Contact Information & Directions
Juror Information Line
(415) 551-3608
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday, except Court holidays
Civic Center Jury Assembly Room
Civic Center Courthouse
400 McAllister St., Room 007
San Francisco, CA 94102
Directions
Hall of Justice Jury Assembly Room
850 Bryant St., Room 307
San Francisco, CA 94103
Directions
How Do I?
Get Selected for Jury Service?
- You have been randomly selected by computer to serve as a trial juror. The selection of persons for jury service is accomplished by randomly drawing names from the list of registered voters and the Department of Motor Vehicles driver’s license and identification card list for San Francisco. The law requires a fair cross-section of each county’s qualified residents to be available each day for jury duty. Random summoning enhances juror impartiality. There is no attempt to deliberately inconvenience anyone.
Get exempted from jury service?
- There is no statutory exemption for any occupation except certain categories of peace officers. However, a juror may be disqualified for service for various reasons, such as citizenship, residency, or prior service within the past 12 months. A juror may also ask to be excused for various reasons, such as financial hardship or the need to provide care to another person. The Summons and Response Form explain how to inform the Court that you are not qualified to serve and how to request to be excused.
Reschedule my service?
- In order to accommodate your schedule, you may postpone, or reschedule, the start of your jury service once to a more convenient time. The postponement cannot exceed 6 months. You may postpone your service over the phone by calling the Jury Office at (415) 551-3608, entering your badge number (located on the juror badge area of the summons), and following the instructions for postponement. You may also postpone your service by completing Box A of the Response Form, signing and dating the form, and returning it to the Court in the enveloped provided.
Request to be excused or disqualified?
- Excuses from service may be granted in specific circumstances. If you want to request to be excused, read the excuse and disqualification options on the Response Form (on the back of the summons). Requests for excuse or disqualification must be received in writing and cannot be accepted over the phone. To request excuse or disqualification, complete the appropriate boxes on the Response Form, sign and date the form, and return to the Court in the envelope provided. You will be notified by mail only if your excuse is denied. To check on the status of your request, you may call the automated system at (415) 551-3608 and enter your badge number.
Find out what will happen if I fail to respond to a jury summons?
- If you fail to appear, you will be subject to a fine or imprisonment pursuant to section 209 of the California code of civil procedure. Section 209 requires the Jury Commissioner to pursue non-respondents. If you receive a Notice of Failure to Appear, you must contact the Jury Office at (415) 551-3608 within 10 business days to reschedule your service or to explain why you cannot serve as a juror.
Find out if my employer has to let me serve on a jury?
- Section 230(a) of the Labor Code states, “No employer shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against an employee for taking time off to serve as required by law on an inquest or trial jury, if such employee, prior to taking such time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer of the requirement to serve.” Whether you will be paid by your employer while serving on a jury is up to your employer. If you are employed, you are expected to return to work or to notify your employer any day, or days, that you are not required to report to jury service.
Find out about disability accommodations?
- The Court provides reasonable accommodations for jurors with disabilities. Those requesting an accommodation or requiring hearing assistance are asked to contact the Jury Office at the phone number printed on the summons within seven days of receiving a summons. The Court is able to provide a wide range of accommodations, including assistive listening devices, sign language interpreters, and real-time captioning.
Find out if I am eligible to receive any money for my jury service?
- Jurors are paid $2.50 mileage plus a $15 jury fee for second and subsequent days of service. Jurors who are government employees are not entitled to receive the $15 jury fee, consistent with the Code of Civil Procedure §215, but may choose to receive the $2.50 mileage fee. Any juror can choose to waive the mileage and/or jury fee. Jurors are paid twice per month, on the 15th and last business day of the month.
Obtain proof of my jury service?
- You will be able to obtain a daily work certification slip to give to your employer at the end of each day’s Court session. You may also request service verification on the automated system at (415) 551-3608.
Know how long I have to stay at the courthouse?
- Jury trials generally do not start before 8 a.m., or go past 5 p.m. When you report for service, you should plan to be available for the entire day, until 5 p.m.
Find out what I can bring into the Courthouse with me when I report for jury service?
- When you enter the Courthouse, you are required to go through a metal detector. Your handbag, briefcase, backpack, and any containers may be X-rayed or hand-searched. Items like scissors, pocket knives, and weapons are not allowed. If you have such items, or any other item considered to be unacceptable, you will not be allowed to enter the Courthouse.Due to the nature of jury service and the court process itself, there are often periods of waiting. You may wish to bring work or some reading material to the jury assembly room to occupy the time until you are called to the courtroom. The assembly room is equipped with phone jacks for your laptops. When you report, you should plan to be at the Court for the entire day, until 5 p.m.
Find out if I will be reimbursed for parking?
- The Court does not reimburse prospective jurors for parking. Parking garages are located near the courthouse. The rate for parking at these garages range from approximately $6 to $13 per day. A list of parking garages in the courthouse area is available by contacting the jury office by phone and in the group information section.
Smoke while I am reporting or serving as a juror?
- The Courthouse is a smoke-free facility. It is necessary to go outside and away from the building if you wish to smoke.
Take a break or get something to eat?
- While assigned to the assembly room, you may take a break at any time. You should always advise the clerk before leaving the assembly room and check in with the clerk when returning. Lunch is usually at Noon, with an hour lunch break. You can obtain a list of restaurants in the area from the jury assembly room.
Dress for jury service?
- Proper attire is required. Dress as if you were going to a business meeting. Ties and business suits are not required. Please do not wear tank tops, shorts, beach sandals, etc. Temperatures in the Court facilities can vary. Please dress accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jury service mandatory?
- The U.S. Constitution and the California State Constitution guarantee the right to trial by jury. A Summons and Response Form are mailed to you to determine if you are qualified to serve jury duty (See Code of Civil Procedure, Section 203(a).)
Where does the Jury Commissioner obtain names of prospective jurors?
- Both the voter registration and motor vehicle records are used as source lists for prospective jurors. Names are randomly selected from the countywide population by computer. If your name and address do not match exactly in both the voter registration and motor vehicle records, you may have more than one record in the jury system. If this happens, you may receive more than one summons in a 1-year period. If you receive more than one summons in a 1-year period, please contact the Jury Office at 415-551-3608.The Court receives its data from these two sources each year in October. If you have moved out of the City recently, the Court may have still received your name from either the DMV or the Department of Elections. You must notify DMV within 10 days of your move. Registering to vote in another county does not necessarily remove your name from the SF Department of Elections rolls; you should also call the Department of Elections to tell them that you no longer live in the City.
How many days will I have to serve?
- You may be required to appear anytime during the 5-day period of your jury service. You are required to obtain reporting instructions, by calling the Court at (415) 551-3608 or visiting the Web site, every day for the duration of the one week of jury service. You are required to follow your reporting instructions for every day of your service week.If you are not required to report during the 5-day period, your jury service is completed for one year.If you are asked to report and come in to the courthouse, but are not assigned to a courtroom for jury selection on the day you report, your jury service is completed for one year.If you are assigned to a courtroom for jury selection that is not completed by the end of that day, you are required to return to finish the selection for that trial.If you are selected to serve on a trial, your term of service will be the length of that trial.
May I postpone my jury service to a more convenient time?
- Yes. The Court realizes prospective jurors may be summoned at an inconvenient time and is willing to postpone service to a more convenient time. You may postpone your jury service by calling the automated system at (415) 551-3608 or by completing Box A on the Response Form and returning it to the Court. Jurors are entitled to a one-time postponement not to exceed 6 months from the summons date.
How do I know if I’m qualified for jury duty?
- First, read the instructions on the Jury Summons. Second, review the qualification and excuse questions on the Response Form (on the back of the summons). If any of these situations apply to you, complete the appropriate boxes on the Response Form, sign and date the form, and return it to the Court in the envelope provided. Requests for excuse or disqualification must be received in writing and cannot be processed over the phone. However, if you have any questions about your qualification to serve, call the Jury Office at (415) 551-3608. When prompted by the automated system, enter your badge number (located on the juror badge section of the summons) and follow the instructions for speaking to a clerk.
I have moved and no longer live in San Francisco. What do I do?
- If you are not a resident of San Francisco, you are not eligible for jury service in this county. If you have the summons, complete the address change box on the Response Form and check box G. If you do not have the summons, send a letter to the appropriate Court location and provide us with your new address.
I am self-employed or I will not get paid while serving. How do I request to be excused from jury service?
- If you would be subject to extreme personal financial hardship by serving on a jury, you may request an excuse in writing by completing the Juror Information Box and providing the information requested in Box M of the Response Form. Stating that you are not paid for jury duty is not sufficient grounds for excuse; you must describe the impact on your financial situation. Return such requests to the Court as soon as possible. If you no longer have the Response Form, you may submit this information in a letter to the Court. You will be notified by mail only if your request is denied. To check on the status of your request for excuse, you may call the automated system at (415) 551-3608 and enter your badge number. If you do not receive a letter before your summons date, you must call the number on your summons for instructions.
How often must I serve?
- Jurors may be summoned for jury service once in every 12-month period. If you receive more than one summons in a 12-month period, please contact the Jury Office at (415) 551-3608.
If I am summoned for 850 Bryant St., can I report to 400 McAllister St. because it is closer to work?
- No. The Court does not transfer jurors from one location to another. You must appear at your scheduled location on the reporting date. If you believe you have a special circumstance, you may request a transfer of location by submitting a request to the Deputy Jury Commissioner in writing prior to your summons date.
Why are jurors required to sit, sometimes for hours, in the jury assembly room?
- What might appear to be a waste of time to you is actually time being used by the Judge and attorneys working on matters that must be done outside the presence of the jury. These events often arise unexpectedly and cannot be planned for in advance. Please be aware of these issues and bear with us as we all work to accomplish our goal of achieving justice for all. When you report for service, you should expect to be at the Courthouse for the entire day, until 5 p.m.
Does my employer have to pay me while I serve on jury duty?
- Employers are not required by law to compensate employees while they are on jury duty. Please check with your employer regarding the company’s policy. However, your employer is required to give you the time off to serve.
Can my employer prevent me from serving as a juror?
- State law (Labor Code, Sec. 230) prohibits an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating against an employee for taking time off to serve as a juror if the employee, prior to taking such time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer of the of the requirement to serve as a juror.
When I report for jury duty, could I be assigned to more than one courtroom for selection of jurors?
- Yes. You may be sent to more than one courtroom for jury selection on the day that you report. For example, you may be excused from a trial because of its length and be assigned to another, shorter trial. When you report for jury service, you should expect to be at the Court for the entire day, until 5 p.m.
If I have a family emergency while I am attending jury duty, where can my family call ?
- In case of a family emergency, a juror can be reached at the jury assembly room telephone number. Be sure that your family members have your badge number.
I have questions about my situation. Who do I call?
- Please contact the Jury Office at (415) 551-3608. Enter your badge number and follow the instructions. Jury Office staff is available for assistance Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., excluding Court holidays. The busiest phone times are early mornings ( 8 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.) and Friday afternoons (after 2 p.m.).