Asking to be excused from jury duty

You can ask to be excused from jury duty if attending would qualify as an extreme hardship disqualification. Learn if you qualify or not

If you're not disqualified from jury duty but attending would cause you an unusual hardship for another reason, you can ask to be excused from jury duty. 

If you have immediate questions regarding jury duty, call the Office of Jury Commissioner's Juror helpline at [phone] (THE-JURY).

Ask to be excused at court

You must report to the courthouse on the day of service and speak to a judge if you feel you need to be excused from jury duty for a reason other than one of the 10 disqualifications. Before reporting to the courthouse, be sure you have confirmed your jury service and reviewed the information found on the what you need to know before your jury service page.

Additional Resources

Learn about juror eligibility and disqualification

Extreme Hardship Disqualifications

In very rare cases, if it would be an extreme hardship for you to come to the courthouse at all to ask to be excused, you can submit a written request to be excused under OJC Regulation 9. Common difficulties such as inconvenience, no childcare, or business obligations don't qualify. The regulation applies to cases such as:

• People living in religious orders that restrict outside travel 
• People with rare medical conditions that prevent them from leaving their homes

If you believe you qualify for an extreme hardship disqualification, you must explain your circumstances in writing, sign it, and send it to:

Operations Manager
Office of Jury Commissioner
560 Harrison Avenue, Suite 600
Boston, MA 02118

You should submit your request at least 30 days before your date of service to allow time for review, action, and notification of decision.

Last updated:	April 8, 2024