Georgia law requires the court to excuse or defer several groups who ask and meet the conditions in the table below, including full-time postsecondary students while enrolled and taking classes or exams, primary caregivers of a child six or younger, home-school teachers and service members on ordered military duty and their spouses1234. People 70 or older can ask to be excused5. Other excuses are at the court's discretion6.
Excused or deferred on request
| If you are | What you need |
|---|---|
| 70 or older | A written request to the clerk with an affidavit; you are then removed from the list5 |
| A full-time college, university or vocational student | A request to the court while enrolled and taking classes or exams1 |
| Primary caregiver with active care and custody of a child six or younger, with no reasonably available alternative child care | A court affidavit2 |
| Primary teacher in a home study program, asking while teaching, with no reasonably available alternative for the children | A court affidavit3 |
| Primary unpaid caregiver of someone over six whose physical or cognitive limitations mean they cannot care for themselves or be left unattended, with no reasonably available alternative care | A court affidavit and a physician's or medical provider's statement7 |
| A service member on ordered military duty (active duty, on ordered federal duty for 90 days or longer), or the spouse of one | A copy of a valid military ID and the court's affidavit4 |
| A legislator attending the General Assembly | Excused while attending8 |
Other reasons
Is your reason on the list above?
Yes
If you ask and provide what is required, Georgia law says you must be excused or deferred (for age 70 or older, the clerk excuses you and removes you from the list)123745.
No
You can still ask. A judge, or a person appointed by the chief judge, may excuse or defer anyone doing work necessary to public health, safety or good order, or showing other good cause6.
Paperwork
- Military ID and affidavitA copy of a valid military ID and the court's affidavit4.
What to do next
Related
Sources
12 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
- 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."
- 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."
- 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)(4)."(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, any person who is a primary teacher in a home study program as defined in subsection (c) of Code Section 20-2-690 who, during the period of time the person is teaching, requests to be excused or deferred from jury duty and executes an affidavit on a form provided by the court stating that such person is the primary teacher in a home study program and stating that such person has no reasonably available alternative for the child or children in the home study program shall be excused or deferred from jury duty."
- Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.). O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1(c)."Any service member on ordered military duty or the spouse of any such service member who requests to be excused or deferred shall be excused or deferred from jury duty upon presentation of a copy of a valid military identification card and execution of an affidavit in the form required by the court for deferral or excusal under this paragraph."
- 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."
- 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."
- 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)(5)."Any person seeking the exemption shall furnish to the court, in addition to the aforementioned affidavit, a statement of a physician, or other medical provider, supporting the affidavit’s statements related to the medical condition of the person with physical or cognitive limitations."
- Justia - 2025 Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) - O.C.G.A. § 15-12-2. O.C.G.A. § 15-12-2."Any person summoned to serve as a juror in any court of this state shall be excused from such service during his attendance as a legislator in the General Assembly."
- Jury Exemptions and Deferrals | Superior Court of Fulton County (fultonsuperiorcourtga.gov). Superior Court of Fulton County, Jury Exemptions and Deferrals."Affidavits must be notarized by a certified notary. | These affidavits are permanent exemptions. | These affidavits are good for 12 months. You must resubmit the next time you are summoned for jury duty."
- Gwinnett County Courts - Jury Services (gwinnettcourts.com). Gwinnett Courts, Jury Services page."Once the exemption form is completed and notarized, you can email the form by scanning it (pdf format) or by taking picture and e-mailing it to: jurorinfo@gwinnettcounty.com . The notary stamp must be visible. ... Persons who are permanently disabled either mentally or physically, will be permanently excused upon receipt of proper documentation from their medical physician."
- Supreme Court of Georgia, Jury Composition Rule (amended eff. April 11, 2019), gasupreme.us. Jury Composition Rule ¶ 5(g)(i); O.C.G.A. § 15-12-1.1(a)(1)."Who is ineligible due to permanent mental or physical disability. See OCGA §§ 15-12-1.1 (a) (1) and 15-12-40."
- 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."
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.