Beginning January 1, 2022, the list of resident state tax filers, the list of registered voters, and the Department of Motor Vehicles' list of licensed drivers and identification cardholders residing within the area served by the Court 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 among the three sources, you may have more than one record in the jury system. If this happens, you may receive more than one summons in a year. If you receive more than one summons in a year, please contact the Jury Office at 415-551-3608.

 If you have moved out of the City recently, the Court may have still received your name. 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.

Yes. The California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) Section 191 states, "The Legislature recognizes that trial by jury is a cherished constitutional right and that jury service is an obligation of citizenship." Jury duty is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share. Without support from individuals like you, we could not maintain our jury pool and ensure equal access to justice for all.

You do not need any special skills or legal knowledge to be a juror. No one is exempt because of their job, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or economic status. To qualify for jury duty, you must:

• Be a citizen of the United States.

• Be able to read and understand basic English.

• Be a resident of the City and County of San Francisco.

• Be at least 18 years old. There are no maximum age limits for jury service as long as the juror has no health issues that would prevent them from serving.

• Have not been convicted of malfeasance in office. If your rights have been restored by a pardon, or your record has been expunged, you may serve on a jury if you are otherwise qualified.

• Not currently serving as a grand or trial juror in any court of this state under a different Juror Identification number.

• Not be on active military duty.

• Not be an active-duty peace officer under CA Penal Code 830.1, 830.15, 830.2(a), or 830.33(a). 

• Not be under a court-appointed conservatorship.

• Not be incarcerated in prison or jail.

• Not currently on parole, post-release community supervision, felony probation, or mandated supervision for the conviction of a felony.

• Not be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the CA Penal Code for the conviction of a felony.

Requests to be disqualified can be submitted in the jury portal at least THREE business days before the start of the service week.

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 website, every day for the duration of the one week of jury service. 

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 into 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.

One day, one trial is a statewide policy designed to improve jury service in California.  California Rules of Court, rule 2.1002(c) states: Each trial court system must implement a juror management program under which a person has fulfilled [their] jury service obligation when the person has: (1) Served on one trial until discharged; (2) Been assigned on one day to one or more trial departments for jury selection and served through the completion of jury selection or until excused by the jury commissioner; (3) Attended court but was not assigned to a trial department for selection of a jury before the end of that day;  (4) Served one day on call; or (5) Served no more than five court days on telephone standby.

In San Francisco, potential jurors receive a summons indicating the week they are on telephone standby. Prospective jurors are required to call for no more than five days and can be asked to report for jury service on one of those days. Once called in, the prospective juror is no longer required to check the standby instructions. If you are assigned to a courtroom for jury selection, you will be required to serve until you are excused by the Court or selected as a juror and the case you are selected for is completed. 

No, you do not age out of being eligible to receive a jury summons. However, if a person 70 or older has a physical or mental disability or medical issue that makes service a risk or impossible, they can request an excuse in writing.  The request must be received before the start of their standby week. The exemption is permanent. See section "I have health problems" below for more information. 

Business casual is always appropriate. We suggest you wear comfortable clothing that is suitable and observes the importance and dignity of the courtroom. Shorts, tank tops, flip-flops,  or anything with offensive words or graphics are highly discouraged.  You will be required to remove hats inside the courtroom. 

Employers must allow employees time off to serve on a jury as long as reasonable notice is given.  An employer has a legal obligation to let the employee serve without fear of harassment or dismissal resulting from jury service. California Government Code Section 12945.8 prohibits an employer from firing or harassing an employee who is summoned to court to serve as a juror. The California Labor Code Section 230 prohibits any employer from firing or harassing an employee who is summoned to court for jury service. If you are a teacher or student, your jury service is protected by California Education Code Sections 44037 and 87306. Employees who are harassed or fired can file a claim with the state's Civil Rights Department.  Employers can also be prosecuted criminally and face misdemeanor charges if found guilty.

To accommodate your schedule, you may change your standby week to a more convenient time. The postponement cannot exceed 6 months and must be requested before the start of your service week. You may postpone your service in your jury portal (juryapp.sftc.org) or by calling the Jury Office at (415) 551-3608 during normal business hours. 

The location on your summons is randomly assigned. It will not be changed unless the potential juror can provide a legally sufficient reason why they are unable to report to the randomly assigned courthouse. All requests must be in writing and are reviewed by the Deputy Jury Commissioner on a case-by-case basis. 

Students are not exempt and should reschedule their service to a week when school is not in session. Out-of-state students who do not return to San Francisco for at least TWO WEEKS during their spring, summer, or winter breaks can request to be disqualified for non-residency. 

Graduate Students: If you are enrolled in a program that does not have a traditional break schedule, you must submit a letter from your school before your service week. The letter should include information about the program schedule, specifically that there is not a traditional break schedule, and that missing any time would impact your completion of the program. The letter should be on the school's letterhead and also indicate your expected graduation date.  

 All health-related excuse requests must be received before the start of your standby week and can be submitted in your jury portal. 

1. If you are 70 years of age or older:

Medical documentation is not required. Prospective jurors must complete the appropriate section in the jury portal, provide their date of birth, and describe their medical condition. A description of the disability or impairment, however general, is acceptable. The excuse is permanent. 

2. If you are under 70 years of age and your medical issue is not expected to resolve within six months of your service date, but is not permanent:

A prospective juror who is less than 70 years of age and who is claiming a disability or impairment is required to submit a signed statement from a health care provider or institution stating that the prospective juror cannot serve. The health care provider must specify when the juror will be medically able to serve. The prospective juror is also required to provide information regarding their employment status. Specifically, the juror must indicate who they work for, what they do for a living, and whether they work full- or part-time. Prospective jurors working full-time will not be excused without an explanation from their medical provider explaining how they can work but are unable to serve. 

3. If you are under 70 years of age and suffer from a permanent health condition that makes it impossible for you to do jury service at any time now or in the future:

A prospective juror who is less than 70 years of age and who is claiming a permanent disability or impairment and wants to be excused permanently is required to submit a signed statement from a health care provider or institution stating the juror has a permanent disability limiting one or more major life activities that permanently make the juror incapable of serving. 

Discounted parking information can be found on our general information page

Go to your jury portal and select a new standby week. If the portal does not allow you to select a new week, you will need to contact us during normal business hours to reschedule.