States
Jury duty in Ohio: 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.
Check how your Ohio county sets juror pay, when it must rise after ten days, and how the automatic postponement and escalating contempt penalties work.
What jury duty in Ohio will pay you
You receive for 3 days
$0
| Court fee (state minimum) | not specified |
| Employer, by law | No duty to keep paying wages under this law |
| A normal 3 days of work | $600 |
| Income lost | $600 |
| Age rule | 75 and over, may ask to be excused |
Ohio: No statewide figure: each board of county commissioners sets the daily rate. After 10 days of actual service, pay rises to the greater of $15 or 1.5 times the county rate (the county may go up to 2 times). Before tax. Ohio law does not require wages during jury service; employers may not require or request use of vacation, sick or annual leave.
All jury rules in OhioOhio leaves the daily juror rate to each board of county commissioners, so there is no statewide figure, but Ohio Rev. Code § 2313.22 forces a raise for long service: after 10 days of actual service, pay becomes the greater of $15 or 1.5 times the county rate, and a county may go up to 2 times. Employers owe no wages during service, and § 2313.19 bars them from requiring or requesting use of vacation, sick or annual leave; give reasonable notice of the summons before service starts. A juror over 75 is excused on request, by telling the court's jury employee before the reporting date. Once you have served two consecutive calendar weeks you are discharged unless a trial continues, and you are not called again until the second jury year after that service. One postponement is automatic if asked at least two business days ahead. Not attending is contempt under §§ 2313.20 and 2313.99(A), from $250 and 30 days for a first offense upward.
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.
Ohio's automatic postponement and small employer rule
Ohio makes moving your date simple. Ask by phone, in writing or by email at least two business days before your first appearance and agree on a new date within six months, and the first postponement is granted automatically. Later ones are only for extreme emergencies. Small businesses get extra relief: if your employer has 25 or fewer staff and another employee served in the prior 30 days, you receive an automatic postponement. Excuses for hardship need documentation, and the courts state that missing work alone is not a hardship. An excuse lasts only for that jury year unless its grounds are permanent.
Escalating penalties for missing Ohio jury duty
Ohio is unusually specific about repeat no-shows. A first failure to attend is punishable as contempt by up to $250 and 30 days in jail, a second by up to $500 and 60 days, and a third or later by up to $1,000 and 90 days. The list of lawful excuses is broad, including a recent death or dangerous illness of a spouse or near relative, caregiving with no substitute, breastfeeding a baby one year old or younger, active military duty, membership of a cloistered religious order or an active Amish sect, and age over 75 on request.
The rules in Ohio, law by law
| Rule | What the law or court says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Juror pay | not specified by the state | Ohio Rev. Code § 2313.22 |
| Mileage | not specified by the state | Ohio Rev. Code § 2313.22 |
| Employer must keep paying | No | Ohio Rev. Code § 2313.19 |
| Job protected | Yes | Ohio Rev. Code § 2313.19 |
| Age | 75 and over: may ask to be excused | Ohio Rev. Code § 2313.14(A)(6) |
| Length of service | A juror who has actually served two consecutive calendar weeks is discharged (unless a trial is still under way). | codes.ohio.gov |
| Before another summons | not specified by the state | codes.ohio.gov |
| Postponing | One postponement is granted automatically if asked at least two business days before the first appearance (phone, writing or email) and a new date within six months is agreed; further postponements only for extreme emergencies. Small employers (25 or fewer staff) get an automatic postponement if another employee served in the prior 30 days. | codes.ohio.gov |
| Not showing up | Failing to attend violates § 2313.20 and is punished as contempt: first offense up to $250 and 30 days in jail; second up to $500 and 60 days; third or later up to $1,000 and 90 days. | Ohio Rev. Code §§ 2313.20, 2313.99(A), 2705.05 |
Excuses and postponement in Ohio
Ask the court or jury commissioners before the reporting date, with documentation for hardship. Missing work alone is not a hardship. Excuses last only for that jury year unless the grounds are permanent. One postponement is granted automatically if asked at least two business days before the first appearance (phone, writing or email) and a new date within six months is agreed; further postponements only for extreme emergencies. Small employers (25 or fewer staff) get an automatic postponement if another employee served in the prior 30 days.
Can I be excused or postpone?
Ohio
No ground named: ask to postpone
| Age rule | 75+, on request |
Ask the court or jury commissioners before the reporting date, with documentation for hardship. Missing work alone is not a hardship. Excuses last only for that jury year unless the grounds are permanent. One postponement is granted automatically if asked at least two business days before the first appearance (phone, writing or email) and a new date within six months is agreed; further postponements only for extreme emergencies. Small employers (25 or fewer staff) get an automatic postponement if another employee served in the prior 30 days.
A request is decided by the court, often with proof (a doctor's note, a school schedule). Ignoring a summons is not an excuse.