States
Jury duty in Iowa: 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.
See how Iowa juror pay rises from $30 to $50 after the first week, what the two-year rule means, and how to postpone up to 12 months.
What jury duty in Iowa will pay you
You receive for 9 days
$310
| Court fee | $310 |
| Employer, by law | No duty to keep paying wages under this law |
| A normal 9 days of work | $1,800 |
| Income lost | $1,490 |
| Age rule | no age exemption |
Iowa: Statute sets $30 a day and lets the Supreme Court add pay after 7 days; the Judicial Branch pays $50 a day from day 8. Day rates used: $30, $50. Before tax. No Iowa law requires employers to pay wages during jury service.
All jury rules in IowaIowa Code § 607A.8 sets juror pay at $30 a day and lets the Iowa Supreme Court add more after seven days; the Judicial Branch now pays $50 a day from day 8. Round-trip mileage at the Supreme Court's rate and actual parking costs are added. No Iowa law requires employers to keep paying wages, though § 607A.45 protects your job; the courts advise giving your employer notice the moment you are summoned. There is no age-based exemption, so older jurors need a medical, disability or other good-cause reason. Each county court sets the term, up to 3 months. If you served as a state grand or trial juror in the past two years, you are excused. Postponement up to 12 months can be requested online or by phone at least 10 days before the reporting date, and the first request is granted automatically. Failing to appear without sufficient cause can be punished as contempt: before a district judge, up to $500, six months in jail, or both (§§ 607A.36, 665.4).
Statutes and court pages read by Radif Partners on October 29, 2026 · Method and sources
Iowa's raise after the seventh day
The statute fixes the base at $30 and leaves the long-service rate to the Supreme Court, which has set $50 a day from the eighth day of service. A juror who attends nine days therefore receives seven days at $30 and two at $50, or $310 before mileage and parking, and the calculator opens at nine days to show the change. Parking is reimbursed at the actual cost rather than a flat amount, so keep your receipts. With no employer wage duty, a juror on a trial of a week or more depends on these figures and on the employer's own leave policy.
Iowa caregiver and breastfeeding excuses have a work condition
Two Iowa excuses apply only to people who do not work outside the home. A sole caregiver of a person with a permanent disability living at home qualifies, and so does a breastfeeding mother caring for her child, but either excuse falls away if you are employed outside the home. Other grounds under §§ 607A.5 and 607A.6 are a physical or mental disability backed by a doctor's note and state jury service within the past two years. Hardship, inconvenience or public necessity usually leads to a deferral instead. Send written proof with the questionnaire, and remember that the automatic first postponement must be requested at least 10 days ahead.
The rules in Iowa, law by law
| Rule | What the law or court says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Juror pay | $30 a day; $50 from day 8 | Iowa Code § 607A.8 |
| Mileage | Round-trip mileage at the rate set by the Iowa Supreme Court, plus actual parking costs | Iowa Code § 607A.8 |
| Employer must keep paying | No | Iowa Code § 607A.45 |
| Job protected | Yes | Iowa Code § 607A.45 |
| Age | No age exemption | iowacourts.gov |
| Length of service | Set by each county court, up to 3 months, longer only to finish a case. | legis.iowa.gov |
| Before another summons | 24 months | iowacourts.gov |
| Postponing | Postpone up to 12 months online or by phone at least 10 days before the reporting date; the first request is granted automatically. | iowacourts.gov |
| Not showing up | Failing to appear without sufficient cause can be punished as contempt; before a district judge, up to $500 and/or 6 months in jail. | Iowa Code §§ 607A.36, 665.4 |
Excuses and postponement in Iowa
Send written proof with the questionnaire; caregiving and breastfeeding excuses do not apply if you work outside the home. Postpone up to 12 months online or by phone at least 10 days before the reporting date; the first request is granted automatically.
Can I be excused or postpone?
Iowa
No ground named: ask to postpone
| Age rule | none |
Send written proof with the questionnaire; caregiving and breastfeeding excuses do not apply if you work outside the home. Postpone up to 12 months online or by phone at least 10 days before the reporting date; the first request is granted automatically.
A request is decided by the court, often with proof (a doctor's note, a school schedule). Ignoring a summons is not an excuse.
Official juror page: iowacourts.gov. Answer your summons and file any request there or as your summons says.