The first step to respond to your jury summons is to complete your juror questionnaire online through your juror portal. Once you respond online, you'll have the opportunity to make a request to be excused or deferred/postponed.
Please review the information on this page. Jury Administration has limited authority to excuse jurors from jury service. Some requests to be excused must be made in court during the jury selection process, if you're required to report for service.
A request to be excused does not mean you are automatically excused. Unless you receive notification that you have been excused, you are still under the court's order to appear if you are required to report during your service term.
Each request is reviewed by the court and a written response will be emailed to you and your juror portal will be updated online. We stop accepting requests to be postponed or excused at 10:00am on the last business day before a service term begins. If it is a time sensitive issue, please call Jury Administration 564.397.2049 or email juries@clark.wa.gov for further assistance.
Deferring/Postponing
You can defer/postpone your service up to 6 months out from your original service term. You can defer yourself online through your juror portal. Once logged in, you'll see a "Request exemption" button. Click that and one of your very first options will be "Deferral - Reschedule to another day."
Deferral requests are automatically approved if it's your first one. If you have any issues, please call Jury Administration 564.397.2049 or email juries@clark.wa.gov for further assistance.
Please note, the option to defer/reschedule yourself online will not be an option if you have deferred yourself before or if you are within 4 days of your service term starting.
Prior Excusals
Previous excusals do not warrant future excusals. Each instance must be addressed as if it is the first time the court is hearing your request. We do not maintain records (from previous years in which you may have been summoned) of your previous medical or previous requests to be excused.
Jurors Over the Age of 70
Jurors over the age of 70 may request to be excused without documentation. If you are a juror that is over 70 and would like to be excused, please respond to your summons online. Once you submit your questionnaire you can make a request to be excused using the "Request exemption" button in your juror portal. One of the options you'll see is "I am over the age of 70 and would like to be excused." Click this option and submit your request.
Please note, you must request an excusal for this reason at least 7 days in advance of your original scheduled service. Jurors who request an age excusal when reporting for service will not be automatically excused.
If you encounter any issues responding online, please call Jury Administration 564.397.2049 or email juries@clark.wa.gov for further assistance.
Childcare/Dependent Care
In regard to childcare, we would appreciate if you would reschedule your jury service to another date when you can make necessary care arrangements rather than asking to be excused. Jury Administration does not have the authority to release you for this reason.
If you are having difficulty arranging for childcare or other dependent care, please contact Jury Administration for other accommodations. Bringing children to jury duty is not permitted under any circumstance and jurors who do so will not be excused.
Employment Conflicts
Jury Administration does not have the authority to excuse you for any employment reasons, regardless of your position or essentialness to your employer. Per RCW 2.36.165, employers are required to accommodate this court-ordered service. If you or your employer need more time to plan to accommodate this service, please contact Jury Administration to be rescheduled or follow the steps above to defer/postpone your service to a later time.
Small Business Owners/Independent Contractors/Sole Proprietors
Jury Administration does not have the authority to excuse you for any employment reasons, even if you are self-employed. If you need more time to plan appropriately to accommodate this service, please contact Jury Administration to be rescheduled. You will have an opportunity to request to be released by the court during the Jury Selection Process, if your group is required to report.
Financial Hardship
Jurors that may experience financial hardship when reporting for Jury Service should contact Jury Administration for other accommodations. You will also have an opportunity to request to be released before the court during the Jury Selection Process, if your group is required to report.
Students
Email Jury Administration a copy of your school schedule as proof of enrollment during the jury term. Parents should forward the questionnaire to the summoned person/student but may not respond to the summons on behalf of the student. If the student is attending college outside the United States, please have the student contact our office directly. Providing a school schedule will permit a rescheduling to a time when the student is not enrolled in classes within the next 6 months. We do not excuse jurors for being a student unless they have established residency outside the county via a new state issued driver's license, ID card, or voter registration.
Moved out of Clark County
If you receive a jury summons and no longer live or claim residency in Clark County, Washington - please respond to your summons online. Once you complete the juror questionnaire and indicate that you no longer live in Clark County, you will be prompted to request a disqualification. Please provide your updated address in your request. Further residency documentation may be requested by Jury Administration.
Military
If you receive a jury summons and are currently out of the local area on official military orders - please respond to your summons online. Once you complete the juror questionnaire you may request an excusal. Please provide a copy of your military orders via email to juries@clark.wa.gov to verify your excusal request.
Medical
Briefly explain the nature of the situation and attach a signed note by a primary care physician which states why in their professional opinion, the circumstance prevents your participation in jury service. Do not send lists of medications, appointment information, or diagnosis information. These will not permit excusal. If it is a temporary or short duration medical situation, you will be rescheduled.
Religious Beliefs
Jury Administration does not have the authority to release you for your religious beliefs. You will have an opportunity to request to be released by the court during the Jury Selection Process, if your group is required to report.
Other Reasons or Requests
Other requests to be excused must be placed in writing with enough detail for the court to gain an understanding as to why Jury Service may be difficult for you at this time.
Failing to Appear for Jury Service
Per RCW 2.36.170, a person summoned for jury service who intentionally fails to appear as directed shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. If you failed to report for jury service, please call Jury Administration 564.397.2049 or email juries@clark.wa.gov for further assistance.