BELLINGHAM — Maybe you think of jury duty as a chore, or maybe you consider it your civic duty. But either way, it can interfere with your job, family responsibilities and take away free time. If you are a senior citizen, it can present other difficulties, including sitting in a court room chair for long hours.
But are jury summons just a fact of life once you turn 18 and register to vote or get a driver’s license, or do you ever age out of jury duty? Here’s what Washington state law says.
No age limit
As long as a potential juror is over 18 years old, Washington’s requirements for serving on a jury don’t include a specific age limit. But does that mean you can’t be declared ineligible to serve due to old age? According to most interpretations, yes.
According to the juror information page of Island County’s website, “the State of Washington does not exclude any citizen over the age of 18 from consideration based on age.” King and Clallam counties use similar wording on their websites.
People over 80 can skip jury duty
While there’s no age limit to serve on a jury in Washington, anyone over the age of 80 can be excused from jury duty fairly easily. According to state law, if you’re over 80, you can request to be excused due to health reasons and the court has to grant their request without asking for a doctor’s note. You still have to fill out an attestation form, but the court is required to provide one to you.
What are the other requirements?
In order to be eligible for jury duty in Washington, you have to meet several requirements:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Live in the county where you’re serving
- Be able to communicate in English
- Have never been convicted of a felony (if you have been convicted, you’re eligible again once you’ve had your civil rights restored)
- Be registered to vote or have a driver’s license
Are there other reasons you can be excused?
In addition to age, you can be excused due to illness, or anything else that would cause you “undue hardship [or] extreme inconvenience,” according to the state code.
The court can make accommodations for most disabilities and for those caring for a dependent, so you most likely won’t be excused outright. Courts will also accommodate you in the case of a “real” emergency, like a sudden illness or a death in your family.
You won’t be excused from serving in order to go to work, since Washington requires employers to provide leave for jury duty. The state requires courts to pay jurors at least $10 an hour, but some employers provide paid jury duty leave as well.
