Excuses
How to get out of jury duty, legally
Tick what applies to you: the tool shows which grounds your state names in its law or on its court pages, and how the request is made.
Can I be excused or postpone?
Texas
1 ground named by the state
| Age rule | 75+, on request |
| Caring for a young child or a dependent | named |
Exemptions are claimed by filing a signed statement with the clerk before the date; the judge may also accept any reasonable sworn excuse. Economic excuses need the parties' approval. Ask the court clerk in person, in writing or by phone before your date. A first postponement is granted automatically (if none in the past year) to a date within 6 months; later ones need 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.
The only lawful ways out of a jury summons are the ones the court grants: an exemption written into the law, an excuse the court accepts for a reason it recognizes, or a postponement to a better date. Nothing else works, and ignoring the summons can bring a fine. Each state lists its own grounds. Across the 50 states and DC, the laws and court pages we read name undue hardship in 40 jurisdictions, a medical condition in 42, caring for a child or dependent in 32, and breastfeeding in 22. Age gives an exemption by law in 0 jurisdictions and a right to ask in 39, from 65 to 80. A postponement is the easiest request to obtain almost everywhere. The checker above matches your situation to your state's list, read on October 29, 2026.
Can you be excused because of your age?
Florida
You may ask to be excused
| Age set by law | 70 |
| How | on request |
| Law | Fla. Stat. § 40.013(8) |
Anyone 70 or older is excused on request, and may ask in writing to be permanently excused.
Statutes and court pages read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Exemption, excuse, postponement: three different things
An exemption is set by statute: if you meet it, you may claim it, and in some states you are simply not eligible to serve, such as non-citizens or people under 18. An excuse is granted by the court for a reason the law or the court recognizes, often with proof; the judge or jury commissioner decides. A postponement (deferral) moves your service to a later date without excusing you, and it is granted far more freely, usually once and within a set window.
The distinction matters because the paperwork differs. An age exemption may be claimed with a tick on the questionnaire; a medical excuse needs a doctor's note; a postponement usually needs only a date. Check which one you are asking for before writing to the court.
The grounds states name most often
The count below is how many of the 51 jurisdictions (the 50 states and DC) name each ground in the statute or official court page we read. A ground missing from a state's list is not necessarily refused: many laws give the judge broad discretion for "undue hardship", which can cover child care or travel without naming them.
| Ground | Jurisdictions that name it |
|---|---|
| Undue or financial hardship | 40 |
| Illness or disability | 42 |
| Caring for a child or dependent | 32 |
| Full-time student | 9 |
| Distance or transport | 3 |
| Breastfeeding | 22 |
| Active military duty | 18 |
| Served recently | 21 |
| Emergency or essential public worker | 7 |
| Sole proprietor or key employee | 1 |
Age
Age rules split into two families. In 0 jurisdictions people above a set age are exempt or disqualified by law and can decline without giving another reason. In 39 they may ask to be excused, and the court grants it on request. Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, New York, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin set no upper age at all. The age page lists every state with its age and the law.
What does not work
Ignoring the summons does not end it: the court can send a second notice, an order to appear, or a fine, and some statutes allow jail for contempt. Giving false answers to look unsuitable is perjury. Moving the problem to the day of service, by turning up and hoping to be sent home, wastes a day you could have postponed. The honest request filed early is both the lawful route and the one most likely to succeed.
Beware also of anyone who calls to "clear" a missed summons for a fee. Courts write to jurors and do not take payment over the phone; the scam page lists the warning signs published by the federal courts.
Writing the request
Keep it short and factual: who you are, your juror number, the reason in one sentence, the proof attached, and a date you could serve instead if the court prefers to postpone. The request letter tool writes it for you in the browser; nothing is sent. Then follow your summons for where to file it, usually the court's juror portal.