Jury Duty Leave Laws by State (2026)

Every state protects your job during jury service. The label shows whether your employer also has to pay you.

Every state

Jury duty leave, state by state

Your job is protected everywhere. The chip shows whether the employer must pay. Tap any state for the details.

Federal Job protected Alabama Employer pays Alaska Job protected Arizona Job protected Arkansas Job protected California Job protected Colorado Employer pays Connecticut Employer pays Delaware Job protected District of Columbia Employer pays Florida Employer pays Georgia Job protected Guam Check local Hawaii Job protected Idaho Job protected Illinois Job protected Indiana Job protected Iowa Job protected Kansas Job protected Kentucky Job protected Louisiana Employer pays Maine Job protected Maryland Job protected Massachusetts Employer pays Michigan Job protected Minnesota Job protected Mississippi Job protected Missouri Job protected Montana Job protected Nebraska Employer pays Nevada Job protected New Hampshire Job protected New Jersey Job protected New Mexico Job protected New York Employer pays North Carolina Job protected North Dakota Job protected Northern Mariana Islands Check local Ohio Job protected Oklahoma Job protected Oregon Job protected Pennsylvania Job protected Puerto Rico Check local Rhode Island Job protected South Carolina Job protected South Dakota Job protected Tennessee Employer pays Texas Job protected Utah Job protected Vermont Job protected Virgin Islands Check local Virginia Job protected Washington Job protected West Virginia Job protected Wisconsin Job protected Wyoming Job protected

The basics

How jury duty leave works

Serving on a jury is a legal obligation, so the law protects you for doing it. In every state, and under federal law for federal juries, an employer cannot fire, discipline, or threaten you for answering a jury summons. That job protection is universal.

Pay is where states differ. Only 10 jurisdictions require employers to pay wages during jury service, usually for the first few days. Everywhere else the time is unpaid, though many employers pay voluntarily, and you still get the small daily fee the court pays jurors. Some states also bar employers from making you use vacation or PTO for jury time. This is general information, not legal advice.

Common questions

Jury duty leave FAQ

Can an employer fire you for jury duty?

No. Every state, plus federal law for federal juries, makes it illegal to fire, penalize, or threaten an employee for serving jury duty.

Which states require employers to pay for jury duty?

As of 2026, 10 jurisdictions require some paid jury-duty leave: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida (certain counties), Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, and Tennessee. Everywhere else it is unpaid but job-protected.

Does federal law require paid jury duty leave?

No. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require pay for jury duty. The federal Jury Systems Improvement Act protects federal jurors from being fired, but pay is a matter of state law or employer policy.

David Scott

David Scott compiles and verifies minimum wage rates, tipped wages, and overtime rules from official state and federal labor department sources, and re-checks every page when rates change. See how the data is sourced.