States
Jury duty in Massachusetts: 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 Massachusetts splits juror pay, three employer-paid days and then $50 a day from the state, and check the age 70 opt-out and postponement rules.
What jury duty in Massachusetts will pay you
You receive for 5 days
$700
| Court fee | $100 |
| Employer, by law | $600 for 3 days |
| A normal 5 days of work | $1,000 |
| Income lost | $300 |
| Age rule | 70 and over, may ask to be excused |
Massachusetts: Days 1-3 are paid by the employer (regular wages); from day 4 the state pays $50 a day, with no extra travel reimbursement. Unemployed, retired and other non-employed jurors can get up to $50 a day of expenses for days 1-3. Day rates used: $0, $50. Before tax. Every employer must pay regular wages for the first 3 days (including part-time, temporary and casual staff); a court can excuse an employer for extreme financial hardship, in which case the state pays up to $50 a day.
All jury rules in MassachusettsMassachusetts makes every employer pay regular wages for the first three days of jury service, including part-time, temporary and casual staff (M.G.L. c. 234A §§ 48, 49). From day four the state pays $50 a day, with no extra travel reimbursement, and unemployed, retired and other non-employed jurors can claim up to $50 a day of expenses for days one to three. A court can excuse an employer facing extreme financial hardship, in which case the state pays up to $50 a day instead. People 70 or older can opt out by saying so on the summons response (§ 4(2)). Trial service is one day or one trial statewide, while grand jurors serve three months, and anyone who served on a state or federal jury in the previous three years is disqualified. One postponement of up to a year is available as of right on the summons response. Failing to appear is a crime punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, and the court may issue an arrest warrant (§ 42).
Statutes and court pages read by Radif Partners on October 29, 2026 · Method and sources
Some texts cited on this page were read in archived copies (web.archive.org, 2025 and 2026) of the official pages linked, because the official site refused our connection on October 29, 2026.
Massachusetts employers pay the first three days
Unlike most states, Massachusetts does not leave the first days of jury duty to chance. Section 48 requires every employer to pay regular wages for days one to three, and it covers part-time, temporary and casual employees as well as full-time staff. Only a court can relieve an employer, and only for extreme financial hardship; the state then pays the juror up to $50 a day. Because of the one day or one trial system, many jurors finish within those three days. Those who sit longer move to the state's $50 daily fee from day four, which is where the calculator's five-day default shows the switch.
Getting out of or moving Massachusetts jury service
The summons response is where most requests happen. You can choose your one postponement there, to any date within a year, and claim a disqualification with the required letters: a physician letter for a physical or mental disability, or for being the sole daily caregiver of a permanently disabled household member. Age 70 or older, service in the last three years, moving out of the judicial district and not being able to speak and understand English are also grounds. A full excuse from trial service needs a court finding of extreme hardship, which courts decide strictly. Further deferrals beyond the first are only for hardship, inconvenience or public necessity.
The rules in Massachusetts, law by law
| Rule | What the law or court says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Juror pay | $0 day 1-3, then $50 a day | M.G.L. c. 234A §§ 48, 50, 51 |
| Mileage | not specified by the state | M.G.L. c. 234A §§ 48, 50, 51 |
| Employer must keep paying | Every employer must pay regular wages for the first 3 days (including part-time, temporary and casual staff); a court can excuse an employer for extreme financial hardship, in which case the state pays up to $50 a day. | M.G.L. c. 234A §§ 48, 49, 61 |
| Job protected | Yes | M.G.L. c. 234A §§ 48, 49, 61 |
| Age | 70 and over: may ask to be excused | M.G.L. c. 234A § 4(2) |
| Length of service | One day or one trial (statewide); grand jurors serve three months. | malegislature.gov |
| Before another summons | 36 months | malegislature.gov |
| Postponing | One postponement as of right, for up to one year, chosen on the summons response; further deferrals only for hardship, inconvenience or public necessity. | malegislature.gov |
| Not showing up | Failing to appear is a crime punishable by a fine of up to $2,000; the court may also issue an arrest warrant. No jail term is set by the statute. | M.G.L. c. 234A § 42 |
Excuses and postponement in Massachusetts
Disqualifications are claimed on the summons response with the required letters; a full excuse from trial service needs a court finding of extreme hardship. One postponement as of right, for up to one year, chosen on the summons response; further deferrals only for hardship, inconvenience or public necessity.
Can I be excused or postpone?
Massachusetts
No ground named: ask to postpone
| Age rule | 70+, on request |
Disqualifications are claimed on the summons response with the required letters; a full excuse from trial service needs a court finding of extreme hardship. One postponement as of right, for up to one year, chosen on the summons response; further deferrals only for hardship, inconvenience or public necessity.
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: mass.gov. Answer your summons and file any request there or as your summons says.