How to Fax a Jury Duty Excuse or Postponement Request
A jury summons arrives with a date on it and a set of instructions that assume you own a printer. If you can serve, none of this applies and you should serve. If you genuinely cannot, courts have a process, and that process is stricter about form than most people expect: it usually has to be in writing, it usually has to come from you rather than your employer, and it usually has to arrive days before the date rather than on it.
📌 Postponement and excusal are not the same request. Postponement moves your service to a later date and many courts now handle it through an online juror portal or by phone. Excusal removes you from service altogether, is granted for genuine hardship, and is far more likely to require a written request with documentation attached. Work out which one you are asking for before you write anything.
Try the Portal Before You Fax
Be honest with yourself about which route your court offers. Many courts now run an online juror portal where a first postponement is granted more or less automatically, and where you choose your own new date from a list. Miami-Dade describes a courtesy postponement handled through its juror portal. San Diego offers postponement online or by phone for up to six months. If that covers your situation, use it, because it is free and instant.
Fax matters when the portal does not cover your ground, when you are past the portal's cut off, when a second postponement is being requested, or when documentation has to travel with the request. Maricopa County is explicit that additional postponement requests must be in writing and either posted or faxed to the jury office.
It Has to Be in Writing, and From You
Courts are consistent on this and it catches people out. Excusal requests must be submitted in writing by the person summoned, not by their employer. Some courts state flatly that they do not accept letters from jurors' employers and that most employment hardship requests are denied anyway. Others say plainly that the jury office will not discuss excuses over the telephone.
North Carolina's judicial branch puts it directly: requests for excuses and postponements are made electronically, by post, or by fax, and cannot be handled by telephone. So a phone call is often not a substitute, however reasonable your reason sounds when you say it out loud.
The Documentation Courts Actually Ask For
This is where the printer problem bites, because the proof is rarely something you already hold digitally in the right form. Depending on your ground, courts commonly want: a doctor's letter for a health problem or disability, an unofficial transcript or class schedule for full time students, a copy of a prepaid plane ticket or travel itinerary for booked travel, and documentation such as a business licence, corporation papers, or tax papers for people whose business would close if they served.
Caring responsibilities usually require a written explanation rather than a certificate: a detailed account of your work arrangements, the type of care you provide, the ages of the people you care for, and the periods during which you provide it. Distance hardship claims typically require you to explain why an overnight stay at the court's expense would not solve the problem.
If you need a school record you do not have, our guide to faxing a transcript request covers getting one from the registrar. If a doctor's office is sending a letter on your behalf, our guide to sending medical records by fax covers that side.
The Timing, Which Is Tighter Than People Think
Requests are wanted well ahead of the date. Federal courts commonly ask for postponement requests within seven calendar days of receiving the summons, and some district courts require excuse or postponement requests at least ten days before the summons date. Several courts warn that the jury clerk cannot grant an excuse once a notice to report has been issued, which means waiting until the last week can close the door entirely.
The practical rule: deal with it the week the summons arrives, not the week you are due. Fax transmits in a couple of minutes, so once the letter is written and the proof is gathered, there is no reason to leave it sitting.
Finding the Jury Office Fax Number
On the summons. That document carries the court's name, the jury office contact details, and your juror identification number, and it is the authoritative source because it was issued for your specific service date at your specific court. The court's own website under jury information is the second place to look.
Never use a number from a directory site. Courts reorganise, and county courts and federal district courts covering the same city are entirely different institutions with entirely different jury offices. Sending your request to the wrong courthouse produces no response at all.
Keep Reporting Until They Answer
Courts say this repeatedly and it is the single most important line on this page. Unless you receive a written response granting your excuse or postponement, you must continue to follow the reporting instructions you were given. Some courts only notify jurors whose excuse was refused, which means silence can mean granted at one court and refused at another. Read your own summons for which convention applies, and if you are unsure with the date approaching, ring and ask.
Failing to appear is not a small thing. Jurors who do not report can be held in contempt of court or fined. That is the reason to send the request early and to keep your transmission confirmation until you have a written answer in hand.
Watch for the Jury Duty Scam
Courts across the country warn about it, so it belongs here. If someone telephones or emails claiming to be a court officer or law enforcement, says you missed jury duty, and demands immediate payment of a fine to avoid arrest, it is a fraud. Court and clerk staff will not ring you demanding credit card numbers, bank details, or a Social Security number, and will not demand payment of a fine over the phone. Hang up and contact the court using the number on your summons.
Faxing It for $1.00
1
Read the summons first
Many courts postpone through an online portal and reserve written requests for hardship excusals.
2
Write and sign it yourself
Courts require the request from the juror, not an employer. Include your juror identification number.
3
Attach the proof they name
Doctor letter, class schedule, prepaid itinerary, or business documentation, depending on your ground.
4
Send at faxforadollar.com for $1.00
Up to 10 pages for a dollar, delivered in 1 to 3 minutes, with a timestamped confirmation.
💡 Keep following the reporting instructions until the court tells you in writing that you are excused or postponed. Courts say this explicitly and people ignore it. Sending a request is not the same as receiving an answer, and failing to appear because you assumed a request was granted can carry a fine or a contempt finding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fax my jury duty excuse request?
Many courts accept it. North Carolina's judicial branch states that requests for excuses and postponements are made electronically, by post, or by fax and cannot be handled by telephone. Snohomish County in Washington accepts the letter by post, fax, or email. Check your own summons, since it names the routes that particular court accepts and courts differ.
I got a jury summons and I have no printer, how do I send the request?
Write the letter by hand if you must, since courts care that it is written and signed by you rather than typed. Photograph it with your phone along with any documentation, and fax it here for $1.00. The only thing that might need printing is a form at the bottom of your summons, and a library or copy shop will run off a single page for very little.
What is the difference between postponing and being excused?
Postponement moves your service to a later date and is often granted as a courtesy, sometimes automatically for a first request through an online portal. Excusal removes you from service entirely and is granted for genuine hardship, requiring a written request and usually documentation. Ask for the one you actually need, since requesting excusal when a postponement would solve it invites a refusal.
Can my employer write the letter for me?
Generally no. Courts require the request to be submitted by the person summoned, and some state directly that they do not accept letters from jurors' employers and that most employment hardship requests are denied in any case. A letter from your employer can support your own request as documentation, but it cannot replace it.
What documentation do I need to be excused for medical reasons?
A letter from your doctor, and some courts require it alongside your own written explanation rather than instead of it. Write your own letter explaining the situation, attach the doctor's letter, and send both together. Sending the medical letter alone without your written request is a common reason these come back unresolved.
I'm a full-time student, what do I send?
Courts commonly grant a postponement to students on receipt of proof of enrolment, typically a class schedule or an unofficial transcript. Some will postpone to the next school break rather than excusing you outright. If you need a transcript you do not have, our guide to faxing a transcript request covers requesting one from the registrar.
I have a holiday booked, will they accept that?
Usually as a postponement rather than an excusal, and they will want proof. Courts commonly ask for a copy of a prepaid plane ticket or the travel itinerary showing the dates. Booked and paid travel is one of the more reliably accepted grounds, precisely because it is easy to evidence.
How far in advance do I need to send it?
Sooner than you think. Federal courts commonly ask for postponement requests within seven calendar days of receiving the summons, and some require excuse or postponement requests at least ten days before the date. Several warn that once a notice to report has been issued the jury clerk can no longer grant an excuse, so leaving it to the final week can remove the option entirely.
What is the cheapest way to fax jury duty paperwork?
$1.00 at faxforadollar.com for up to 10 pages, with no account and no subscription. A letter plus a doctor's note or an itinerary is typically two to four pages, well inside that. A shipping store will usually charge $3 to $5 a page for the same transmission, which is a lot for a document you are sending once.
Do I still have to show up after I send the request?
Yes, unless and until the court tells you otherwise in writing. Courts state this repeatedly and it is the most important thing on this page. Some courts only notify jurors whose request was refused, so silence means different things at different courts. Read your summons for which applies and ring the jury office if the date is approaching and you have heard nothing.
What happens if I just don't turn up?
It is treated seriously. Jurors who fail to report can be held in contempt of court and fined. Sending a request that was never granted is not a defence. If your circumstances changed late or your request went unanswered, contact the jury office before the date rather than after it, because a conversation beforehand is a far better position than an explanation afterwards.
What should the letter actually say?
Your full name, your juror identification number, the summons date, the court's name, your address and phone number, and then a clear explanation of your ground written in your own words. Be specific rather than general, since courts assess hardship on detail. Sign it, because an unsigned request from an unidentified sender is not a request the clerk can act on.
What is a juror identification number and where do I find it?
It is the number the court uses to locate your record, and it is printed on your summons. Courts ask that anything posted or faxed to the jury office includes the juror's name and juror identification number, because without it your letter cannot be matched to your summons among the thousands they process each term.
Can I fax a second postponement request?
You can ask, but the rules tighten. Maricopa County requires additional postponement requests to be in writing and posted or faxed, and notes that Arizona law does not allow a second postponement unless there is an extreme emergency that was not anticipated when the first was granted. Explain clearly why the situation could not have been foreseen.
I care for a child or a relative, is that enough?
It can be, but courts want the detail rather than the label. They typically ask for an explanation of your work arrangements, the type of care you provide, the ages of those you care for, and the periods during which you provide it. A short note saying you are a carer is far weaker than a specific account of why nobody else can cover the days in question.
Do I need a fax machine to send this?
No. You upload the pages in a browser, type the number, and pay. Nothing is installed and no phone line is involved. Photograph your signed letter and your documentation with a phone and send from the same phone, which takes a couple of minutes.
Will my handwritten letter come through readably?
It will if you photograph it properly. Fax transmits in black and white with no grey, so write in dark ink rather than pencil, lay the page flat in good daylight, and fill the frame. A shadow across the sheet or a photograph taken at an angle can render handwriting unreadable, and an unreadable letter is the same as no letter.
How many pages should I send?
As few as make the case. A one page letter plus the documentation the court named is ideal. Do not attach medical history beyond the letter, or a full bank statement to prove a business exists. Courts asked for specific proof for a reason, and volume does not substitute for the item requested.
Is it safe to fax a doctor's letter?
A fax travels point to point to the number you dial rather than sitting on a mail server, which is a large part of why courts and agencies still use it for sensitive material. The genuine risk is mistyping the destination, so check the number against your summons twice. Here the uploaded file is deleted from the servers once the fax has been sent.
Does the court confirm they received it?
Not usually, and not immediately. Your evidence is the transmission confirmation, which records the destination, the page count, and the exact date and time. Keep it until you have a written answer. If you have to ring the jury office, being able to say precisely when you sent it and to what number moves the conversation along quickly.
What if the jury office fax line is busy?
Jury offices process large volumes at the start of each term and a busy signal usually reflects that rather than a wrong number. A failed send is refunded automatically here, so nothing is lost. Wait an hour and retry. If it fails across a whole day, check the number on your summons again and confirm you are faxing the right courthouse.
I got summoned by a federal court and a county court, are they the same?
No, they are entirely separate institutions with separate jury offices, and being excused by one has no effect on the other. This trips people up in cities where both sit. Check which court issued the summons in front of you and send your request to that court's jury office at the address or number on that document.
Can I be excused because I already served recently?
Often yes, and it is one of the simpler grounds. Courts commonly grant an exemption for a period after completed service, and some allow a juror who sat on a trial to request excusal if summoned again within a set number of years. The terms vary by court, so check your summons or the court's jury information page for the rule where you are.
What if I move out of the county?
Tell the jury office in writing rather than ignoring the summons, since a summons that goes unanswered becomes a failure to appear. Jury service is normally tied to residence in the court's district, so moving away usually resolves it, but only once the court knows and has updated its record. Attach something showing your new address.
Someone called saying I missed jury duty and owe a fine, is that real?
It is a well documented scam and courts warn about it directly. Court and clerk staff will not telephone demanding credit card numbers, bank account details, or a Social Security number, and will not demand payment of a fine to avoid arrest. Hang up, do not pay, and contact the court using the number printed on your summons.
Can I fax on a weekend?
Yes, the equipment receives continuously and your confirmation records the weekend timestamp. Staff open it on the next working day. Given that jury offices want these requests well ahead of the service date anyway, sending on a Saturday rather than waiting for Monday is a small free improvement to your position.
Do I get paid for jury duty if I am excused on the day?
Generally not. Some courts state that jurors who appear and are then granted an excuse or postponement are not compensated for attendance, mileage, or subsistence. That is another argument for dealing with the request in advance rather than turning up hoping to be released, since the advance route costs you a dollar and the other costs you a day.
Can I send my request by email instead?
Some courts accept email, some explicitly do not. One federal district states plainly that postponements and excusals will not be accepted by email. Others list email alongside post and fax. Read your summons, and where it names the accepted methods, use one of those rather than the one that happens to be most convenient.
Where do I go if my situation is not covered here?
The jury office named on your summons, which is the only body that can actually answer. Jury rules are set by each court and vary between federal, state, and county courts sitting in the same city, so your summons and your court's own jury information page always take priority over anything written here. Clerks answer these questions constantly and will tell you plainly what they need.
Letter signed and documentation attached?
Send it to the jury office days ahead rather than the night before, for $1.00, and keep the timestamped confirmation until you have a written answer.
Send a Fax, $1