States
Jury duty in Rhode Island: 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.
Estimate Rhode Island's $25 daily Superior Court fee, see the one day or two day service pattern by county, and learn how to defer through eResponse.
What jury duty in Rhode Island will pay you
You receive for 3 days
$75
| Court fee | $75 |
| Employer, by law | No duty to keep paying wages under this law |
| A normal 3 days of work | $600 |
| Income lost | $525 |
| Age rule | not specified by the state |
Rhode Island: $25 for each day of attendance at Superior Court (since July 1, 2022); not paid for weekends, holidays or days you are excused. Providence County jurors get free parking and shuttle. Before tax. No duty to pay wages unless a contract or collective agreement says so; an employer may not take away the job, raises, promotions or benefits. Violation is a misdemeanor.
All jury rules in Rhode IslandRhode Island pays $25 for each day of attendance at Superior Court, a rate in force since July 1, 2022, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-5; no fee is paid for weekends, holidays or days you are excused. An employer has no duty to pay wages unless a contract or collective agreement requires it, but under § 9-9-28 it may not take away your job, raises, promotions or benefits, and a violation is a misdemeanor. Service is short: two days or one trial in Providence and Kent counties, and usually one day or one trial in Washington and Newport counties. Nobody serves more than once every three years. The statutory age rule and excuse grounds in § 9-9-3 and § 9-10-9 could not be read, as the legislature site was unreachable on October 29, 2026. A juror who fails to attend without a satisfactory excuse can be held in contempt and fined at least $20 (§ 9-10-10).
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.
Short service terms across Rhode Island counties
Rhode Island keeps the commitment brief, though it differs by county. In Providence and Kent counties, the standard is two days or one trial, whichever applies. In Washington and Newport counties, it is usually one day or one trial. The $25 fee is paid only for days you actually attend, so weekends, holidays and days you are excused earn nothing. In Providence County, free parking and a shuttle reduce the cost of getting there, and no mileage rate was set in what we read.
Deferring through Rhode Island's eResponse
Once your summons arrives, log in to Jury Service eResponse and choose the option to apply to defer, then pick a new date on the calendar; the Jury Commissioner approves or denies it. Requests to be excused or disqualified are filed through the same system and decided by the Office of the Jury Commissioner, which asks people to seek an excuse only for urgent reasons. Because the statutory list of grounds could not be read, we cannot confirm which reasons Rhode Island accepts, so describe your situation fully in eResponse and keep any supporting documents ready.
The rules in Rhode Island, law by law
| Rule | What the law or court says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Juror pay | $25 a day | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-5 |
| Mileage | not specified by the state | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-5 |
| Employer must keep paying | No | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-28 |
| Job protected | Yes | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-28 |
| Age | not specified by the state | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-3 |
| Length of service | Providence and Kent counties: two days or one trial. Washington and Newport counties: usually one day or one trial. | courts.ri.gov |
| Before another summons | 36 months | courts.ri.gov |
| Postponing | After receiving a summons, log in to Jury Service eResponse and choose 'Apply to defer'; pick a new date on the calendar; the Jury Commissioner approves or denies. | courts.ri.gov |
| Not showing up | A juror who fails to attend without a satisfactory excuse can be held in contempt and fined at least $20 (no maximum stated in this section). | R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-10-10 |
Excuses and postponement in Rhode Island
Apply to be excused or disqualified through Jury Service eResponse; the Office of the Jury Commissioner decides. The court asks people to request excuse only for urgent reasons. Statutory grounds (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-3, § 9-10-9) could not be read: legislature site unreachable. After receiving a summons, log in to Jury Service eResponse and choose 'Apply to defer'; pick a new date on the calendar; the Jury Commissioner approves or denies.
Can I be excused or postpone?
Rhode Island
No ground named: ask to postpone
| Age rule | not specified by the state |
Apply to be excused or disqualified through Jury Service eResponse; the Office of the Jury Commissioner decides. The court asks people to request excuse only for urgent reasons. Statutory grounds (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-3, § 9-10-9) could not be read: legislature site unreachable. After receiving a summons, log in to Jury Service eResponse and choose 'Apply to defer'; pick a new date on the calendar; the Jury Commissioner approves or denies.
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.ri.gov. Answer your summons and file any request there or as your summons says.