States
Jury duty in Montana: 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 Montana's $12 panel fee and the extra $13 for seated jurors, then check whether age, breastfeeding or caregiving lets you ask to be excused.
What jury duty in Montana will pay you
You receive for 3 days
$36
| Court fee | $36 |
| Employer, by law | Not specified by the state: your employer's policy decides |
| A normal 3 days of work | $600 |
| Income lost | $564 |
| Age rule | 75 and over, may ask to be excused |
Montana: Panel members get $12 a day; jurors selected for a case get an additional $13 a day ($25 total) while serving. A juror excused at their own request on the first day forfeits per diem and mileage. Before tax.
All jury rules in MontanaMontana pays jurors in two tiers under Mont. Code Ann. § 3-15-201. Everyone on the panel receives $12 a day, and a juror actually selected for a case gets an additional $13 a day, for $25 in total, while serving; mileage is paid each way between home and court under MCA 2-18-503. A juror excused at their own request on the first day forfeits both the per diem and mileage. We located no statute on wages during service, so whether an employer must pay is not set in the text we read; a county clerk page states that the job is protected and that you should give your employer reasonable notice. Anyone 75 or older who asks must be excused (§ 3-15-313(5)). Counties draw jurors for a jury term, such as Lewis and Clark County's one-year term from September to August. Excuse requests go to the jury commissioner by affidavit. Willfully skipping a summons can lead to attachment and a fine of up to $50 under § 3-15-321, with no jail term named.
Statutes and court pages read by Radif Partners on October 29, 2026 · Method and sources
The Montana panel fee versus the seated juror rate
Most people who answer a Montana summons sit in the panel and are paid $12 for that day. The figure rises only if you are chosen for the jury: the statute adds $13 a day, so a sworn juror receives $25 daily while the trial lasts. One detail matters on day one. If you ask to be excused that first day and the court agrees, you lose the per diem and the mileage for it, so a request made earlier, by affidavit, is the cleaner route.
Blocking dates and asking for an excuse in Montana
Montana counties work with a jury term, and you can be drawn for any trial inside it. Before you are drawn for a specific trial, you can ask the Clerk of District Court to mark you unavailable for set dates, for example a planned vacation or a doctor appointment. For a full excuse, send the jury commissioner an affidavit stating the facts; the court decides. Listed grounds include undue hardship for you, a dependent or the public you serve, breastfeeding, personal care of a sick, aged or special-needs dependent, and age 75 or older. A person with a chronic incapacity can ask for permanent exclusion with a physician's certificate. After serving on a trial, you are generally not called again for about two months.
The rules in Montana, law by law
| Rule | What the law or court says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Juror pay | $12 a day | Mont. Code Ann. § 3-15-201 |
| Mileage | Mileage allowance under MCA 2-18-503, each way between home and court | Mont. Code Ann. § 3-15-201 |
| Employer must keep paying | not specified by the state | lccountymt.gov |
| Job protected | Yes | lccountymt.gov |
| Age | 75 and over: may ask to be excused | Mont. Code Ann. § 3-15-313(5) |
| Length of service | Counties draw jurors for a jury term (e.g. Lewis and Clark County: a one-year term, September to August); after serving on a trial you are not called again for about two months. | lccountymt.gov |
| Before another summons | not specified by the state | |
| Postponing | Ask the Clerk of District Court to be made unavailable for set dates (e.g. vacation, doctor appointment) before being drawn for a specific trial. | lccountymt.gov |
| Not showing up | A summoned juror who willfully fails to attend may be attached (brought in) and fined up to $50; the statute sets no jail term. | Mont. Code Ann. § 3-15-321 |
Excuses and postponement in Montana
Send an affidavit stating the facts to the jury commissioner; the court decides. Chronically incapacitated people can ask for permanent exclusion with a physician's certificate. Ask the Clerk of District Court to be made unavailable for set dates (e.g. vacation, doctor appointment) before being drawn for a specific trial.
Can I be excused or postpone?
Montana
No ground named: ask to postpone
| Age rule | 75+, on request |
Send an affidavit stating the facts to the jury commissioner; the court decides. Chronically incapacitated people can ask for permanent exclusion with a physician's certificate. Ask the Clerk of District Court to be made unavailable for set dates (e.g. vacation, doctor appointment) before being drawn for a specific trial.
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: courts.mt.gov. Answer your summons and file any request there or as your summons says.