What happens if you miss jury duty in Texas? Usually paperwork, not handcuffs: the court records the no-show and can order you to a show cause hearing. Under Texas Government Code §62.0141, failing to answer a jury summons is a contempt matter punishable by a fine of $100 to $1,000.
Key Takeaways
- Texas Government Code §62.0141 sets a fine of $100 to $1,000 for failing to answer a jury summons, handled as a contempt action.
- Section 62.111 separately fines a juror who fails to attend without reasonable excuse $100 to $500.
- A first missed date leads to a follow-up notice and a show cause hearing — not an arrest. Ignoring every notice creates the real trouble.
- Exemptions under §62.106 (age 75+, caring for a young child, students, deployed military, and others) must be claimed; they are never automatic.
- Courts never collect fines by phone; anyone demanding gift cards, payment apps, or wire transfers is running a scam (the FTC warns about it).
What Happens If You Miss Jury Duty in Texas, Step by Step
- The court records your failure to appear. If you neither show up nor respond, the court marks you as a no-show.
- You get a follow-up notice. Many courts mail a second notice warning of the penalties and offering another chance to respond.
- You may be ordered to a show cause hearing. The judge can order you to appear and explain yourself. There you can present a reasonable excuse — a medical emergency, a summons that never reached you — and judges answer honesty with a new service date.
- The judge decides the outcome. Show up, explain, agree to a new date, and it often ends there. Ignore the show cause order, and a fine becomes far more likely.
Notice what is missing: an arrest. A missed summons alone does not land people in a cell — for what booking actually involves, see our explainer on county jail searches and booking information.
The Fines for Missing Jury Duty in Texas, in the Statute’s Own Words
Two sections of the Texas Government Code do the work here — read both in Chapter 62 of the Government Code on the official statutes site:
- Failure to answer a jury summons — §62.0141: A person who “does not comply with the summons as required by law or who knowingly provides false information in a request for an exemption” is subject to “a contempt action punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000.”
- Penalty for defaulting jurors — §62.111: “A juror lawfully notified shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500” if the juror fails to attend court without reasonable excuse, or files a false claim of exemption.
Courts would rather seat you than fine you: a prompt call with a reasonable explanation ends in rescheduling, no fine at all. The fines exist for people who make themselves unreachable.
You May Have Been Exempt Without Knowing It
Section 62.106 lets a qualified person claim an exemption. As the Texas Judicial Branch’s jury service page summarises it, you may be excused if you:
- Are over 75 (a permanent exemption also exists)
- Have legal custody of a child younger than 12 who would be left unsupervised
- Are a secondary school student, or enrolled and attending a college or university
- Are an officer or employee of the legislative branch
- Are the primary caretaker of a person unable to care for themselves
- Are active-duty military deployed away from your home station and outside your county
- Served as a petit juror in the county within the past 24 months — or three years in the largest counties
Two cautions: exemptions are not automatic — claim yours by the deadline on your summons. If the date is merely inconvenient, postponement beats exemption-hunting: under §62.0142, contact the clerk before your date for a substitute date within six months.
Already Missed Your Date? Do This Today
- Find your summons — it carries the court name, juror number, and phone number you need.
- Call the court clerk or jury office today. Use the number on the summons or the court’s website — never one supplied by a random caller or text.
- Be straightforward. Say that you missed your date and explain what happened. Court staff field these calls daily, and candour works in your favour.
- Ask to be rescheduled, and write the new date down somewhere you will actually see it.
- Bring proof if you have an excuse. A doctor’s note, or evidence the summons went to an old address, is what a show cause hearing is for.
- Attend any hearing you are ordered to attend. Missing the hearing — not the original date — is what converts a fixable mistake into fines.
Jurors decide real cases — from contract disputes to slip and fall accident claims — and in personal injury trials they can even set punitive damages. That is why courts guard attendance.
Beware the Jury Duty Scam
The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers call, text, and email people claiming they missed jury duty and must pay immediately or face arrest, posing as U.S. Marshals or police with fake badge numbers. The tells are consistent:
- Courts never demand payment over the phone — and neither does any government agency. Real fines are imposed by a judge after a hearing.
- Only scammers insist on gift cards, payment apps, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers — those methods are the point of the con.
- Courts never request Social Security numbers or bank details by phone, and police do not text or email arrest warrants.
If such a call arrives, hang up. Unsure whether you really missed a date? Look up the clerk’s number on the court’s official website and call it. Report scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if you miss jury duty in Texas — can you go to jail?
In the ordinary case, no — the Code’s consequences are fines, not jail: $100 to $1,000 for failing to answer a summons under §62.0141. Jail becomes a remote possibility only where someone repeatedly, deliberately defies court orders.
How much is the fine for missing jury duty in Texas?
The fine is $100 to $1,000 for failing to answer a summons (§62.0141), or $100 to $500 for a juror who fails to attend without reasonable excuse (§62.111). The judge decides whether you pay anything; prompt contact often means rescheduling instead.
I never received my summons. Am I still in trouble?
Not necessarily — penalties target people who were lawfully notified and did not respond, and summonses do get lost or sent to old addresses. Contact the court, explain, and update your address; that is the kind of reasonable excuse a show cause hearing exists to hear.
Can I postpone jury duty in Texas instead of missing it?
Yes — before your appearance date, contact the clerk in person, in writing, or by phone and request a postponement (§62.0142). The clerk sets a substitute date within six months — always better than missing the date and explaining yourself afterwards.
This article is general information only and is not medical/legal advice.
