16-62). A juror chosen for a trial serves until it ends unless the judge excuses them, and after petit jury service you cannot be summoned again for 24 months. One postponement is automatic on request, to a date within 6 months. Ignoring a summons without good excuse is contempt: up to $300 and 10 days in county jail (§ 12-16-82).
Statutes and court pages read by Radif Partners on October 29, 2026 · Method and sources
Alabama employers and the full-time pay rule
Alabama is one of the few states where the wage question is settled in the employee's favor by statute. A full-time employee summoned for jury duty is entitled to his or her usual compensation, and the absence is excused: the employer cannot require you to use vacation days, sick time or unpaid leave to cover it. The protection comes with a duty of your own. You must show the summons to your immediate supervisor on the next workday after you receive it, so keep a copy and hand it over promptly. The usual-pay sentence of § 12-16-8 speaks of full-time employees only, so part-time workers should ask about their employer's policy.
Postponing or being excused in Alabama
Section 12-16-63.1 gives everyone the right to postpone the first appearance once, by asking in person, by phone, by email or in writing; the new date must fall within 6 months. A second postponement is possible only for an extreme emergency. Separate from postponement, the court can excuse you for undue or extreme physical or financial hardship, an incapacitating mental or physical condition, being a nursing mother when the summons arrives, public necessity, or being a sole caregiver with no substitute. Missing work by itself is not a hardship, and an excused juror is then exempt for 24 months.
The rules in Alabama, law by law
| Rule | What the law or court says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Juror pay | not specified by the state | Ala. Code § 12-19-210 |
| Mileage | A per-mile allowance for travel to and from court, amount set by the Alabama Supreme Court | Ala. Code § 12-19-210 |
| Employer must keep paying | Full-time employees keep their usual pay while on jury duty; employers cannot make them use vacation, sick or unpaid leave. | Ala. Code §§ 12-16-8, 12-16-8.1 |
| Job protected | Yes | Ala. Code §§ 12-16-8, 12-16-8.1 |
| Age | 80 and over: may ask to be excused | Ala. Code § 12-16-62 |
| Length of service | A selected juror serves for the length of the trial unless excused by the judge. | alison.legislature.state.al.us |
| Before another summons | 24 months | alison.legislature.state.al.us |
| Postponing | One automatic postponement on request (in person, phone, email or writing) to a fixed date within 6 months; a second only for an extreme emergency. | alison.legislature.state.al.us |
| Not showing up | Failing to obey a summons without good excuse is contempt of court: fine up to $300 and up to 10 days in county jail. | Ala. Code § 12-16-82 |
Excuses and postponement in Alabama
Apply to the court before the report date, with documentation if asked; being absent from work alone is not a hardship. An excused juror is exempt for 24 months. One automatic postponement on request (in person, phone, email or writing) to a fixed date within 6 months; a second only for an extreme emergency.
Can I be excused or postpone?
Alabama
No ground named: ask to postpone
| Age rule | 80+, on request |
Apply to the court before the report date, with documentation if asked; being absent from work alone is not a hardship. An excused juror is exempt for 24 months. One automatic postponement on request (in person, phone, email or writing) to a fixed date within 6 months; a second only for an extreme emergency.
A request is decided by the court, often with proof (a doctor's note, a school schedule). Ignoring a summons is not an excuse.