States
Jury duty in New Jersey: 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.
Calculate New Jersey's stepped juror fee, which jumps from $5 to $40 a day on day four, and check the one-time deferral and the long list of excuses.
What jury duty in New Jersey will pay you
You receive for 5 days
$95
| Court fee | $95 |
| Employer, by law | No duty to keep paying wages under this law |
| A normal 5 days of work | $1,000 |
| Income lost | $905 |
| Age rule | 75 and over, may ask to be excused |
New Jersey: Petit jurors get $5 a day for the first 3 days and $40 a day from day 4; grand and State grand jurors get $5 a day. Full-time State employees get no juror fee but keep their regular wages (N.J.S.A. 2B:20-16). Day rates used: $5, $40. Before tax. No statute requires private employers to pay wages during jury service; State agencies keep paying their full-time employees.
All jury rules in New JerseyNew Jersey pays petit jurors very little at first: $5 a day for the first 3 days, then $40 a day from day 4, under N.J.S.A. 2B:20-16; grand and State grand jurors stay at $5 a day. Full-time State employees get no fee but keep their regular wages. Private employers have no statutory duty to keep paying you, though N.J.S.A. 2B:20-17 protects the job. Anyone 75 or older may ask to be excused by giving a date of birth to the county Jury Management Office, either for the coming date or permanently. If you served in the same county within the last 3 years you may ask to be excused, but it is not automatic and federal service does not count. After the qualification questionnaire, you can defer once through the My Jury Service Portal or the county office. No term length or mileage rate was read, and for a no-show the court site mentions only further court action, without a fine or jail figure.
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.
The New Jersey day-four jump in pay
The New Jersey schedule is built for long trials. A juror who is released after one or two days collects $5 per day, which barely covers a coffee and parking. From the fourth day, the rate climbs to $40, eight times higher, and stays there for the rest of the trial. Run the calculator at five days to see the change: three days at $5 plus two at $40. Grand jurors do not get the step and remain at $5 a day. State employees working full time are paid their usual salary instead of any fee.
New Jersey excuses that need paperwork
New Jersey asks you to finish the qualification questionnaire before anything else, then send documents to the county Jury Management Office by mail or email. The accepted grounds are unusually detailed: severe financial hardship, a medical condition unlikely to change within a year, sole care of a minor child or of a sick, aged or infirm dependent, nursing or expressing milk for a child one year or younger, being a full-time teacher with no substitute, active-duty military service, or being an active volunteer firefighter or rescue squad member. Expect to provide a certification, a doctor's form, a letter from an employer or superintendent, or orders. A one-time deferral can instead name a reason such as travel, transportation or employment.
The rules in New Jersey, law by law
| Rule | What the law or court says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Juror pay | $5 a day; $40 from day 4 | N.J.S.A. 2B:20-16 |
| Mileage | not specified by the state | N.J.S.A. 2B:20-16 |
| Employer must keep paying | No | N.J.S.A. 2B:20-17 |
| Job protected | Yes | N.J.S.A. 2B:20-17 |
| Age | 75 and over: may ask to be excused | N.J.S.A. 2B:20-10 |
| Length of service | not specified by the state | |
| Before another summons | 36 months | njcourts.gov |
| Postponing | After completing the qualification questionnaire, a juror may defer (reschedule) once through the My Jury Service Portal or by contacting the county Jury Management Office, choosing a new date and a reason (medical, transportation, travel, student, emergency, employment). | njcourts.gov |
| Not showing up | The court site says only that failing to respond to the summons leads to further court action; no fine or jail figure was read in an official source. | njcourts.gov |
Excuses and postponement in New Jersey
Complete the qualification questionnaire first, then mail or email the required documents (certification, doctor's form, employer or superintendent letter, orders) to the county Jury Management Office. After completing the qualification questionnaire, a juror may defer (reschedule) once through the My Jury Service Portal or by contacting the county Jury Management Office, choosing a new date and a reason (medical, transportation, travel, student, emergency, employment).
Can I be excused or postpone?
New Jersey
No ground named: ask to postpone
| Age rule | 75+, on request |
Complete the qualification questionnaire first, then mail or email the required documents (certification, doctor's form, employer or superintendent letter, orders) to the county Jury Management Office. After completing the qualification questionnaire, a juror may defer (reschedule) once through the My Jury Service Portal or by contacting the county Jury Management Office, choosing a new date and a reason (medical, transportation, travel, student, emergency, employment).
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: njcourts.gov. Answer your summons and file any request there or as your summons says.