Independent guide to jury service. Not affiliated with any court or government agency.
Jury Duty Explained
Georgia state courts

Jury duty in Georgia

Who runs it, what counties pay, who can be excused, how to defer, and what happens if you miss it.

In Georgia, jurors are summoned by the clerk of superior court or an appointed jury clerk1. Each county sets its own daily allowance, between $5 and $502. People 70 or older can ask in writing to be excused3, and several groups must be excused or deferred if they ask, including full-time college or vocational students while enrolled and taking classes or exams, and primary caregivers of a child six or younger who sign the court's affidavit that no other child care is reasonably available45.

Verified November 10, 2026 by Roger K. NeustadtSee sources
$5–$50
a day, the range each county's allowance must fall within
Source 2
70
the age at which you can ask to be excused
Source 3
6
or younger: the child age for the caregiver excuse
Source 5
25 days
or more before your court date: when the clerk may mail your summons
Source 6

Your path through Georgia jury service

  1. Master listThe Council of Superior Court Clerks compiles a statewide list and sends each county its list once a year7.
  2. SummonsThe clerk may mail it by first-class mail at least 25 days before your court date6.
  3. QuestionnaireCourts may require a written questionnaire8.
  4. Excuse or deferAsk before your date, following the summons9.
  5. ServePaid for each day you appear, even if not picked10.

Who runs jury service in Georgia

Georgia's jury law was overhauled by the Jury Composition Reform Act of 201111, with procedures in the Supreme Court of Georgia's Jury Composition Rule12. Names come from driver's license and state ID records and voter registration records13, and are drawn at random14. Summonses are handled by the clerk1.

Your job

What Georgia law says about your job:

(a) It shall be unlawful for any employer or the agent of such employer to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize an employee because the employee is absent from his or her employment for the purpose of attending a judicial proceeding in response to a subpoena, summons for jury duty, or other court order or process which requires the attendance of the employee at the judicial proceeding. It shall be unlawful for any employer or the agent of such employer to threaten to take or communicate an intention of taking any action declared to be unlawful by this subsection.

O.C.G.A. § 34-1-3(a)

Georgia jury duty and your employer.

Georgia rules at a glance

TopicThe ruleMore
PaySet by each county, $5 to $50 a day2Pay
Who can serveU.S. citizen, 18 or older, living in the county, with English proficiency, among other rules16Eligibility
ExcusesSome on request by law; others at the court's discretion17Excuses
PostponingNo statewide limit; set by each court18Postponement
Missing itMay be punished as contempt after notice and a hearing19Missed jury duty

State or federal summons?

Federal courts summon jurors separately. Fulton and Gwinnett residents are in the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division2021. See federal jury duty.

County jury offices

Other counties: contact the clerk of superior court named on your summons.

What to do next

  1. Check the court name on your summons. A United States District Court is federal; a superior or state court is Georgia's.
  2. Ask for any excuse or deferral before your appearance date, the way your summons says9.
  3. Read the state's overview: georgia.gov jury duty
Georgia jury duty payCounty allowances.Fulton County jury dutyAtlanta's jury office.Federal jury dutyIf a U.S. District Court summoned you.

Sources

23 sources, with the exact sentence each rule comes from. Georgia statute text is quoted from Justia's copy of the 2025 Official Code of Georgia
  1. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1. O.C.G.A. §§ 15-12-1(3), 15-12-120.1, 15-12-62.1; Art. 2 (§§ 15-12-20 to -24) reserved."(3) “Clerk” means the clerk of the superior court or a jury clerk if one is appointed pursuant to subsection (a) of Code Section 15-12-11 or Code Section 15-12-12."
  2. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-7. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-7(a)(2)-(3)."(2) An expense allowance for trial or grand jurors in the superior courts of such counties for the next succeeding year not to be less than $5.00 nor to exceed $50.00 per diem. The same expense allowance shall be allowed to jurors of the several state courts and special courts as is allowed jurors in the superior court of the county in which the state or special court is located; and"
  3. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1(b)."(b) Any person who is 70 years of age or older shall be entitled to request that the clerk excuse such person from jury service in the county. Upon such request, the clerk shall inactivate such person. The request for excusal shall be made to the clerk in writing and shall be accompanied by an affidavit providing the person’s name, age, and such other information as the clerk may require. The clerk shall make available affidavit forms for the purposes of this subsection."
  4. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.). O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1(a)(2)."Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is a full-time student at a college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary school who, during the period of time the student is enrolled and taking classes or exams, requests to be excused or deferred from jury duty shall be excused or deferred from jury duty."
  5. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1(a)(3)."(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is the primary caregiver having active care and custody of a child six years of age or younger, who executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court stating that such person is the primary caregiver having active care and custody of a child six years of age or younger and stating that such person has no reasonably available alternative child care, and who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from jury duty."
  6. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-65.1. O.C.G.A. §§ 15-12-65.1, 15-12-120.1."On and after July 1, 2012, the clerk shall be authorized to mail all summonses by first-class mail addressed to the prospective jurors’ most notorious places of abode at least 25 days prior to the date of the court the prospective jurors shall attend. Failure to receive the notice personally shall be a defense to a contempt citation."
  7. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-40.1. O.C.G.A. §§ 15-12-1(4), 15-12-40.1(a), (d)."(a) After July 1, 2011, the council shall compile a state-wide master jury list. ... The council shall disseminate, in electronic format, a county master jury list to the respective clerk once each calendar year."
  8. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-11. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-11(b)-(d)."(b) Prospective trial and grand jurors in all counties may be required to answer written questionnaires, as may be determined and submitted by the judges of such counties, concerning their qualifications as jurors. ... (c) Juror questionnaires shall be confidential and shall be exempt from public disclosure pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50; provided, however, that jury questionnaires shall be provided to the court and to the parties at any stage of the proceedings, including pretrial, trial, appellate, or postconviction proceedings, and shall be made a part of the record under seal."
  9. Serve Jury Duty, Georgia.gov (State of Georgia; page credits Administrative Office of the Courts; 'Last updated June 2026'). O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1(a)(1), (b)."Certain people are eligible to be exempted or excused from jury duty, such as people age 70 or older or full-time students. If you qualify, you must contact the court to receive an exemption before your appearance date."
  10. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-9. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-9."The persons who appear in answer to the summons for trial or grand jury service shall receive the expense allowance for the day of their appearance even if they are not sworn as jurors."
  11. Jury Services, Walton County Clerk of Courts, Alcovy Judicial Circuit (alcovycircuit.com). O.C.G.A. Title 15, Ch. 12; Ga. L. 2011, p. 59 (HB 415)."—2011: The Jury Composition Reform Act of 2011 is enacted."
  12. Supreme Court of Georgia, Jury Composition Rule (amended eff. April 11, 2019), gasupreme.us. Ga. Sup. Ct. Jury Composition Rule ¶ 1; O.C.G.A. § 15-12-40.1(i)."The purpose of this Rule is to establish reasonable standards for the preparation, dissemination, and technological improvements of inclusive statewide and county master jury lists. See OCGA § 15-12-40.1 (i)."
  13. Supreme Court of Georgia, Jury Composition Rule (amended eff. April 11, 2019), gasupreme.us. Ga. Sup. Ct. Jury Composition Rule, Appendix; O.C.G.A. § 15-12-40.1(b)-(g)."The following shall be used as the three sources of data for the creation of the statewide and county master jury lists. ... Department of Driver Services ... Secretary of State Voter Registration Records ... Previous Year Statewide Master Jury List"
  14. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1(2)."(2) “Choose” or “chosen” means the act of randomly selecting potential jurors from the county master jury list in a manner that does not deliberately or systematically exclude identifiable and distinct groups from the venire."
  15. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 34-1-3. O.C.G.A. § 34-1-3(a)."(a) It shall be unlawful for any employer or the agent of such employer to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize an employee because the employee is absent from his or her employment for the purpose of attending a judicial proceeding in response to a subpoena, summons for jury duty, or other court order or process which requires the attendance of the employee at the judicial proceeding. It shall be unlawful for any employer or the agent of such employer to threaten to take or communicate an intention of taking any action declared to be unlawful by this subsection."
  16. Serve Jury Duty, Georgia.gov (State of Georgia; page credits Administrative Office of the Courts; 'Last updated June 2026'). O.C.G.A. §§ 15-12-4, 15-12-40, 15-12-60, 15-12-163."To be eligible for jury duty in Georgia, you must: Be a U.S. citizen Be at least 18 years old Be proficient in English enough to understand and discuss the case Be a resident of the county that sent you the jury summons Have not served on a jury in the last 12 months Not currently be on a grand jury or on another trial jury Not be under a conservatorship Have had your civil rights restored if you were convicted of a felony or malfeasance while holding public office"
  17. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1(a)(1)."(1) Any person who shows that he or she will be engaged during his or her term of jury duty as a trial or grand juror in work necessary to the public health, safety, or good order or who shows other good cause why he or she should be exempt from jury duty may have his or her jury service deferred or excused by the judge of the court to which he or she has been summoned or by some other person who has been duly appointed by order of the chief judge to excuse jurors. ... It shall be the duty of the court to provide affidavits for the purpose of requesting a deferral of or excusal from jury service pursuant to this subsection."
  18. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1(a)(1)."Any order of appointment shall provide that, except for permanently mentally or physically disabled persons, all excuses shall be deferred to a date and time certain within that term or the next succeeding term or shall be deferred as set forth in the court order."
  19. Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-10. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-10."If any person is duly summoned to appear as a trial or grand juror at court and neglects or refuses to appear, or if any juror absents himself or herself without leave of the court, such neglect, refusal, or absence may, after notice and hearing, be punished as contempt of court."
  20. U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia - Court Locations (gand.uscourts.gov). N.D. Ga. Court Locations page; 28 U.S.C. § 90(a)(2)."The Atlanta division includes the following counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton and Rockdale."
  21. U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia - Court Locations (gand.uscourts.gov). N.D. Ga. Court Locations page; 28 U.S.C. § 90(a)(2)."The Atlanta division includes the following counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton and Rockdale."
  22. Clerk Alerts, DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court (dksuperiorclerk.com). DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court Clerk Alert."The DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court's Office will NEVER call you to request or demand payment over the phone. As soon as a caller threatens you, or demands a phone payment by debit card, credit card, gift card, CashApp, Paypal or by any other fast transfer or money wiring, HANG UP. It’s a scam!! Even if the caller ID looks official."
  23. Jury Services | Superior Court of Fulton County (fultonsuperiorcourtga.gov). Superior Court of Fulton County, Jury Services page."Do NOT pay money or transfer money to cards or wires over the phone for missed jury duty to anyone claiming to be a Sheriff’s Deputy."

Reviewed by Roger K. Neustadt, JD, attorney admitted in Georgia. Verified November 10, 2026.

Roger K. Neustadt is admitted in Georgia; pages about other states and federal courts are general information checked against official sources. How we check every rule: editorial policy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

This page explains the law in general terms and is not legal advice. Jury Duty Explained is not affiliated with any court. Your summons and your court's instructions control, so check them first.