Employer Jury Duty Laws by State: Pay & Job Protection (2026)
Whether your employer has to keep paying you during jury duty, and what protects your job, depends on your state. 8 of 44 jurisdictions we cover require some employer pay.
| State | Employer must pay? | Job protection |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes, per a federal court notice to Alabama employers: full-time employees are entitled to their usual pay without deducting the juror allowance (Ala. Code § 12-16-8). We did not read the statute text itself. | State law bars discharging employees for jury service (Ala. Code § 12-16-8.1). Penalty details not confirmed. |
| Arizona | No | Employers may not penalize employees for jury service (A.R.S. § 21-236). (unconfirmed) |
| Arkansas | No | Employers may not penalize employees for jury service (Ark. Code § 16-31-106). |
| California | No | Employers may not fire or discriminate against an employee who takes time off for jury duty with reasonable notice (Cal. Lab. Code § 230). (unconfirmed) |
| Colorado | Yes, for the first 3 days: regular wages up to $50/day for regularly employed jurors, including part-time or temporary workers with 3+ months of service. A court may excuse an employer for financial hardship. | Employers may not penalize jurors; an employee can sue for unpaid compensation (C.R.S. § 13-71-126, -127, -134). |
| Connecticut | Yes, first 5 days for full-time employees. A court may excuse an employer for extreme financial hardship; the state then pays up to $50/day. | Employers may not penalize jurors. An employee may sue an employer that refuses pay, and criminal penalties may apply (C.G.S. § 51-247a). |
| Delaware | No (unpaid leave); employers may not count the $20 reimbursement as pay | Employees may not be penalized for jury service. A secondary source says employers may require use of PTO; specific penalties not confirmed. |
| District of Columbia | Yes, partial: full-time employees get usual pay, less the jury fee, for the first 5 days. Employers with 10 or fewer employees are exempt. | Employers may not fire or penalize jurors; an employee may sue to recover lost wages (D.C. Code § 15-718). |
| Florida | No | Employers may not dismiss an employee because of the nature or length of jury service (Fla. Stat. § 40.271). |
| Georgia | No | Employers may not discharge, discipline or penalize an employee for answering a jury summons; employers may require reasonable notice (O.C.G.A. § 34-1-3). |
| Hawaii | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (HRS ch. 612). (unconfirmed) |
| Idaho | No | Employers may not fire, threaten or coerce jurors; violation is criminal contempt (fine up to $300). A fired employee has 60 days to sue for treble lost wages, reinstatement and attorney fees (Idaho Code § 2-218). |
| Illinois | No. 2026 HB 4844, which would require employers with more than 25 workers to pay regular wages, is pending. | Employers must give time off on notice and may not penalize jurors (705 ILCS 305/4.1). |
| Indiana | No | Penalizing an employee for jury service is a criminal offense (Ind. Code § 35-44.1-2-11). (unconfirmed) |
| Iowa | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (Iowa Code § 607A.45). (unconfirmed) |
| Kansas | No | Employers may not discharge or threaten permanent employees over jury service (K.S.A. 43-173). |
| Kentucky | No | Employers may not discharge or penalize jurors; a fired employee has 90 days to sue (KRS 29A.160). |
| Louisiana | Partial: leave for jury service, with full pay for one day for regular employees (R.S. 23:965) | Employers may not discharge or penalize jurors. An employer that violates the law must pay one day's full wages and is fined $100-$500 per offense (R.S. 23:965). |
| Maine | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (14 MRSA § 1218). (unconfirmed) |
| Maryland | No | Employers may not penalize jurors or require them to use annual, sick or vacation leave. A juror who serves 4+ hours (including travel) cannot be required to work a shift starting at or after 5 p.m. that day or before 3 a.m. the next day (Cts. & Jud. Proc. §§ 8-501, 8-502). |
| Massachusetts | Yes, first 3 days at regular wages for regularly employed jurors. A court may excuse an employer for extreme hardship, in which case the state pays reasonable compensation. | Employers may not penalize jurors (G.L. c. 234A). Penalty details not re-verified. |
| Michigan | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (MCL 600.1348). (unconfirmed) |
| Minnesota | No | Employers must release employees for jury service and may not fire, penalize or threaten them. Violation is criminal contempt; the employee can recover up to 6 weeks' wages plus attorney fees (Minn. Stat. § 593.50). |
| Mississippi | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (statute not confirmed). |
| Missouri | No | Employers may not fire, discipline or threaten an employee for receiving or responding to a summons (RSMo § 494.460). |
| Nebraska | Effectively yes: an employee who gives reasonable notice may not lose pay, sick leave or vacation, but the employer may deduct the juror fee (excluding expenses) | Employers may not fire or penalize an employee who gives reasonable notice. Night- and swing-shift workers may ask to be excused from the shift tied to a service day (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1674, formerly § 25-1640). |
| Nevada | No; employers may not require use of sick or vacation leave | Firing or threatening a juror is a gross misdemeanor. A fired employee may recover lost wages, reinstatement, equal additional damages, attorney fees, and punitive damages up to $50,000. The juror must give the employer 3 days' notice (NRS 6.190). |
| New Hampshire | No (unpaid time off) | Employers may not penalize jurors (RSA 500-A). (unconfirmed) |
| New Jersey | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (N.J.S.A. 2B:20-17). (unconfirmed) |
| New Mexico | No | Employers may not fire or penalize jurors or require them to use vacation or sick leave (NMSA § 38-5-18). |
| New York | Yes, partial: employers with more than 10 employees must pay at least the first $72 of daily wages (or the full wage, if lower) for the first 3 days. After that, or for smaller employers, the state pays. | Employers may not penalize or discharge jurors who give notice (Judiciary Law § 519). |
| North Carolina | No | Employers may not discharge or demote employees for jury service; remedies include reinstatement and damages (G.S. 9-32). (unconfirmed) |
| Ohio | No | Employers may not discharge, threaten or discipline a permanent employee who gives reasonable notice and is absent for actual jury service (R.C. 2313.19). |
| Oklahoma | No | Employees who give reasonable notice may not be fired or penalized; violations are a misdemeanor, reportedly up to $5,000. Employees of employers with 5 or fewer workers can get automatic postponement if a coworker is summoned for the same period (38 O.S. § 34). |
| Oregon | No | Employers may not discharge, intimidate or coerce jurors or require them to use leave; employers must allow unpaid leave (ORS 10.090). |
| Pennsylvania | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (42 Pa.C.S. § 4563). (unconfirmed) |
| Rhode Island | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-28). (unconfirmed) |
| South Carolina | No | An employer that dismisses or demotes an employee for jury service is civilly liable (S.C. Code § 41-1-70). |
| Tennessee | Yes: usual compensation for time spent serving and traveling. Employers with fewer than 5 employees and temporary workers employed under 6 months are exempt. The employer may deduct the juror fee. | Employers may not discharge or penalize jurors (T.C.A. § 22-4-106). (unconfirmed) |
| Texas | No | Employers may not terminate permanent employees for jury service (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 122.001). (unconfirmed) |
| Utah | No | Employers may not penalize jurors (Utah Code § 78B-1-116). (unconfirmed) |
| Virginia | No | Employers may not penalize jurors or require use of leave; restrictions apply on shifts adjacent to service of 4+ hours (Va. Code § 18.2-465.1). (unconfirmed) |
| Washington | No | Employers must provide leave and may not penalize jurors (RCW 2.36.165). (unconfirmed) |
| Wisconsin | No | Employers may not discharge or discipline jurors. Older statute text sets a fine of up to $200 plus reinstatement and back pay, and seniority continues uninterrupted (Wis. Stat. § 756.255). |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my employer have to pay me for jury duty?
Only in some states. Of the 44 jurisdictions we cover, 8 require at least some employer pay: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee. Elsewhere, paying you is up to your employer's policy.
Can I be fired for going to jury duty?
Nearly every state prohibits firing or penalizing an employee for jury service, and federal law protects permanent employees called to federal jury duty (28 U.S.C. § 1875). Give your employer notice when you get your summons.
Can my employer make me use vacation days for jury duty?
It depends on the state. Some states forbid requiring you to use paid leave. Check your state page below.